Riley Herbst

Riley Dederick Kern Herbst Bio

Riley Dederick Kern Herbst is an American professional stock car racing driver born February 24, 1999, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 35 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing. Herbst has built a diverse racing resume spanning NASCAR national series competition, ARCA Menards Series success, and off-road desert racing. He earned ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2017 and claimed his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win in 2023 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway while driving for Stewart–Haas Racing.

Beyond paved-oval stock car racing, Herbst comes from a prominent off-road racing family. The Herbst name is deeply rooted in desert racing, with his father Troy, grandfather Jerry, and uncles Ed and Tim all competing in major events such as the Baja 500 and Baja 1000. That family quartet was inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. Riley himself has carried that off-road tradition forward, winning the Baja 1000 Trophy Truck Spec class alongside his father and Jordan Dean in 2023, and repeating the victory in 2024.

Early Life and Background

Riley Dederick Kern Herbst was born on February 24, 1999, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the heart of the American Southwest and a region with a deep off-road racing culture. His parents are Troy Herbst and Laura Sosey Herbst. Growing up surrounded by a family immersed in motorsports, Herbst was introduced to racing at an unusually young age. His family’s Terrible Herbst company is a well-known enterprise in the off-road and racing community, and the Herbst name had already become synonymous with Baja desert racing before Riley ever sat in a race car.

Herbst began racing karts at the age of five, following the path taken by many future professional drivers who start in karting to learn car control and racecraft fundamentals. He continued progressing through the traditional developmental ladder, moving into Legends cars, Speed Trucks, and Super Late Models. During his teenage years, he competed in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series’ Junior 1 Kart division, gaining early off-road experience alongside his cousins Pierce and Thor. That blend of paved-oval and off-road competition gave Herbst a versatile driving skill set that set him apart from many of his contemporaries who specialized exclusively on asphalt ovals.

Path to NASCAR

By 2015, Herbst was racing weekly at Irwindale Speedway in Southern California in a Super Late Model, capturing the track’s Speed Trucks championship the same year. In 2016, he added NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West races to his schedule, making his first steps into the national NASCAR pathway while continuing to compete in Super Late Models. His performances in those regional NASCAR events caught the attention of Joe Gibbs Racing, one of the premier organizations in the sport, which signed him to drive in the ARCA Racing Series for the 2017 season.

Herbst’s first full season in the ARCA Racing Series in 2017 proved to be a breakthrough. Driving the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, he won a race at Pocono Raceway, recorded multiple top-five finishes, and posted ten top-ten results over the course of the season. He finished seventh in the final ARCA points standings and claimed the ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year award. The recognition came after he passed fellow contender Gus Dean in the final event of the season, securing the honor on the last lap of his rookie campaign. That 2017 ARCA season established Herbst as a legitimate rising talent in NASCAR’s developmental pipeline.

Riley Herbst Career

Early Career (2017–2019)

Herbst’s first NASCAR national series start came in the Camping World Truck Series in 2018, when he drove for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He made his debut at Gateway Motorsports Park in the No. 51 truck, finishing eighth — an impressive result for a series debutant. He also drove the No. 46 truck at his home track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, that same season. In the ARCA Menards Series, he split the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 in 2019 with Ty Gibbs, continuing his development under the JGR banner. By the end of the 2019 season, he had accumulated enough experience across ARCA, the Truck Series, and the K&N Pro Series to position himself for a full-time national series opportunity.

Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2020–2024)

Joe Gibbs Racing gave Herbst full-time driving duties in the No. 18 Toyota for the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. He qualified for the playoffs but was eliminated after the first round. Despite the early playoff exit, Herbst posted strong numbers, finishing 12th in the final points standings with four top-five finishes, seventeen top-ten finishes, and season-best results of second place at both Auto Club Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. After the season, JGR signed Daniel Hemric to drive the No. 18 full-time in 2021, leaving Herbst without a ride.

On December 10, 2020, Stewart–Haas Racing announced that Herbst would drive the No. 98 Ford beginning with the 2021 season. The transition to a new team came with an initially challenging start, as Herbst was involved in wrecks in three of the first four races, none of which were of his own making. He rebounded with a fourth-place finish at Phoenix Raceway, signaling his ability to adapt to a new organization. The 2022 season represented Herbst’s best Xfinity Series campaign to that point, with career highs of eight top-five finishes and twenty top-ten finishes for the year.

Herbst entered the 2023 Xfinity Series season with momentum, opening with a sixth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway and stringing together five consecutive top-ten finishes. The defining moment of his career arrived at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he scored his first career Xfinity Series win. The victory capped a five-race streak of top-five finishes to close out the season. In 2024, Herbst remained with Stewart–Haas Racing and added a second Xfinity Series win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, making a spectacular last-lap pass on Aric Almirola to secure the victory. That win also delivered Stewart–Haas Racing its final race victory before the team announced in May 2024 that it would shut down its NASCAR operations at the end of the season. Herbst finished seventh in the 2024 Xfinity Series points standings.

Cup Series Breakthrough (2023–Present)

Herbst made his NASCAR Cup Series debut on February 26, 2023, at the Daytona 500, driving the No. 15 Ford for Rick Ware Racing. Despite being caught in a multi-car crash late in the race, he finished tenth — an extraordinary result that made him one of only five drivers in NASCAR history to score a top-ten finish in their first career Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Truck Series starts. He made additional Cup starts in 2023 with Rick Ware Racing at Talladega Superspeedway, finishing 20th, and with Front Row Motorsports at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona and the fall Talladega race. At the fall Talladega race, Herbst ran in contention for the win late, pushing Ryan Blaney toward the lead on the final lap before being caught in a late-race incident and finishing ninth.

Herbst returned to Rick Ware Racing for the 2024 Daytona 500, again driving the No. 15 with Monster Energy as his primary sponsor. He ran additional Cup races for Rick Ware in 2024 at Kansas Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, and Richmond Raceway. On November 20, 2024, 23XI Racing announced that Herbst would drive the No. 35 Toyota full-time for the 2025 season, with Monster Energy as his sponsor. He started the 2025 season with a 17th-place finish at the Daytona 500, but the season proved challenging as he failed to score a single top-ten finish, recorded only eight finishes inside the top-twenty, and posted a best result of 14th at Texas Motor Speedway. He finished 35th in the final 2025 Cup Series points standings. Following the Charlotte Roval race, the No. 35 car was disqualified for failing post-race height inspection.

23XI Racing Era (2025–Present)

Herbst’s move to 23XI Racing in 2025 marked a significant step up in his Cup Series career, joining an organization co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. The partnership carried his long-time sponsor Monster Energy forward, providing continuity during a major team transition. The No. 35 Toyota Camry XSE program gave Herbst a competitive ride for the first time in his Cup career, but the 2025 season presented steep challenges as he adapted to full-time Cup competition at the highest level. His best finish of 14th at Texas was a promising indicator of his capability, and the experience gained in his first full Cup season positions him for continued development heading into future seasons with the team.

Driving Style and Strengths

Herbst is regarded as an aggressive and versatile driver with strengths across multiple track types. His off-road and Super Late Model background gives him a car-control toolkit that translates well to superspeedway racing, where he has posted his best Cup Series results. His ability to push a teammate to the lead at Talladega while running competitively for the win himself demonstrated both racecraft and team-first thinking. Herbst also showed strong adaptation skills in switching manufacturers and team cultures, transitioning from Ford with Stewart–Haas Racing to Toyota with 23XI Racing.

Notable Races and Milestones

Herbst’s tenth-place finish in his Cup Series debut at the 2023 Daytona 500 stands as one of the most remarkable first-time performances in NASCAR history, making him one of only five drivers to score top-tens in their first career Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series starts. His first career Xfinity Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2023 was the culmination of a dominant five-race top-five streak to close that season. His 2024 win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, achieved with a last-lap pass on Aric Almirola, was a signature moment that also marked the final victory for Stewart–Haas Racing before the team ceased operations. In off-road racing, his back-to-back Baja 1000 Trophy Truck Spec class victories in 2023 and 2024 further cement the Herbst family’s legacy in desert racing.

Riley Herbst Career Wins

Riley Herbst has won races across multiple motorsports disciplines, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the ARCA Menards Series, and the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. His first major national series victory came at the ARCA level at Pocono Raceway in 2017, and he has since added two career Xfinity Series wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His off-road résumé includes two Baja 1000 class victories in the Trophy Truck Spec category, won in consecutive years in 2023 and 2024.

Xfinity Series Highlights

Herbst has two career wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His first victory came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2023, capping a dominant five-race top-five streak to close the season. His second win came in 2024 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he executed a last-lap pass on Aric Almirola in a race that also proved to be Stewart–Haas Racing’s final victory before shutting down its NASCAR operations. Herbst has also recorded multiple podium finishes in the Xfinity Series, including second-place runs at Auto Club Speedway and Kentucky Speedway during the 2020 season with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Other Wins and Performances

In the ARCA Menards Series, Herbst won one race at Pocono Raceway in 2017, the season in which he captured Rookie of the Year honors. His debut Truck Series race at Gateway Motorsports Park in 2018 produced an eighth-place finish, demonstrating his ability to compete at a high level across all three major NASCAR national series. He has also claimed wins in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series at the junior level and, most notably, won the Baja 1000 Trophy Truck Spec class in 2023 and again in 2024 alongside his father Troy Herbst and Jordan Dean.

Riley Herbst Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

The Herbst family is one of the most recognizable names in American off-road racing. Riley’s father, Troy Herbst, and his grandfather Jerry Herbst have competed in the Baja 500 and Baja 1000 desert races for decades, building a legacy in trophy truck competition. Troy’s brothers, Ed and Tim Herbst, have also been regular competitors in the same events, making the Herbst family a motorsports institution in the Southwest. The family’s collective accomplishments in desert racing were recognized in 2014 when the Herbst quartet was inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame. The family’s business interests include the Terrible Herbst company, a well-known enterprise in Nevada.

Personal Life

Riley Herbst was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, and continues to reside in the Las Vegas area. He maintains an active social media presence on X and Instagram. Herbst’s immediate family includes his father, Troy Herbst, and his mother, Laura Sosey Herbst. He has no publicly disclosed spouse or children. His racing career has been supported throughout by his family, particularly his father Troy, with whom he won the 2023 Baja 1000 Trophy Truck Spec class. Monster Energy is listed as his primary sponsor, and he has carried the energy drink brand across multiple teams and series throughout his professional career.

2025 Season Performance

Riley Herbst’s 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with 23XI Racing in the No. 35 Toyota Camry XSE represented his first full-time campaign at the sport’s highest level. He entered the season with high expectations, backed by long-time sponsor Monster Energy and a competitive Toyota organization co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. Herbst opened the season with a 17th-place finish at the 2025 Daytona 500, a respectable result for a rookie in the premier series event. Despite showing flashes of competitiveness, including a season-best 14th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway, the 2025 season proved to be a challenging learning experience.

Herbst struggled to find consistent performance throughout his first full Cup season, failing to score a single top-ten finish and recording only eight finishes inside the top-twenty. He finished 35th in the final Cup Series points standings, a position that reflected the steep competitive curve of transitioning to full-time premier series competition. A notable incident occurred following the Charlotte Roval race, when the No. 35 car was disqualified for failing post-race height inspection. The 2025 season nonetheless provided Herbst with valuable track time and data, giving the 23XI Racing program a foundation to build upon as he continues his development as a full-time Cup Series driver.