Riley Dederick Kern Herbst[1] (born February 24, 1999) is an American professionalstock car racing driver. He competes full-time in theNASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 35Toyota Camry XSE for23XI Racing.
Herbst began racingkarts as a five-year-old.[2] He progressed throughlegends, Speed Trucks, andSuper Late Models.
In 2015, Herbst raced weekly atIrwindale Speedway in aSuper Late Model as well as winning the track's Speed Trucks championship.[2] In 2016, he raced several NASCAR East and West series races along with racing a Super Late Model at Irwindale.[2]
Herbst is from a family rooted inoff-road racing. His father Troy, grandfather Jerry, and uncles Ed and Tim participate indesert racing such as theBaja 500 andBaja 1000.[2][3] The quartet was inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.[4]
During his youth, Herbst competed in theLucas Oil Off Road Racing Series' Junior 1 Kart division.[5]
In 2020, Herbst joined his cousins Pierce and Thor at the 2020Baja 1000, where they finished second in the Trophy Truck Spec class.[6] The trio also ran the 2021 1000 and placed ninth.[7][8]
Herbst, his father, Troy, and Jordan Dean won the Trophy Truck Spec class in the 2023 Baja 1000, finishing 8th overall.[9][10]

In 2017, Herbst drove full-time forJoe Gibbs Racing in the No. 18 Toyota in theARCA Racing Series. He drove the No. 81 in the first race but withdrew due to age limitations. He then moved to the No. 18 for the rest of the season. He won one race at Pocono, earned top-fives, ten top-tens, and finished seventh in the final standings.[11][12] He also claimed the series' Rookie of the Year award overGus Dean after passing Dean in the season's final event.[13] For the 2019 season, he split JGR's No. 18 withTy Gibbs.

In May 2018, Herbst was named to the 2018 NASCAR Next class.[3] In June 2018, Herbst joined JGR for hisNASCAR Xfinity Series debut atIowa Speedway.[14] For the 2019 season, he split JGR's No. 18 withJeffrey Earnhardt,Kyle Busch, andDenny Hamlin.[15]
In 2020, Herbst assumed full-time driving duties in the No. 18. He qualified for the playoffs but was eliminated following the first round.[16] He ended the year with a twelfth place points finish, four top-five finishes, seventeen top tens, and the best finish of second atAuto Club Speedway andKentucky Speedway.[17] After the season, JGR signedDaniel Hemric to drive the No. 18 full-time starting in 2021, leaving Herbst without a ride.[18]

On December 10, 2020,Stewart–Haas Racing announced Herbst would drive the No. 98 Ford beginning with the 2021 season.[17] After a rough start to the season that saw his involvement in wrecks—none of which were of his doing—in three of the first four races,[19][20] he rebounded with a fourth-place finish atPhoenix Raceway.[21] In 2022, Herbst would have his best season in his Xfinity career; his eight top-fives and twenty top-ten finishes during the season were all career-highs.

Herbst began the2023 season with a sixth-place finish atDaytona. He then scored five more consecutive top-ten finishes. Despite missing the playoffs, Herbst scored his first career win atLas Vegas.[22] The end to his season was strong, as the win was part of a five-race streak of top-five finishes.
Remaining at SHR for2024, Herbst repeated the previous year's result to finish sixth atDaytona.[23] Having run in the top positions throughout the following race atAtlanta, he ran out of fuel whilst sitting second with a few laps left, eventually dropping to 15th.[24][25] Herbst scored his first win of the season atIndianapolis after he made a spectacular last lap pass onAric Almirola.[26] Unfortunately, he would be knocked out of the first round of the playoffs. AtPhoenix, Herbst gave Stewart–Haas Racing its final race win; he finished seventh in the points standings.[27]
On May 28, 2024, Stewart–Haas Racing announced it would shut down its NASCAR operations at the end of the season.[28]
In 2018, Herbst was tabbed to drive forKyle Busch Motorsports.[29] He made hisNASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the No. 51 atGateway Motorsports Park finishing 8th and the No. 46 at his home track,Las Vegas Motor Speedway finishing 29th.[30]
On October 12, 2019, Herbst was passingJohnny Sauter on the final lap for the win in the tri-oval atTalladega Superspeedway but was blocked across the apron forcingNASCAR to penalize Sauter and giveSpencer Boyd his first career win, Herbst would finish third.
Herbst returned to the Truck Series in February 2021 for the Daytona road course race, driving the No. 17 Ford forDavid Gilliland Racing.[31] He returned to the No. 17 truck for Daytona and Kansas in 2022.
On January 31, 2023, Herbst was announced to have signed withRick Ware Racing to make hisCup Series debut in the No. 15 Ford at the2023 Daytona 500.[32] Herbst would go on to finish tenth in his debut despite being involved in a multi-car crash late in the race. He is also one of five drivers in NASCAR history to score a top-ten in their first Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series starts. He made another start for RWR atTalladega Superspeedway where he started 36th and finished twentieth. He competed forFront Row Motorsports at the2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona in the No. 36Ford. He started in sixth but fell to the back at the end of stage 1 before getting caught up in the big one at the end of stage 2. He would be classified in 38th place. Herbst would compete for Front Row in the No. 36 again in thefall Talladega race that same year. Herbst would start in sixth again but this time was able to finish the race despite crashing again. He was also in contention for the win as he ran in fourth for the closing laps of the race and pushedRyan Blaney to the lead on the final lap and almost pushedKevin Harvick to the victory before he got spun byCorey LaJoie and took out most of the field coming out of the tri-oval. Herbst would come across the line in 9th (originally 10th before Harvick got disqualified), his best career finish in the Cup Series.
Herbst signed with Rick Ware for the2024 Daytona 500 driving the No. 15 again but this time withMonster Energy as a sponsor instead ofSunnyD, which was his sponsor in the previous year's race. Herbst qualified in twelfth but finished in twentieth in the Duels, which started him in 36th for the race. Herbst was at one point in the top-ten during the race but ultimately finished in 24th. Herbst ran another race that same year in the No. 15 at Kansas, starting 37th and finishing 35th, two laps down. Herbst ran two more races for Rick Ware at Nashville and Richmond finishing 37th and 33rd.

On November 20, 2024,23XI Racing announced that Herbst would drive the No. 35 Toyota full-time for the2025 season. Herbst will run long-time partnerMonster Energy as his sponsor.[33] He started the season with a seventeenth-place at the2025 Daytona 500. Herbst struggled throughout the season, failing to score a single top-ten finish and only finishing inside the top-twenty eight times with a best finish of fourteenth atTexas, and finished 35th in the final standings. Shortly after theCharlotte Roval race, the No. 35 car was disqualified for failing post-race height inspection.[34]
Herbst's family owns theTerrible Herbst company.[3]
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| NASCAR Cup Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | NCSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2023 | Rick Ware Racing | 15 | Ford | DAY 10 | CAL | LVS | PHO | ATL | COA | RCH | BRD | MAR | TAL 20 | DOV | KAN | DAR | CLT | GTW | SON | NSH | CSC | ATL | NHA | POC | RCH | MCH | IRC | GLN | 45th | 01 | [35] | |||||||||||
| Front Row Motorsports | 36 | DAY 38 | DAR | KAN | BRI | TEX | TAL 9 | ROV | LVS | HOM | MAR | PHO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Rick Ware Racing | 15 | DAY 24 | ATL | LVS | PHO | BRI | COA | RCH | MAR | TEX | TAL | DOV | KAN 35 | DAR | CLT | GTW | SON | IOW | NHA | NSH 37 | CSC | POC | IND | RCH 33 | MCH | DAY | DAR | ATL | GLN | BRI | KAN | TAL | ROV | LVS | HOM | MAR | PHO | 55th | 01 | [36] | |
| 2025 | 23XI Racing | 35 | Toyota | DAY 17 | ATL 17 | COA 17 | PHO 37 | LVS 19 | HOM 33 | MAR 31 | DAR 34 | BRI 28 | TAL 22 | TEX 14 | KAN 27 | CLT 28 | NSH 24 | MCH 25 | MXC 29 | POC 37 | ATL 28 | CSC 17 | SON 25 | DOV 24 | IND 26 | IOW 30 | GLN 24 | RCH 31 | DAY 40 | DAR 28 | GTW 31 | BRI 18 | NHA 22 | KAN 22 | ROV 37 | LVS 17 | TAL 32 | MAR 36 | PHO 23 | 35th | 399 | [37] |
| 2026 | DAY | ATL | COA | PHO | LVS | DAR | MAR | BRI | KAN | TAL | TEX | GLN | CLT | NSH | MCH | POC | COR | SON | CHI | ATL | NWS | IND | IOW | RCH | NHA | DAY | DAR | GTW | BRI | KAN | LVS | ROV | PHO | TAL | MAR | HOM | ||||||
| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 38 | 10 |
| 2024 | 36 | 24 | ||
| 2025 | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 24 | 17 |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | NXSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2018 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 18 | Toyota | DAY | ATL | LVS | PHO | CAL | TEX | BRI | RCH | TAL | DOV | CLT | POC | MCH | IOW 6 | CHI | DAY | KEN | NHA | IOW | GLN | MOH | BRI | ROA | DAR | IND | LVS | RCH | ROV | DOV | KAN | TEX | PHO | HOM | 100th | 01 | [38] |
| 2019 | DAY | ATL | LVS | PHO | CAL | TEX | BRI | RCH 9 | TAL | DOV 15 | CLT | POC | MCH 37 | IOW | CHI 10 | DAY 18 | KEN 11 | NHA | IOW 13 | GLN | MOH | BRI | ROA | DAR | IND | LVS 9 | RCH | ROV | DOV | KAN | TEX | PHO 30 | HOM | 88th | 01 | [39] | |||
| 2020 | DAY 32 | LVS 9 | CAL 2 | PHO 10 | DAR 18 | CLT 12 | BRI 27 | ATL 17 | HOM 10 | HOM 9 | TAL 37 | POC 9 | IRC 33 | KEN 2 | KEN 10 | TEX 36 | KAN 9 | ROA 23 | DRC 7 | DOV 6 | DOV 9 | DAY 4 | DAR 4 | RCH 10 | RCH 34 | BRI 10 | LVS 12 | TAL 35 | ROV 12 | KAN 30 | TEX 32 | MAR 6 | PHO 11 | 12th | 2152 | [40] | |||
| 2021 | Stewart–Haas Racing | 98 | Ford | DAY 26 | DRC 39 | HOM 11 | LVS 40 | PHO 4 | ATL 6 | MAR 29 | TAL 4 | DAR 28 | DOV 17 | COA 16 | CLT 12 | MOH 21 | TEX 12 | NSH 10 | POC 35 | ROA 7 | ATL 19 | NHA 10 | GLN 13 | IRC 8 | MCH 7 | DAY 10 | DAR 38 | RCH 5 | BRI 3 | LVS 33 | TAL 27* | ROV 34 | TEX 12 | KAN 13 | MAR 10 | PHO 4 | 11th | 2157 | [41] |
| 2022 | DAY 4 | CAL 9 | LVS 14 | PHO 38 | ATL 4 | COA 26 | RCH 5 | MAR 6 | TAL 7 | DOV 9 | DAR 3 | TEX 8 | CLT 25 | PIR 35 | NSH 3 | ROA 7 | ATL 9 | NHA 30 | POC 12 | IRC 6 | MCH 9 | GLN 7 | DAY 15 | DAR 34 | KAN 16 | BRI 5 | TEX 5 | TAL 11 | ROV 32 | LVS 18 | HOM 8 | MAR 3 | PHO 7 | 10th | 2197 | [42] | |||
| 2023 | DAY 6 | CAL 7 | LVS 8 | PHO 4 | ATL 5 | COA 10 | RCH 23 | MAR 30 | TAL 23 | DOV 21 | DAR 38 | CLT 14 | PIR 32 | SON 15 | NSH 2 | CSC 24 | ATL 36 | NHA 20 | POC 4 | ROA 5 | MCH 6 | IRC 12 | GLN 35 | DAY 24 | DAR 6 | KAN 23 | BRI 8 | TEX 37 | ROV 4 | LVS 1* | HOM 2 | MAR 4 | PHO 4 | 13th | 904 | [43] | |||
| 2024 | DAY 6 | ATL 15 | LVS 5 | PHO 24 | COA 34 | RCH 13 | MAR 25 | TEX 27 | TAL 2 | DOV 16 | DAR 7 | CLT 38 | PIR 10 | SON 13 | IOW 2 | NHA 8 | NSH 6 | CSC 28 | POC 11 | IND 1 | MCH 38 | DAY 4 | DAR 35 | ATL 26 | GLN 13 | BRI 13 | KAN 10 | TAL 3 | ROV 32 | LVS 7 | HOM 6 | MAR 11 | PHO 1* | 7th | 2254 | [44] | |||
| 2025 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 19 | Toyota | DAY | ATL | COA 13 | PHO | LVS | HOM | MAR | DAR | BRI | CAR | TAL | TEX 3 | CLT | NSH | MXC | POC | ATL | CSC | SON 5 | DOV | IND | IOW | GLN 36 | DAY | PIR | GTW | BRI | KAN | ROV | LVS | TAL | MAR | PHO | 81st | 01 | [45] |
| NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | NCWTC | Pts | Ref |
| 2018 | Kyle Busch Motorsports | 51 | Toyota | DAY | ATL | LVS | MAR | DOV | KAN | CLT | TEX | IOW | GTW 8 | CHI | KEN | ELD | POC | MCH | 39th | 81 | [46] | ||||||||
| DGR-Crosley | 54 | BRI 15 | MSP | PHO 15 | HOM | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kyle Busch Motorsports | 46 | LVS 29 | TAL | MAR | TEX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | DAY | ATL | LVS | MAR | TEX | DOV | KAN 9 | CLT | TEX | IOW 15 | GTW | CHI | KEN | POC | ELD | MCH | BRI | MSP | LVS | 44th | 61 | [47] | |||||||
| 51 | TAL 3 | MAR | PHO | HOM | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | DAY 12 | LVS | CLT | ATL | HOM | POC | KEN | TEX | KAN | KAN | MCH | DRC | DOV | GTW | DAR | RCH | BRI | LVS | TAL | KAN | TEX | MAR | PHO | 86th | 01 | [48] | |||
| 2021 | David Gilliland Racing | 17 | Ford | DAY | DRC 5 | LVS | ATL | BRD | RCH | KAN | DAR | COA | CLT | TEX | NSH | POC | KNX | GLN | GTW | DAR | BRI | LVS | TAL | MAR | PHO | 99th | 01 | [49] | |
| 2022 | DAY 12 | LVS | ATL | COA | MAR | BRD | DAR | KAN 12 | TEX | CLT | GTW | SON | KNX | NSH | MOH | POC | IRP | RCH | KAN | BRI | TAL | HOM | PHO | 93rd | 01 | [50] | |||
* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points
| NASCAR Pinty's Series results | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | NPSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2019 | DJK Racing | 28 | Dodge | MSP 20 | JUK | ACD | TOR | SAS | SAS | EIR | CTR | RIS | MSP | ASE | NHA | JUK | 43rd | 24 | [51] |
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| ARCA Menards Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | AMSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2017 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 81 | Toyota | DAY Wth | 5th | 4555 | [52] | |||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | NSH 7 | SLM 12 | TAL 8 | TOL 5 | ELK 3* | POC 1* | MCH 16 | MAD 3 | IOW 12 | IRP 13 | POC 2 | WIN 17 | ISF 16 | ROA 2 | DSF 16 | SLM 17 | CHI 13 | KEN 7 | KAN 9 | |||||||
| 2018 | DAY 10 | NSH 13 | SLM 6 | TAL 17 | TOL 19 | CLT 2 | POC 5 | MCH 2 | MAD 13 | GTW 5 | CHI 6 | IOW 17 | ELK 4 | POC 5 | ISF 9 | BLN 9 | DSF 3 | SLM 9 | IRP 8 | KAN 4 | 3rd | 4595 | [53] | |||
| 2019 | DAY 10 | FIF | SLM | TAL 2 | NSH | TOL | CLT 19 | POC 2* | MCH 12 | MAD | GTW | CHI 6 | ELK | IOW | POC | ISF | DSF 6 | SLM | IRP | KAN 16 | 16th | 1485 | [54] | |||
| 2020 | DAY 7 | PHO | TAL 4 | POC | IRP | KEN | IOW | KAN 3 | TOL | TOL | MCH 1 | DRC | GTW | L44 | TOL | BRI | WIN | MEM | ISF | KAN | 24th | 167 | [55] | |||
| 2021 | David Gilliland Racing | 17 | Ford | DAY | PHO | TAL | KAN | TOL | CLT | MOH | POC | ELK | BLN | IOW | WIN | GLN 6 | MCH | ISF | MLW | DSF | BRI | SLM | KAN | 79th | 38 | [56] |
| NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | NKNPSEC | Pts | Ref |
| 2016 | Bill McAnally Racing | 19 | Toyota | NSM 9 | MOB | GRE | BRI 10 | VIR | DOM | STA | COL | NHA | IOW | GLN | GRE | NJM | 29th | 105 | [57] | |
| 16 | DOV 8 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 54 | NSM | GRE | BRI Wth | SBO | SBO | MEM | BLN | TMP | NHA | IOW | GLN | LGY | NJM | 47th | 37 | [58] | |||
| MDM Motorsports | 41 | Toyota | DOV 7 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | DGR-Crosley | 98 | Toyota | NSM | BRI | LGY | SBO | SBO | MEM | NJM | THO | NHA | IOW | GLN | GTW | NHA 4 | DOV | 40th | 41 | [59] |
| 2019 | 17 | NSM | BRI 18 | SBO | SBO | MEM | NHA 6 | IOW | 22nd | 96 | [60] | |||||||||
| 54 | GLN 12 | BRI | GTW | NHA | DOV | |||||||||||||||
| ARCA Menards Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | AMSWC | Pts | Ref |
| 2016 | Bill McAnally Racing | 19 | Toyota | IRW 6 | KCR 4 | TUS 7 | OSS 16 | CNS 13 | SON 5 | SLS 7 | IOW 3 | EVG 3 | DCS 3 | MMP 5 | MMP 4 | MER 19 | AAS 12 | 7th | 510 | [61] |
| 2017 | 54 | TUS 9 | KCR | IRW | IRW | SPO | OSS | CNS | SON | IOW | EVG | DCS | MER | AAS | KCR 3 | 28th | 76 | [62] | ||
| 2019 | Levin Racing withJoe Gibbs Racing | 10 | Toyota | LVS | IRW | TUS | TUS | CNS | SON | DCS | IOW | EVG | GTW | MER | AAS | KCR | PHO 10 | 48th | 35 | [63] |
| 2023 | Jerry Pitts Racing | 5 | Ford | PHO | IRW | KCR | PIR 18 | SON 3 | IRW | SHA | EVG | AAS | LVS | MAD | PHO | 27th | 68 | [64] | ||
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)
| CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour results | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | CLMSCTC | Pts | Ref |
| 2018 | Glen Moffitt | 5H | Chevy | TCM | MYB | ROU | HCY | BRI | ACE | CCS | KPT | HCY 21 | WKS | ROU | SBO | 73rd | 12 | [65] |
| 2019 | Nelson Motorsports | 18 | Toyota | SNM 5 | HCY | ROU | ACE | MMS | LGY | DOM | CCS | HCY | ROU | SBO | 40th | 28 | [66] | |
(key)
| CARS Super Late Model Tour results | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | CSLMTC | Pts | Ref |
| 2015 | LFR Development Group | 19 | N/A | SNM | ROU | HCY | SNM | TCM | MMS | ROU | CON | MYB | HCY 11 | 47th | 22 | [67] |
| 2016 | Fury Race Cars | SNM | ROU | HCY | TCM | GRE | ROU | CON | MYB | HCY 2 | SNM | 40th | 31 | [68] | ||