Why 23XI Racing choosing Riley Herbst over Corey Heim for a third car would be a mistake

It appears a new driver has thrown his hat in the ring for a NASCAR Cup Series ride with 23XI Racing. 

According to NASCAR insider Lee Spencer, NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Riley Herbst could be the choice to drive 23XI Racing's third car, provided the team purchases a charter, as it has been rumored to do. 

"We kind of have to think that one charter is going to Trackhouse, and one is going to 23XI," Spencer said. One name that has been mentioned (for 23XI) is Riley Herbst. Riley Herbst has the Monster (Energy) sponsorship. You would have that (sponsorship) all in house, which would be a nice little package between Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI. That's all the little bits and pieces."

As Spencer noted, Herbst has enjoyed unwavering support from Monster Energy during his time in NASCAR, with Monster providing primary sponsorship for Herbst during his tenure in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. 

While Herbst would bring sponsorship — which is easily the most important component of any race team — to 23XI, the move would be quite confusing, especially considering 23XI's past actions in free agency. 

Following the prolonged injury of Kurt Busch during the 2022 season, 23XI racing co-owner Denny Hamlin was seeking a long-term option to put in 23XI's new second car. Wanting a top young talent, Hamlin signed Tyler Reddick for the 2024 season, making it clear that Reddick was his top choice.

Not only did Hamlin go and get one of the best drivers in the sport, but he also bought out the remaining year that Reddick had left on his contract with Richard Childress Racing. 

Hamlin knew which driver he wanted, signed that driver and then bought said driver out of his contract so he could join the team one year early. The partnership has been a happy one, as Reddick has three wins with the team and finished sixth in points in 2023. 

So why exactly would Hamlin go through the process of buying a charter, setting up a third team and then proceeding to hire a 25-year-old driver who is not ready for the bright lights of Cup Series racing?

While Herbst has been respectable in four full-time seasons of Xfinity Series competition, he only has one win, and his best points finish is a pedestrian 10th place. Those certainly aren't horrible numbers, but for a driver who's seen the best equipment the series has to offer, they're disappointing. 

Herbst's resume pales in comparison to that of 21-year-old Corey Heim, who in just 53 Truck Series starts, has nine wins, 26 top-fives and 39 top-10s. Heim will drive a third 23XI Racing car in a one-off at Nashville on June 30, piloting the No. 50 Camry for Hamlin and Michael Jordan. 

Aside from pure statistics, the question of Herbst's upside also has to be asked. If put in a championship-caliber car with 23XI, what is his ceiling? Could he match the numbers of the high-flying Reddick or Bubba Wallace, who has blossomed into a playoff-caliber driver? 

So far, his ordinary results in the Xfinity Series competition do nothing to suggest he would. Heim, on the other hand, only seems to be getting better and has turned the Truck Series into his playground with one of its most competitive fields in recent memory. 

The question of who Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan choose to put in a third car — if 23XI elects to buy a charter — likely won't be answered for months, but one thing seems clear: opting for money over talent would be the wrong decision in the long run.