Riley Herbst to run Daytona 500 with Rick Ware Racing
Riley Herbst will get another chance at the Harley J. Earl trophy in 2024, driving for Rick Ware Racing in the Daytona 500.
Herbst will drive the No. 15 Monster Energy Ford in the 500. RWR confirmed it will be the first “in a series of races” for him in 2024.
“I’m excited to be back at the Daytona 500 with Monster Energy and Rick Ware Racing,” Herbst said. “Competing in last year’s race was a dream come true. We ran a smart race and came out of it with a top-10. I definitely learned a lot.
Herbst finished 10th in last year’s Daytona 500. He backed that effort up in the fall at Talladega, contending for the win and leading 10 laps before finishing ninth.
Herbst will compete in his fifth full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series season in 2024. It is his fourth with Stewart-Haas Racing in the No. 98 Ford Mustang.
After missing the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs last year, the 24-year-old driver bounced back and had a career-best stretch of races.
In the final five races, Riley Herbst finished fourth three times, a close second at Homestead-Miami and in victory lane by nearly 15 seconds at Las Vegas after leading 103 of 201 laps.
“I’ve grown a lot as a racecar driver, especially this past year,” Herbst said. “I put in the work and try to maximize every opportunity. And I feel like last year that hard work and determination paid off. We were really strong at the end of the year. I didn’t want the season to end. I’ve kind of been chomping at the bit to get this year started, so to be able to get back to Daytona and run the 500 is something I’m definitely looking forward to.”
No word on what other races Herbst will run in 2024. Kaz Grala will drive the No. 15 Ford in 25 races, beginning with the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum.
Discover more from The Racing Experts
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com