NASCAR Legend on Riley Herbst: “That Poor SOB Can’t Drive Nothin'”

What’s Happening?

During his recent appearance on Door Bumper Clear, NASCAR Cup Series Veteran and Modified Tour Legend Jimmy Spencer, among many opinions he shared, took aim at 23XI Racing’s Riley Herbst.

When NASCAR fans talk about drivers not being as outspoken as they used to be, one name that often comes to mind is Mr. Excitement, Jimmy Spencer.

Throughout his 18 years in NASCAR’s top division and many more as an analyst for Speed, Spencer, despite having just two career wins, became a fan favorite due to his personality.

Not to say that Spencer couldn’t wheel a race car; after all, he was a two-time Whelen Modified Tour champion, with his trophies and 15 wins in the series, which earned him a spot on the series’ 40 greatest drivers list.

But, for fans, his outspoken nature and large vocabulary made him one of the best interviewers and analysts in sports history. This made Spencer a solid shoo-in for a guest appearance on Dirty Mo Media’s uncensored podcast Door Bumper Clear.

During his appearance on this week’s episode, Spencer didn’t hold back and made for an entertaining guest, with several clips from his appearance circulating in the online NASCAR community.

Among these was a clip where Spencer, speaking on how to get grassroots talent to NASCAR’s top level, didn’t hold back in sharing his thoughts on 23XI Racing Rookie Riley Herbst.

“Who’s that Riley Herbst? That poor son bitch can’t drive nothin.” — Jimmy Spencer

Prior to this, Spencer was speaking on the financial challenges facing grassroots racers, with him using fellow Whelen Modified Tour legend Ryan Preece as an example, saying, “In today’s world, if you don’t have a tremendous amount of money or a father that’s got a tremendous amount of money, you can’t make it.”

Preece, for example, despite winning 15 Whelen Modified Tour races by the age of 25, did not make his full-time Cup Series debut until he was 28 in 2019, and has since found himself out of the series and back in as of recent.

In regard to Herbst, Spencer assumed that 23XI Racing prospect Corey Heims would likely take over the No. 35 next year, but then, upon hearing from co-host Freddie Kraft (who is a spotter at 23XI) that Herbst will return for 2026, said, “They’re making a mistake.”

The 68-year-old said, “Evidently, that kid’s [Herbst] bringing a sponsor. Makes a lot of sense, cause that damn Heim can drive a truck”. Despite the spirited nature of Spencer’s take, this was still a reference to his prior comments about the financial barrier to entry into NASCAR.

Herbst’s Turbulent Rookie Season

Though less flagrant than Spencer, many fans have shared their sentiments about the Heim/Herbst situation throughout the season.

Entering this season, through two full-time Truck Seasons, Heim has continually won more and more races, and this year broke Greg Biffle’s Truck Series single-season win record. Nonetheless, Heim seems unlikely to have a full-time Cup or even O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity) ride next season.

The barrier that many fans often point to is Herbst, who, after five seasons in the Xfinity Series, earned his call-up to the Cup Series. While his stats do not stand out, he does, of course, have sponsorship from Monster Energy and is a part of the family that owns the Terrible Herbst Oil Company.

While Herbst has his fair share of sponsors, he is a winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and has made the playoffs in all but one of his full-time seasons.

Though expectations were not high entering this season, Herbst had a strong showing through the first three races, finishing 17th. However, since that streak, including a career-best finish of 14th at Texas in May, Herbst has slipped down the points standings, where he currently sits 35th, the second-worst position among all full-time drivers.

Despite calls for the team to move on from Herbst, the Rookie driver will get another shot at things in 2026.

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