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Riley Herbst’s plans for next season are still unknown. While most rumors point toward him heading to a three-car 23XI Racing in 2025, the team holding out on Charter Negotiations is leaving that future in question. So, if not 23XI, where could Herbst go?
Since the disclosure of the Stewart Haas Racing charter, 23XI Racing has been one of the main candidates for expansion. Of course, this comes with rumors of who the driver could be. One prime candidate is Riley Herbst.
Herbst has a history with TRD. He worked his way through his early developmental with Toyota and debuted in the Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021.
Following this, Herbst joined Stewart-Haas Racing and Ford in 2021. Despite working hard to build his reputation in the series, the team shuttering following this season makes that route a dead end for the now 25-year-old.
While Herbst doesn’t have the best stats in the Xfinity Series or TRD as a whole, another major player in his going to 23XI would be his sponsor, Monster Energy. Monster already has a relationship with 23XI; this was initially with Kurt Busch, with the brand sticking around to sponsor Tyler Reddick following Busch’s retirement.
However, while everything looked in place for 23XI to expand and Herbst to potentially return to TRD in 2025, this plan seemingly fell apart when 23XI Racing refused to sign NASCAR’s Charter Agreement in Atlanta.
This holdout has not only raised questions about what 23XI’s future could look like. But, the general uncertainty is increasing pressure on Riley Herbst’s free agency. So, in a disaster scenario in which Herbst has no spot at 23XI, where could he go in 2025?
If we learned anything at Xfinity series media day, it is that Herbst, like us, has no idea what 2025 has in store.
If Herbst’s door does close at 23XI, there will absolutely be opportunities for the Monster Energy driver. There are numerous opportunities for him in the Xfinity Series, along with some potential stops in the Cup.
First, in the Xfinity Series, two top teams, JR Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, have open seats for 2025. A major detraction to JRM is their new driver, Connor Zilisch, and his relationship with Monster rival Red Bull. There is potential for Zilisch and Red Bull to collaborate more in the future, so that could leave Herbst on the outside.
However, the opening at JGR might be a real spot for Herbst if the driver had already made plans to race with the JGR associate team, 23XI, which might open a door in familiar territory. However, JGR already has one aging Xfinity Series veteran, Brandon Jones, signed for 2025. The team might hold that open spot for a young driver like William Sawalich.
A major problem for Herbst is his age. As a driver in his late 20s, he should have found their way into the Cup Series by now. If there is no third car at 23XI in 2025, Herbst’s Cup Series options are limited.
He does have a prior relationship with Rick Ware Racing. RWR has also made it clear that nothing is locked in for 2025. If Herbst is out of a job into the offseason, there could be a spot open at a familiar shop.
While this is a fun “what if” to explore, the fact is we don’t know. Even if 23XI comes to terms with NASCAR, who’s to say they expand? If they do expand, who’s to say they bring Herbst on? It’s all a major hypothetical, but if these dominoes do start to fall, it will be a major weight off the back of Riley Herbst.
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