Another round of Silly Season rumors is here to baffle NASCAR fans. And this time, like many, Cup Series veteran, Denny Hamlin, is right in the middle of it. After SHR’s, Riley Herbst made a last-lap pass on Aric Almirola for the win at Indy, Hamlin’s cheeky one-word tweet led to speculation that 23XI might be interested in the Xfinity driver. However, a NASCAR insider doesn’t think so.

After the SHR’s decision to sell its charters, there was much debate about the future of its drivers. Cup Series drivers Chase Briscoe and Noah Gragson secured their futures with JGR and Front Row Motorsports respectively, while Cole Custer has gotten himself into the Haas Factory Team, a reduced continuation of SHR by Gene Haas. Talk now surrounds the next destination of Riley Herbst. As Herbst is likely to join another team, ex-AM Racing driver Hailie Deegan could redeem herself into his empty seat, as an infamous NASCAR insider recently claimed.

The controversial host chimes with Denny Hamlin’s hint

The SHR fold has been going through a thorny stretch lately, ever since Tony Stewart and Gene Haas announced the decision to close the shop in May. The 16-year-old stellar NASCAR team would be disbanded by the end of 2024. Most of the SHR Cup Series drivers have found future homes, except for Ryan Preece. As for Xfinity Riley Herbst is yet to sign a deal, although he is seemingly inching closer to one.

A week ago, a rumor dropped that 23XI Racing could be Herbst’s destination next year. Then Herbst picked up his second Xfinity career trophy at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in dramatic fashion. On the final lap, he pursued Aric Almirola with relentless pressure, giving his car a slight nudge with his front bumper in the last turn, and then dive-bombed to the inside to seize the lead. This thrilling end prompted Denny Hamlin to head over to X and post a single-word, yet heavily meaningful post. He wrote, “Impressive.” 

With the rumor mill buzzing about Riley Herbst’s potential promotion and a possible move to Michael Jordan’s garage, it seems like all the pieces are falling into place. A host from ‘Door Bumper Clear’ has even hinted that this future deal could sync up with Hailie Deegan’s career trajectory.

Given all the drama surrounding Deegan’s Xfinity debut year, it’s hard to imagine what else could go wrong. But there’s a silver lining: Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, dropped some speculations on a recent DBC episode. Sounds like there might be some bright spots for Deegan and Herbst after all! He said, “I’m sure there’s stuff coming…who’s going to end up in those Xfinity cars. I heard a couple of rumors this week about Hailie Deegan…I think they brought it up at the press conference.”

Then, as the discussion went on, co-host Casey Boat brought up Herbst, saying, “They did…and Riley.” But Kraft begged to differ: “I don’t think Riley’s going to be an option.” Then Brett Griffin, arguably the most controversial among the DBC group for his unfiltered opinions, made a bold claim. “There’s no chance,” he said.

Does it mean Hamlin was trolling and not serious about Herbst? With Hailie Deegan’s fortunes potentially getting a boost under Gene Haas in Xfinity, Riley Herbst might find his options limited—but it’s all for a major career upgrade. After a slow and turbulent rise through NASCAR, Herbst has recently surged up the ranks. This season, he’s racked up four top-fives and nine top-tens in just 20 races. Battling his teammate Cole Custer and fending off a fierce charge from Aric Almirola on the final lap, Herbst clinched a standout victory.

On top of that, Monster Energy backs Riley Herbst, just like they do with Tyler Reddick. This sponsor connection could be a game-changer if Herbst joins the Airspeed team. It’s no wonder that 23XI Racing co-owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin are seriously eyeing Herbst as a potential third driver for their Cup Series team. It looks like Herbst’s future could be speeding toward some exciting Tier 1 opportunities!

And the NASCAR community is equally excited about this deal, as they were tickled by Denny Hamlin’s clever X post.

NASCAR fans are eager to see another 23XI face

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When Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan put their heads together to form 23XI Racing in 2020, they were focused on their goal. Their drivers would not just turn laps but also win races. Look at Tyler Reddick, who already boasts a win for the team this season, besides threatening heavyweight drivers every weekend. Four years into NASCAR, and the team is already competing with the winningest Hendrick Motorsports. Reddick currently stands at number 3 with 734 points, right behind the HMS star drivers Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott.

So Riley Herbst would be an excellent addition to the group, joining Reddick and Bubba Wallace, who also have finished 8 times in the Top 10 and 4 times in the Top 5. Agreeing to the same sentiment, a fan wrote, “Scoop him up. He’s awesome all-round wholesome young driver.”  23XI has been linked to buying one of SHR’s charters and adding a third driver to their team.

Herbst is only 25 years old. He has sponsorship from Monster and now has two wins in Xfinity, with the last one at the Las Vegas playoff race in 2023. He also ran top-10 in the Daytona 500 in a Rick Ware Racing car last year. Then finished at P9 at Talladega in the fall of 2023. A driver with potential could be a good way to expand the team for Jordan and Hamlin.

Another fan also holds strong faith in Herbst’s ability: “Denny I would say anyone who gets Riley as their driver is getting a heck of a wheelman!!!”

Others were simply fascinated by Denny Hamlin’s one-worded post. Coming immediately after Riley Herbst’s Indianapolis victory, all the puzzle pieces seemed to fall in the right place. Adding to Hamlin’s statement, this fan wrote: “Impressive enough for a cup ride Denny?” 

Last month, FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, reported that 23XI Racing could possibly look at Riley Herbst if the team doesn’t go with Corey Heim as a new driver. Heim is 23XI Racing’s reserve driver however, Herbst’s experience could play in his favor.

Some people thought this was pretty soon for Denny Hamlin to play around with the possibility. One fan was not too convinced about Herbst and commented, “Tweet this again when he’s 27th in points next season plz.” 

Currently, Herbst sits fifth in the Xfinity standings and will have to put up a few more impressive performances to raise his stock further. Who knows by the time the season is over, Herbst might be a hot commodity and Hamlin might be eager to acquire him.

Another fan was concerned that Hamlin’s attention was somewhere else instead of the Brickyard 400, where he ended up with a 32nd-place finish, which is not at all in his favor if he’s eyeing a championship this season. “You do that shit tomorrow sir 🫡”

For the 16th time, Hamlin missed out on winning the crown jewel race, and this is enough reason for the Hamlin fans to be concerned. However, Herbst and Deegan, with all their talent, will end up securing a place sooner or later, but the JGR driver will have to wait at least another year to join the short list that contains Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, and Dale Earnhardt—drivers who have all won the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500, and Brickyard 400.

However, one of his favorite Xfinity drivers made a standout impression this time. This could pave the way for Herbst to join Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick next season.