LEBANON, Tenn: NASCAR Xfinity Series veteran Riley Herbst said he is evaluating all options for his 2025 NASCAR season.
As the current Stewart-Haas Racing Xfinity driver, Herbst has been a part of this year’s ‘silly season’ for the past six weeks. However, at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway on Saturday, he revealed that his future is not yet secured for the next season.
“I think there’s a lot of things going on behind the scenes, but it’s not really just Riley Herbst; it’s Monster Energy as well,” Herbst said. “The biggest thing is trying to see what’s right for me, what’s right for Monster Energy.”
Herbst added that he relies heavily on his management team, Kevin Harvick Inc., led by Josh Jones and now retired NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick, for their advice on Herbst’s next move.
“I have really good people around me with Josh Jones and Kevin Harvick trying to guide me in the right position and I’m gonna lean on their experience. I have last year and I’m going to again this year and there’s a lot of options on the table, so we’re looking forward to everything and hearing everybody out.”
While rumors have intensified that Herbst is a leading candidate to be driving a third car for 23XI Racing next season for Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin and NBA mogul Michael Jordan, Herbst revealed that he has been approached to drive in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions.
“It’s all three series,” Herbst explained.
With all options on the table, Herbst was asked if a mediocre Cup Series ride was better than a competitive Xfinity Series ride. Herbst insisted for his career, he needed to be in competitive equipment.
“At least for myself and my sponsor it’s important to be in competitive rides,” sounded Herbst. “I think that’s the easiest way to learn is to surround yourself with good people and put yourself in good equipment.
“That’s first and foremost, so I think that’s going to be our priority for us this offseason, where we land, is to be in a ride that’s extremely competitive whether it be in any three series.”
The Las Vegas, Nev. has been a staple in the Xfinity Series full-time since the 2020 season. He earned his first career Xfinity Series last fall at his hometown track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The win injected a vibe that 2024 would be championship-worthy. Unfortunately, at the halfway point of the Xfinity Series season, the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing team is looking for more results.
Sixth in the championship standings and above the Playoff cutline, Herbst is looking for a little more consistency with just three top-five and seven top-10s overall entering Saturday afternoon’s Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville.
Herbst, though, doesn’t feel the pressure to perform, and he believes each green flag is not an audition for his future.
“I don’t, honestly, and the reason why I tell you that is because I feel like I’ve surrounded myself with good people. If we go out and have a good run tomorrow and Sunday in the Cup car, I don’t think that solidifies anything, and if I go out and do what I did at Kansas, I don’t think that solidifies anything either.
“It’s just about learning. It’s about completing all the laps and it’s about becoming a better race car driver.”
Follow Chris Knight on X (Twitter) @Knighter01 or email at [email protected].
