With Stewart-Haas Racing’s shocking exit, silly season is officially upon us. While a majority of the NASCAR community debates which drivers will secure the two free seats at Front Row Motorsports, the rumor mill also suggests that Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing is looking for a new driver.

According to a recent revelation from veteran journalist Bob Pockrass, 23XI Racing is amongst the few teams that have shown an interest in purchasing one of the SHR charters. But that’s not all. A new rumor reveals that 23XI Racing may already have a driver in mind for that third charter.

When this prospect of expanding its Cup Series presence first made headlines, fans expected drivers such as Corey Heim to be first in line. However, Daily Downforce’s X update suggests otherwise and could possibly disappoint fans of the budding Truck Series driver. Instead of 23X1 pursuing their 21-year-old reserve driver, Daily Downforce speculated that the team has been in contact with a Stewart-Haas Racing Xfinity Series driver: “The Rumor mill hits again. Riley Herbst to 23XI?”

The article by Daily Downforce stated, “While speculation may immediately turn to the Toyota prospect pipeline, sources have told us that the SHR free agent to be, Riley Herbst, has emerged as a rumored candidate for the 23XI Racing seat.” With Herbst’s ties to Monster Energy, an iconic brand that partnered up with 23XI Racing following Kurt Busch’s arrival, this rumor certainly has some weight to it.

But that’s not all. With Kenny Wallace recently highlighting the growing costs of owning a charter, Riley Herbst’s strong financial backing certainly helps.

Jerry Herbst, the Xfinity driver’s grandfather, is an established entrepreneur and founder of Terrible’s (previously Terrible Herbst), a convenience/gas store chain with a significant presence in Nevada. Rumors suggest that Terrible’s will play a major role in footing the bill of a third charter for 23XI Racing. This theory only gained further ground after a user pointed out the presence of the Terrible’s logo on a 23XI car.

With evidence suggesting that there may already be a partnership developing between the Herbst family and 23XI Racing, Tony Stewart’s current Xfinity driver could be making his way to the Cup Series with Michael Jordan’s blessings. But that’s not all. Herbst has also proven he’s a consistent driver this season. The 25-year-old made it to the playoffs twice in the past 3 seasons, and 2024 is no different.

Herbst has led 23 laps this season and brought home 4 top-10s and 2 top-5s. Although he hasn’t won this season, the Xfinity driver has proven he can do so just last year in Vegas. That said, Riley Herbst’s on-track results have not been stellar enough to convince 23XI Racing fans, who have a different prospect in mind.

From Austin Dillon comparisons to “biggest mistake” allegations, fans sideline Herbst to plead the case for Corey Heim

Despite Riley Herbst showcasing good form this season, fans of 23XI Racing were quick to dismiss the idea of him getting the potential third full-time seat. After all, if any driver deserves to move up the pipeline at 23XI, it’s Corey Heim. The 21-year-old Toyota Racing Development driver isn’t just the most viable option for existing relationships, but his stint in the 2024 Truck Series season has been nothing short of spectacular so far.

Naturally, fans felt Riley Herbst isn’t deserving of that rumored 23XI Racing seat. One promptly stated, “Hell no,” while another shared their disappointment with Michael Jordan & Co.’s decision-making; “Bro, I hope not that seat should really go to Corey Heim. I truly think he is ready. if Denny and Airspeed can’t get Corey for a 3rd car in the Cup, that’s the biggest mistake they have made. how long will Corey have to wait until he is in the Cup series?” 

For a lower-tier team, Riley Herbst would be an ideal candidate. But for a team like 23XI racing, with the backing of Hamlin and Jordan, there is no need to compromise on quality. One enthusiast pointed this out: “Yeah, Michael Jordan is rich as hell. 23XI is the last team that needs Pay drivers.” Similarly, another user threw shade at Richard Childress Racing for favoring the team owner’s grandson, “We don’t need more Austin Dillons in the league, please god no.”

With 7 top-5s, 9 top-10s, and 3 wins, Corey Heim’s on-track performance this season has been enough to cement him as the best option for 23XI fans. This prompted one fan to warn Michael Jordan & Co.: “I truly believe Airspeed is making a big mistake. they rather have a guy who can’t win for sh*t in top Equipment in the Xfinity series than a guy who can win almost every week in the truck series. this would be very bad if Toyota let Corey go to a disgusting manufacturer.”

At the end of the day, Riley Herbst seemed to be a “big no” and a “waste of a seat” in many fans’ eyes. With Corey Heim proving himself on track each weekend, do you think 23XI Racing is truly going down the route of ‘Cash is King’?