Riley Herbst Bio
Riley Dederick Kern Herbst (born February 24, 1999) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 35 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing. Sponsored by Monster Energy, Herbst has built a versatile résumé across NASCAR’s national touring divisions, the ARCA Menards Series, and off-road desert racing.
Standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds, Herbst represents a new generation of versatile American racers. He has competed in stock cars, Super Late Models, and Trophy Trucks, earning recognition as a well-rounded competitor on pavement and in the desert.
Early Life and Background
Riley Herbst was born on February 24, 1999, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He grew up in a family deeply rooted in off-road desert racing. His father Troy Herbst, grandfather Jerry Herbst, and uncles Ed and Tim have all participated in events such as the Baja 500 and Baja 1000. The family’s dedication to off-road competition was recognized in 2014 when the quartet was inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame.
Herbst’s family owns the Terrible Herbst company, a privately held gas station and convenience store chain based in Las Vegas and Southern Utah. The racing tradition in the family meant Herbst was exposed to motorsports at a very young age. He began racing karts as a five-year-old, which laid the foundation for his future career in stock car racing.
During his youth, Herbst also competed in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series’ Junior 1 Kart division. This early exposure to both pavement and off-road disciplines helped him develop a versatile driving skill set that would later define his professional career.
Path to NASCAR
Herbst progressed through the grassroots levels of American motorsports, racing legends, Speed Trucks, and Super Late Models. In 2015, he raced weekly at Irwindale Speedway in a Super Late Model and won the track’s Speed Trucks championship. The following year, he expanded into the ARCA Menards Series East and West, balancing those appearances with continued Super Late Model competition at Irwindale.
In 2017, Herbst drove full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the ARCA Racing Series. Running the No. 18 Toyota, he won one race at Pocono, earned five top-fives and ten top-tens, and finished seventh in the final standings. His strong rookie campaign earned him the 2017 ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year award. Later that year, he made his first appearances in additional ARCA East and West events, building the experience that would soon lead him to the national NASCAR stage.
Riley Herbst Career
Early Career (2016-2018)
Herbst’s early professional career focused on the ARCA Menards Series and select NASCAR events. In 2016, he ran multiple ARCA East and West races, finishing seventh in the West Series standings. His transition to the national stage began in 2017 with a full-time ARCA ride at Joe Gibbs Racing, where his Pocono victory and consistent top-ten runs established him as one of the series’ top young talents.
In 2018, Herbst made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway with Joe Gibbs Racing. He was also named to the 2018 NASCAR Next class, a recognition given to emerging talent in the sport. That same year, he made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut for Kyle Busch Motorsports at Gateway Motorsports Park, finishing eighth. Herbst continued to compete across all three national series while still racing in the ARCA Menards Series, where he finished a career-best third in the final standings in 2018.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Breakthrough (2019-2024)
Herbst’s full-time Xfinity career took shape in 2019 when he split the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota with drivers including Jeffrey Earnhardt, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. In 2020, he assumed full-time duties in the No. 18, qualifying for the playoffs before being eliminated in the first round. He closed the year with a twelfth-place points finish, four top-fives, and seventeen top-tens, including a runner-up result at both Auto Club Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. After the season, JGR signed Daniel Hemric to drive the No. 18, leaving Herbst without a ride.
On December 10, 2020, Stewart-Haas Racing announced Herbst would drive the No. 98 Ford beginning in 2021. After a rocky start to that season, he rebounded with a fourth-place finish at Phoenix Raceway. In 2022, Herbst produced his best statistical Xfinity season to that point, posting eight top-fives and twenty top-tens. He remained with SHR in 2023 and scored his first career Xfinity victory at his home track of Las Vegas, the Alsco Uniforms 302. The win was part of a remarkable five-race streak of top-five finishes to close the year.
Herbst stayed with SHR for the 2024 campaign and delivered one of the most dramatic moments of the season at Indianapolis, where a spectacular last-lap pass on Aric Almirola earned him his first win of the year. He added a second victory at the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix, giving Stewart-Haas Racing its final race win before the organization closed its NASCAR operations. Herbst finished seventh in the 2024 Xfinity points standings with three career series wins, 88 top-tens, and two poles.
Camping World Truck Series Highlights (2018-2022)
Herbst’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career began in 2018 with Kyle Busch Motorsports. His debut at Gateway Motorsports Park produced an eighth-place finish, and he added a start at his home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In 2019, he earned a Truck Series pole and recorded one of the most talked-about moments of the season at Talladega Superspeedway, where he was passing Johnny Sauter for the win on the final lap before being blocked across the apron. Herbst returned to the Truck Series for select races in 2021 and 2022, driving the No. 17 Ford for David Gilliland Racing at Daytona and Kansas. Across his Truck career, he recorded four top-tens and one pole.
NASCAR Cup Series Era (2023-Present)
Herbst made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2023 Daytona 500, driving the No. 15 Ford for Rick Ware Racing. He finished tenth in the rain-shortened race despite a late multi-car incident, becoming one of only five drivers in NASCAR history to score a top-ten in his first Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series starts. He made additional 2023 Cup appearances for Rick Ware Racing and Front Row Motorsports, with his best result of the year coming at the fall Talladega race, where he finished ninth and pushed Ryan Blaney into the lead on the final lap.
On November 20, 2024, 23XI Racing announced Herbst would drive the No. 35 Toyota full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2025, with long-time partner Monster Energy as his sponsor. The move marked his first full-time Cup opportunity after several seasons of part-time starts. In 2025, Herbst opened the year with a seventeenth-place result at the Daytona 500 and posted a best finish of fourteenth at Texas Motor Speedway. The No. 35 car was later disqualified following the Charlotte Roval race for failing post-race height inspection, and Herbst ended the season 35th in the final Cup Series standings with four top-tens.
Driving Style and Strengths
Herbst is known for his aggressive late-race pace, sharp race craft on intermediate tracks, and willingness to make bold moves in traffic. His experience across Super Late Models, stock cars, and Trophy Trucks has given him a versatile skill set, particularly on superspeedways and short tracks. His partnership with Monster Energy and the resources of 23XI Racing have given him a strong technical platform to develop his Cup career.
Notable Races and Milestones
Herbst’s career is highlighted by his first Xfinity win at Las Vegas in 2023, his last-lap pass of Aric Almirola to win at Indianapolis in 2024, and his Phoenix victory that delivered Stewart-Haas Racing its final NASCAR win. Off the pavement, he added the 2023 and 2024 Baja 1000 Trophy Truck Spec Class titles, continuing his family’s storied desert racing tradition.
Riley Herbst Career Wins
Across his professional career, Riley Herbst has accumulated victories in stock cars and off-road competition. He has three NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series wins, two ARCA Menards Series wins, and back-to-back Baja 1000 Trophy Truck Spec Class titles in 2023 and 2024.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Highlights
Herbst’s first Xfinity win came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2023, the Alsco Uniforms 302, capping a five-race streak of top-five finishes. He followed that with a memorable last-lap pass on Aric Almirola to win at Indianapolis in 2024, then closed the year with a victory at the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix. He finished his Xfinity career with three wins, 88 top-tens, and two poles.
Other Wins and Performances
In the ARCA Menards Series, Herbst won the 2017 General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200 at Pocono and the 2020 VizCom 200 at Michigan, finishing third in the 2018 ARCA standings. Off the track, Herbst, his father Troy, and Jordan Dean captured the 2023 Baja 1000 Trophy Truck Spec Class title, and Herbst added a second consecutive Baja 1000 Spec win in 2024, further extending the Herbst family’s off-road legacy.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 3 | 88 | 2 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| NASCAR Cup Series | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 2 | 35 | 1 |
Riley Herbst Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Herbst comes from one of Las Vegas’s most prominent racing families. His father Troy Herbst, grandfather Jerry Herbst, and uncles Ed and Tim have all been active in desert racing, with the four men inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. The family also owns Terrible Herbst, a privately held gas station and convenience store chain based in Las Vegas and Southern Utah.
Herbst has continued the family’s off-road tradition alongside his cousins Pierce and Thor, racing together in the Baja 1000. The trio finished second in the Trophy Truck Spec class in 2020, ninth in 2021, and Herbst returned to victory lane in 2023 and 2024 in the Spec class.
Personal Life
Herbst was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, the hub of the Herbst family’s business and racing activities. He is the son of Troy Herbst and Laura Sosey Herbst, both of whom have supported his racing career from karting through the NASCAR Cup Series.
2025 Season Performance
Riley Herbst’s 2025 campaign marked his first full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series with 23XI Racing. Driving the No. 35 Toyota Camry XSE with Monster Energy as his primary sponsor, Herbst opened the year with a seventeenth-place finish at the Daytona 500. The transition to a full-time Cup ride came with a steep learning curve against the series’ most experienced competitors.
Throughout the season, Herbst struggled to find consistency, failing to score a top-ten finish across the year. His best result was a fourteenth-place run at Texas Motor Speedway, and he finished inside the top-twenty eight times. The No. 35 team’s season also included a disqualification at the Charlotte Roval for failing post-race height inspection. Herbst closed the year 35th in the final Cup Series standings.
Despite the difficult results, the 2025 season provided Herbst with valuable full-time Cup experience within one of NASCAR’s most competitive organizations. Working alongside the 23XI Racing engineering group, he developed his understanding of intermediate-track race craft and superspeedway strategy, building a foundation for the next phase of his Cup career.
