Riley Herbst’s 2027 Legacy Move Backed by Monster Energy Support

TALLADEGA, AL – APRIL 23: Monster girls with the Riley Herbst (#15 Monster Energy/Mechanix Wear Rick Ware Racing Ford) before the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 race on April 23, 2023 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Last week, it was confirmed that Riley Herbst has secured a ride for the upcoming season. Following his unexpected departure from 23XI Racing in favor of Corey Heim, it was announced that Herbst will join Legacy Motor Club in the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2027.

At first glance, Herbst’s move to Legacy did not seem like a groundbreaking headline. However, a closer examination of the circumstances reveals a much more complex reality.

Herbst’s elevation to a full-time Cup Series seat with 23XI Racing last season was surprising. This is particularly true given that he was paired with Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, two drivers with proven track records of success.

The 27-year-old Las Vegas native has not exactly made a significant impact in NASCAR since his Truck Series debut in 2018. While he did secure three victories in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series across 179 starts, his highest season-ending standing was a modest seventh. Though a respectable resume, it hardly qualifies as exceptional by Cup Series standards.

Across his 61 Cup Series starts since joining 23XI in 2025, Herbst has yet to secure a victory, tallying only three top-10 finishes. Consequently, his replacement by Corey Heim was hardly shocking. Heim is a younger driver who recently achieved two wins in just 16 part-time Cup starts, following his dominant 2025 Truck Series championship that included 12 victories.

Why Legacy Motor Club?

On the surface, Herbst’s new opportunity appears to be a direct result of John Hunter Nemechek’s exit from Legacy Motor Club. Co-owned by seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, Legacy experienced an unexpected and sudden split with Nemechek, despite the two previously appearing to be a perfect match.

The partnership dissolved abruptly, and Nemechek departed the team this week.

Naturally, Herbst stepped into the vacancy left by Nemechek.

However, the situation is more nuanced than it initially seems. Rumors throughout the paddock suggested that Josh Berry, recently parted ways with Wood Brothers Racing, was slated to join Legacy for the following season.

Superficially, it might appear that Legacy has an overstaffing issue with two drivers competing for a single seat. Yet, the average fan may be unaware—or may have simply forgotten—that Legacy actually needs to fill three seats in 2027.

The team is transitioning to a full-time, three-car operation in 2027 and will finally utilize the highly sought-after third charter they have been pursuing. In early 2025, Legacy acquired this charter—a franchise guaranteeing entry into a NASCAR Cup Series race—for a reported $150 million.

Rick Ware owned two of these charters, and Jimmie Johnson desired one. However, a complication arose: Ware stated that one of his charters was already leased to another team for the 2026 season, meaning acquiring the remaining one would effectively dissolve Rick Ware Racing.

This protracted legal dispute eventually concluded, and Legacy secured the third charter for 2027.

The No. 84 entry has appeared in 16 races over the past three years, with co-owner Johnson always behind the wheel. Earlier this year, Johnson announced that the organization would expand to a three-car operation in 2027.

That third entry, designated as the No. 84, is the car Riley Herbst will drive starting in 2027.

The Driver Becomes the Student

So, why Herbst? His rationale is not entirely without merit.

He considers himself to still be in the developmental phase.

In fact, he characterizes his tenure at 23XI as an expensive graduate-level course in refining his Cup Series driving skills.

“I’ve gained invaluable knowledge from Tyler Reddick regarding simulator preparation and note-taking strategies,” Herbst stated Saturday at Darlington Raceway. “I’ve also learned crucial lessons from Bubba Wallace, and having a team owner like Denny Hamlin, whom you can consult while he is still actively driving, provides unique insights.”

“There is information you simply do not possess until you ask the right questions,” Herbst continued. “Once you seek the answers, you can begin to piece it all together. It is much like a pop quiz where you already have the answers, provided you know what questions to ask.”

This final point was perhaps the most revealing.

Herbst is fully aware that he is not Reddick or Wallace. Judging by his on-track results, he recognizes the substantial work required before anyone would confuse him with either of those drivers.

However, he also believes the past eighteen months have taught him just how much he still has yet to learn.

“I would rather look foolish asking a question than appear foolish making a mistake on the racetrack due to a lack of inquiry,” he said. “I have been a sponge alongside Bubba, Tyler, and Denny, absorbing as much knowledge as possible.”

This attitude might ultimately be the strongest argument for Legacy taking a chance on him.

Then there is the obvious matter of who is funding the effort—the elephant in the room, or rather, the garage.

Johnson’s appearances in the No. 84 were backed by Carvana, the same longstanding sponsor that followed him into the IndyCar Series. Carvana will also sponsor the No. 48 car when Johnson makes his final start as a driver in the 2027 Daytona 500.

This raises a logical question: Who is financing Riley Herbst’s seat?

The answer became immediately apparent at the end of the announcement’s hype video. He emerged from a cloud of smoke flanked by two women famously known as Monster Energy girls.

That visual clearly communicated how Herbst managed to secure his position at Legacy Motor Club. Monster Energy served as the incentive for Legacy. Suddenly, the driver came with a substantial financial package attached.

Herbst has carried Monster Energy sponsorship since 2019, including during his time at 23XI, and the brand will now follow him to Legacy Motor Club.

“Riley and the entire Herbst Racing family have been a significant part of Monster Energy’s racing history,” said Mitch Covington, Chief Partnership Officer of Monster Energy, in the press release announcing the move. “Riley is continuing a racing legacy that his grandfather, father, uncles, and cousins have all been a major part of, representing Monster so well across the board for nearly 20 years. We look forward to this new relationship and are thrilled to team up with Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club.”

And there it is.

Riley Herbst secures a new ride, and Legacy Motor Club secures a fully funded, charter-backed entry for 2027. With Nemechek’s departure, Josh Berry can also find a home within the organization.

However, there is another reason Herbst seems genuinely excited about the move, and it has less to do with the sponsorship checkbook and more to do with his vision for Legacy’s future.

“Legacy is growing in a huge way, has a lot of support from the manufacturer, and is getting a new compound and a new shop,” Herbst said. “Looking forward to all those exciting developments, I hope we can achieve some good success.”

Legacy has also made significant progress, at least in Herbst’s estimation.

He pointed to Erik Jones’ performance at Michigan as evidence that the organization is beginning to make real strides, noting that the team has been “a lot faster than they have in the past.”

This provides Herbst with something he did not necessarily have when he arrived at 23XI: the opportunity to grow alongside an organization that is still developing itself.

The Jimmie Johnson Effect

Herbst’s first start with Legacy will be the 2027 Daytona 500, which will also serve as Jimmie Johnson’s final Cup Series start.

For a Las Vegas native who grew up watching Johnson win seven championships, that is quite a lot to process.

“I have been fortunate to drive for some incredible people, whether that be Coach Joe Gibbs, Tony Stewart, Gene Haas, Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin, and now my childhood hero, Jimmie Johnson,” Herbst said. “It is extremely fortunate and a blessing to be in this position to continue chasing my dream of winning a NASCAR Cup Series race.”

A Second Chance, With a Monster Under the Bed

Yes, his on-track results may be underwhelming, and there is no point in pretending otherwise. Three top-10 finishes in 61 Cup starts hardly sets the world on fire.

However, the multi-year deal with Legacy provides Herbst with an opportunity to demonstrate improvement. Perhaps more importantly, he is joining an organization that is adding a third car, increasing its resources, and seemingly moving in the right direction.

So perhaps the question is not simply why Legacy hired Riley Herbst.

Perhaps a better question is what will happen when the driver who spent his first year and a half in the Cup Series asking questions finally begins finding the answers.

However, that opportunity might vanish if Monster Energy decides to close the checkbook and walk away.

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