Riley Herbst will join Joe Gibbs Racing as a full-time driver behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota Camry in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards in 2017.
The 17-year-old Las Vegas native is coming off a successful 2016 season of competition in the K&N NASCAR Pro East and West series. Under Bill McAnally Racing and Napa Automotive, Riley completed 17 races, recording seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in the K&N East and West. Herbst also competed in the super late model division, under the Fury Racing banner, with crew chief Jeff Fultz and the guidance of Tony Eury Sr./Jr.
He also did double duty as a rookie at the California Speedway in 2015, winning the track championship in the Irwindale Speed Trucks.
Herbst grew up watching his father and grandfather compete in off-road racing classics such as the Baja 500 and Baja 1000. After starting his racing career with go-karts at the age of 5, he progressed to trophy karts, legends cars, speed trucks, and super late models.
“I grew up watching my dad compete in races like the Baja 500, so I’ve always wanted to be a racer myself,” said Herbst.
“I’m so appreciative of Bill McAnally and his entire racing crew. They were an incredible group of people to work with and learn from. They were an instrumental part of my career. Having the opportunity to join Joe Gibbs Racing will take me to the next level.”
JGR has amassed more than 270 wins across NASCAR’s top two national racing series in its 25-year history. The organization also boasts four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championships and five NASCAR XFINITY Series Championships. Owner and founder Joe Gibbs is a Pro Football Hall of Fame coach, having led the Washington Redskins to three Super Bowl Championships. This will be JGR’s first ARCA Series entry.
“It’s great to have Riley join Joe Gibbs Racing,” said Steve deSouza, executive vice president of XFINITY/Development. “He has experienced success in a variety of racing venues and we want to provide him the opportunity to continue that success at this level of competition.”
Herbst’s will drive the No. 18 Toyota Camry in the ARCA Racing Series and his sponsor and crew chief will be announced at a later date.
Fans can follow Herbst’s debut start for Joe Gibbs Racing by checking his Facebook page at Riley Herbst Racing, following him on Twitter at @RileyHerbst and on Instagram at @RileyHerbst.
About Joe Gibbs Racing:
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR with four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR XFINITY Series teams and a driver development program. Its 2016 driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards in the Sprint Cup Series. Meanwhile Daniel Suarez and Erik Jones will run fulltime in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, joining Kyle Busch and Matt Tifft who will run partial schedules. In addition, Cody Coughlin is currently in JGR’s driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs — a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame — JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning four Cup Series championships, and five Nationwide Series owner’s championships along with more than 270 NASCAR races, including four Brickyard 400s and two Daytona 500s.