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Riley Herbst is having a roller-coaster season in the NASCAR Rumor Mill. However, recent rumors suggest that Herbst may see the light at the end of his Silly Season tunnel. After a quiet few months, it appears that Herbst and 23XI Racing are, once again, paired together in the NASCAR Rumor Mill.
@brakehard WHO GETS THE REMAINING SEATS IN NASCAR CUP SERIES SILLY SEASON? #nascar #racing #motorsport ♬ original sound – brakehard
Riley Herbst is a seemingly highly appealing driver for many NASCAR teams at the NASCAR Cup Series level. The longtime Stewart-Haas Racing Xfinity Series driver has a decent resume and strong support from his sponsors, Monster Energy, and his family’s company, Terrible Herbst.
The rumor mill surrounding Herbst this season was about as good as it could be. The driver, seemingly stuck in the Xfinity Series, saw the closure of his current team turn into rumors of him heading to 23XI Racing in 2025.
While SHR was closing, Herbst’s return seemed possible for a fleeing moment. Team owner Gene Haas announced he was holding onto the Xfinity Series team. However, Riley’s departure was confirmed when the newly named Haas Factory Team announced their 2025 Xfinity Series lineup in August.
Unfortunately, with hopes high for Riley, an unexpected roadblock popped up in Atlanta. At Atlanta, NASCAR seemingly forced the hands of its teams to sign a new charter agreement. This agreement allows Chartered teams to earn necessary funding via revenue sharing with NASCAR and automatic entry into every NASCAR Cup Series points race.
23XI Racing, along with Front Row Motorsports, held out on signing and, in doing so, risk losing their Charter and all the money that comes with Charter ownership.
Despite this, 23XI continued making moves for the future, resigning Bubba Wallace, while insiders reported that Herbst still had a chance at 23XI in 2025. Herbst’s agency, unfortunately, had no clear end in sight.
Fortunately, the rumor mill is once again pointing Herbst to 23XI Racing in 2025.
Despite strong speculation that Herbst needed a backup plan. The NASCAR Silly Season rumor mill is once again pointing to Herbst racing for 23XI in 2025.
Brakehard, via his TikTok account, reported what he had heard about Riley Herbst in a recent NASCAR free agency blanket post. This “blanket” post covered not only Herbst but key Free agents Zane Smith and Ryan Preece.
Despite the lack of a signed Charter Agreement, this rumor suggests an unexpected source may have helped pay for Herbst’s Charter. In his post, Brakehard said, “[I] have continued to hear that his family, the Herbst family, helped purchase that Charter.”
Furthermore, Herbst heading to 23XI is supported by pre-existing relationships. Riley has key sponsorship from his family and, most importantly, Monster Energy. Monster already has a sound relationship with 23XI and Toyota Racing Development as a whole.
Likewise, Herbst has tremendous skill behind the wheel, showing that off in his remarkable win at Indianapolis this season. However, Herbst has yet to live up to his once high potential. Herbst and Toyota already parted ways in the past after a difficult performance for JGR in 2020.
Another detraction from this rumor is, of course, the ongoing Charter Negotiations with 23XI Racing. There is no clear end in sight for the team, and while Herbst brings heavy backing, it does leave 23XI in a tough financial spot.
Much like earlier this season, this rumor is one to watch out for in the Silly Season news cycle. If Herbst and 23XI do make their partnership official, it will bring only more questions about the team’s outlook for the future.
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