Riley Herbst has joined the ranks of the NASCAR Cup Series full time for 2025, driving a third entry for 23XI Racing, 23XI announced Nov. 20.
Herbst will pilot the No. 35 as a teammate to Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.
Monster Energy follows Herbst to 23XI, as does crew chief Davin Restivo.
“It’s an honor to join 23XI and Toyota for the opportunity to race in the Cup Series each week,” Herbst said in a team release. “Racing full time in the Cup Series has been my goal since I started in NASCAR and I’m excited to start my Cup career with such an accomplished and driven team. What 23XI has accomplished in a short time is impressive and I look forward to building on their success as the organization grows.
“It’s also great to continue representing Monster and I’m excited about adding to their legacy in NASCAR.”
Currently, Herbst will compete as an open team amid 23XI and Front Row Motorsports’ antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR.
“As 23XI enters our fifth season next year, we felt the time was right to continue the growth of our organization by adding a third team, and Riley is a driver we think will be a great fit for us,” Steve Lauletta, 23XI president, added. “We have a very solid foundation with both Bubba and Tyler, and we know they will be a great resource for Riley as he begins his journey in the Cup Series.”
Though he’ll be a Cup rookie, Herbst has eight previous starts in the series since 2023. In those, he has two top 10s, both coming in 2023.
He earned two wins, seven top fives and 15 top 10s in 2024 driving for the since-closed Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, finishing seventh in points.
Rutherford is the managing editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2015 after serving on the editing staff for two years. At his day job, he's a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio -- you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.
Welcome to the big leagues, Potsie. I give you two years.
Starting a 3rd team during a lawsuit? No charters. Agreeing to take less money as an open team? Sponsors must be loving this. Doesn’t look like any harm has been done except the self-inflicted kind.
A total dweeb dwarf in the 45 car with his foot taller gf, but at least he can drive. The 23 car has a guy with mental health issues who assaults 5 foot tall Asians in front of a national TV audience. Besides that, he can’t drive, so how does he still have a job? Ohh, as Emily Litela used to say. “Never mind.”. Last but not least….Riley herbst??? I guess his rich daddy had a say in it. The Jordan/Hamlin braintrust! Making NASCAR great again! I thought they were all about that goofy DEI stuff? How come they didn’t hire Toni Brendlinger? She’s a female with Arab bloodline.
Yes, your honor. All those things we said in our filings that we couldn’t do at all right now? Just kidding about all that. And we are being so harmed by this evil NASCAR thing we decided to expand our participation in it by 50% – to get harmed even more.