Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 35 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing, spoke with the media on Wednesday before the Daytona 500, sharing his determined outlook for the 2026 season. Herbst stressed that both he and the team are fully committed to achieving stronger results after a challenging previous year, emphasizing improvements in driver performance and team collaboration.
Setting Clear Expectations with 23XI Racing Leadership
Herbst reflected on discussions with team ownership, including Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, about the objectives for this season. He pointed out the collective understanding within the team about the need for better outcomes and expressed confidence in their capabilities.
“There’s no shying away from it, we want the results to be better on the 35 car. We had good enough racecars, we have good enough team members and I’m a good enough driver to have better results this year. It’s as simple as that. I think we are all on the same page with what we expect and what we want, and that’s to be better this year than last year.”
?Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Driver
Building on Previous Racing Experience to Drive Growth
Having been competitive in the O’Reilly Series in earlier years, Herbst believes the lessons learned there will help him improve his performance in the NASCAR Cup Series. He highlighted his consistent efforts and the importance of surrounding himself with skilled team members to enhance his racing capabilities.
“The narrative was really similar in my first year in the Xfinity Series and even into the second and third year. I’ve worked as hard as I can and surrounded myself with really good people and try to improve every day.”
?Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Driver
Synergy and Team Dynamics within 23XI Racing
Herbst described the unique structure of 23XI Racing and its Airspeed partner, emphasizing the tight-knit cooperation among drivers and crew. He noted that unlike traditional racing teams, their collaboration extends beyond individual cars. All members work as a unified unit aiming for collective success.
“Everyone at 23XI and Airspeed work a little bit different than most fundamental race shops. All three of us are pretty cohesive and work hand to hand together. There wasn’t much separation last year, nor will there be this year. We are all trying to run better on all three accounts. You can ask Tyler (Reddick) and Bubba (Wallace), that wasn’t the year they wanted last year either. I think all three of us and four this weekend want to succeed for Denny (Hamlin) and MJ (Michael Jordan) and everyone at Airspeed and how hard they work.”
?Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Driver
Challenges of Transitioning to Cup Series and Team Building
Herbst acknowledged the difficulties involved in advancing from the O’Reilly Series to the Cup Series and starting with a relatively new team like 23XI Racing. He stressed the importance of getting the fundamentals right through hiring and teamwork as a foundation for future success.
“It’s always going to be difficult to make the jump from the O’Reilly Series to the Cup Series. And starting a new team, hiring people, and understanding the way 23XI and Airspeed handle things. Get everything right, get the fundamentals right. That’s just going to show and pay dividends this year as well. On top of that, I think I’m a way more experienced driver. I’ve grown mentally and physically in my racecraft so I’m excited for this year. I think everyone on the 35 has grown. More than anything we are all in it together, all of our teams, we work together cohesively me, Tyler, and Bubba each week. We study together and we review our races together and we want for each other to finish 1-2-3 each week. That hasn’t happened yet, but I think this weekend is a really good shot for that.”
?Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Driver
Preparation and Mental Focus for Upcoming Season
Highlighting his offseason efforts, Herbst emphasized improvements in his physical and mental readiness. He also mentioned additions to the Airspeed team designed to bolster the performance of the No. 35 car throughout the year.
“Specifically, I worked really hard this offseason. We’re way stronger mentally and physically. We’ve got some new faces to Airspeed to help the 35 team this year. Looking forward to it, that first year in the Cup Series is always rough. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t make big improvements this year and succeed pretty well.”
?Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Driver
Maintaining Strong Owner Support and Team Motivation
Herbst pointed out the consistent involvement and encouragement from team owners Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, who frequently provide resources and motivation to the drivers and crew at Airspeed. The shared goal remains to deliver winning results and take home major trophies.
“The contact is always been consistent with ownership, Denny (Hamlin) and Michael (Jordan) are always at Airspeed encouraging us and giving us the tools we need to succeed at the highest level. Hopefully we can succeed, and that’s what all three of us want to do during the year and the fourth racing with us this weekend as well. Just give Denny and MJ a real big trophy and a lot of money to go along with it.”
?Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Driver
Excitement Surrounding Daytona 500 Week
Herbst expressed his enthusiasm for the traditional anticipation and grandeur of Daytona 500 week. He views the historic track and the 500-mile race as not only a challenge but also a highlight of the racing calendar.
“I love it. I’ve been telling everybody, this is one of my favorite weeks of the year. The anticipation, the excitement, the weather, Daytona is a really fun racetrack. The history that the 500 presents all of us and the challenges we will face for 500 miles on Sunday is really cool and I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great year for us on the 35 and the 45 and 23, all of us together. We are ready to go.”
?Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Driver
Memorable Brand Activations with Monster Energy
Reflecting on his partnership with Monster Energy, Herbst recalled his favorite promotional experience, a commercial filmed in Las Vegas involving exciting racecar driving, which showcased the energy and innovation the brand brings to the sport.
“I’ve been with them for so long, they’ve been great partners. But the coolest on is the commercial we filmed at the end of the year last year called Dust of Smoke on YouTube. It’s a really video. We got to rent out right down the strip and drive the Cup car down the strip in Vegas and take the car down through the Valley of Fire, that was really fun. We had Vaughn (Gitten Jr.) join us for some drifting too. Monster Energy is top notch in everything they do and the activation to grow their brand and action sports is second to none.”
?Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Driver
Confidence in Personal Growth and Team Potential
Herbst emphasized his unwavering belief in both his own abilities and the team’s capacity to deliver strong racecars. Acknowledging the talent around him, he remains focused on expanding the progress made, recognizing the high level of competition in the Cup Series.
“The belief in myself has never wavered. I’m confident in my ability, I’m confident in every single man and woman at Airspeed to provide us with really fast racecars. To answer your question, I knew it was going to be very difficult last year. People didn’t think so I guess, I don’t know. Yes, it’s difficult, it’s hard. These are the best stockcar drivers in the world and if it was easy, it would not be correct. I’m looking forward to this year. The gains we showed at a few tracks last year hopefully we can magnify it to every single track this year. The confidence is sky high, everyone over at Airspeed with all three cars to try and get more trophies, so that’s what we are looking to do.”
?Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Driver
Daytona Track: A Strength for the 35 Car
When asked about his performance at Daytona, Herbst attributed past success to having a skilled spotter and competitive racecars. He expressed hope for a clean, strong showing in this year’s Daytona 500 without mishaps.
“I think I have a really good spotter and a good racecar, I’ve been fortunate to sit in really good racecars and that produces really good speed. You only need a couple of ingredients here at Daytona to have success and having great racecars is one of them. Hopefully we can have another solid run this year and we won’t be sliding through the grass.”
?Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Driver
Outlook for a Defining Season with 23XI Racing
As Riley Herbst embarks on his second full year with 23XI Racing, his passion, determination, and maturity set the tone for what could be a breakout season. Supported by seasoned teammates Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, along with owners Hamlin and Jordan, Herbst’s ambition reflects a growing confidence in the team’s trajectory. With strong collaboration and upgraded resources, the 2026 season carries significant potential to elevate both Herbst and 23XI Racing to new competitive heights.
