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November 20, 2024

Riley Herbst inks Cup deal with 23XI Racing for 2025 season


23XI Racing announced Wednesday that Riley Herbst will run full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for the team beginning in 2025.

Herbst, 25, will pilot the No. 35 Toyota, teaming alongside Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace in the third car as 23XI expands operations.

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“It’s an honor to join 23XI and Toyota for the opportunity to race in the Cup Series each week,” said Herbst in a statement. “Racing full-time in the Cup Series has been my goal since I started in NASCAR and I’m excited to start my Cup career with such an accomplished and driven team. What 23XI has accomplished in a short time is impressive and I look forward to building on their success as the organization grows. It’s also great to continue representing Monster and I’m excited about adding to their legacy in NASCAR.”

In five full years in the Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing and the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing, Herbst collected three victories across 165 races with 34 top fives and 82 top 10s.

Herbst’s first national series victory came toward the end of 2023 at his home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway and won his second in thrilling fashion at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which marked Xfinity’s first race on the oval layout since 2019.

He enters the Cup Series coming off a win in the Xfinity Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway to cap the 2024 season.

Herbst has made eight Cup Series starts combined with Rick Ware Racing and Front Row Motorsports. He scored a career-high ninth-place result in the fall of 2023 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Davin Restivo will call the shots atop the box for the No. 35 team, keeping the same crew chief for Herbst after joining the No. 98 team at the midpoint of last season.

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Monster Energy, a longtime partner of Herbst, will serve as the primary sponsor for the No. 35 Toyota.

“As 23XI enters our fifth season next year, we felt the time was right to continue the growth of our organization by adding a third team, and Riley is a driver we think will be a great fit for us,” said Steve Lauletta, 23XI Racing team president. “We have a very solid foundation with both Bubba and Tyler, and we know they will be a great resource for Riley as he begins his journey in the Cup Series.”

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