Putting an exclamation mark on the end of his five NASCAR Xfinity Series seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing, Riley Herbst led 167 laps to motor to victory in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Shortly after that, 23XI Racing announced that it was tapping Herbst to drive its No. 35 Monster Energy Toyota in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series.
The 25-year-old fills us in on how it all came about, and what’s next….
You’re now a full-time Cup racer. Just how does that feel?
“It’s awesome. It’s been a lifelong dream, for sure, to have a full-time ride in the Cup series. We worked really hard at it. It’s exciting and I can’t wait to get to Daytona.”
When Stewart-Haas Racing announced its impending closure, you were, in essence, left in no-man’s land. Was that a tough time for you?
“A little bit. It was just because I didn’t know what was going to happen. I know I had good people around me, but just the outcome was kind of uncertain. So that’s where the nervousness came from. Like, we heard the rumors about SHR back in March, and so we worked with everybody to try and find a good landing spot for next year and I think we found the best spot possible. It’s been a heck of a process and I’m just so grateful for the opportunity that I have in front of me.”
What did you think of the 23XI Racing team before you became a part of it?
“Well, just watching with Kurt Busch and Tyler Reddick and everybody, I could see just really fast race cars, and a really fast team. So obviously I thought that team was top notch, and just to be mentioned in that name with that team is awesome, and hopefully we can capitalize on the opportunity now.”
Do you know Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace at all?
“I’ve met them in passing, but I don’t know them. I’ve just seen them around the track and whatnot but yeah, I’m gonna grow that relationship with them and I am excited for the future.”
Have you been by the 23XI Racing Airspeed race shop?
“Yeah, I went to the shop one time. It’s world class. It’s so beautiful — really, really pretty. And it’s very advanced technology thinking, forward thinking, which is really cool to see in our NASCAR industry.”
You’ve done eight Cup races. Did you get any kind of read off of them?
“A little bit. It was a lot there, so I’m excited to now have a stable foundation knowing how the cars drive. But I think it’s going to be totally different. The cars are going to be a lot better prepared, a lot faster than I drove last year. I’m excited for the resources I have, and to continue to learn. It’s a huge change, for sure, so it’s gonna be a lot of work but I’ve got really good people around me to get me ready. I’m excited for the challenge.
“I think everybody progresses at their own pace but I’ve been proud of the work that I put into my craft and how I’ve been getting better and better over a short period of time, and the results are starting to show. I’m excited about who I’ve become as a race car driver, about all the hard work I’ve put in the last couple years in the Xfinity Series.”
Looking back on your Xfinity Series career, how would you sum that up?
“It was a lot of learning in the beginning but the last year and a half, man, I felt like we’re as good as anybody. We had a lot of speed, and we won those races pretty handedly, so it’s cool to see that and to go out on top at Phoenix, to win and to beat everybody in the championship race, was pretty special.”
Your crew chief Davin Restivo is coming with you into Cup too.
“Yeah, Davin’s a young, eager person like myself. He’s been in the Cup Series before as an engineer, so excited for him to take this journey, and he’s already at the shop, working, preparing for next year, which is exciting for me.”