Riley Herbst is currently on the verge of being announced as a full-time driver for 23XI Racing in 2025. The youngster spent 2024 driving for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Xfinity Series and secured two victories.
He is one of the most promising talents out there and could be a perfect addition to many of the teams in the Cup Series. But what makes him so? One of the answers is his family’s racing roots.
The Herbsts are legendary in off-road racing circles. The patriarch of the family, Jerry Herbst, kicked things off in the 1970s by running in events like the Baja 1000. Riley’s father Troy is a seven-time off-road racing series champion.
His uncles Ed and Tim followed down the same desert terrain as well. Their accomplishments led them to be inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
Riley did not take the off-roading path but his love for motorsports stemmed from it. “I learned that if you work hard at something, you can achieve it,” he said in 2022.
“I’ve always been focused on the biggest challenge. That challenge brought me to racing stock cars.” This did not mean he didn’t want to race off-road. He took part in the 2023 Baja 1000, a 1,310-mile race, and ended up winning his class.
He found himself on the starting line once again in 2024 and he ended up winning again. The Trophy Truck Spec championship was decided in the final 11 minutes after a roughly 17-hour race.
He wrote on X following the success, “Back 2 Back Baja 1000 champs!! So much fun racing with my family down in Mexico. Been coming here since I was a kid watching!”
Will Herbst join 23XI Racing in 2025?
Events like the Baja 500 and Baja 1000 have become a tradition in the Herbst family and are what have led to careers in NASCAR. At 24, Riley is his own man now.
He faced trouble as a rookie in his early years in stock car racing but has found his form over the past several months. He has three wins and 86 top-10s over 175 starts in the Xfinity Series.
The current situation is a highly tricky one for him. His journey to Airspeed, 23XI Racing’s HQ, depends on the outcome of the antitrust lawsuit that the team has filed against NASCAR.
If the promotion allows the team to keep its charters till the disputes are settled in court, he could have a seat in 2025. If not, it’s a bit of a question as to whether the team owners will back him in an open entry.
Nevertheless, he has strong financial funding from his family and Monster Energy. Making matters more interesting is a recent announcement on 23XI Racing’s social media channels.
A video of a driver’s silhouette walking up to the camera with a racing helmet in hand was put up. The teaser stated that a revelation will come on November 20, 2024. The man behind the mask could be Herbst.
