CONCORD, N.C. — Legacy Motor Club unveiled a key part of its 2027 NASCAR Cup Series driver lineup on Thursday, announcing that Riley Herbst will drive the team’s No. 84 Toyota next season.
Herbst, 27, currently drives 23XI Racing’s No. 35 Toyota and is in his second season in stock-car racing’s pinnacle series. 23XI announced in May that Corey Heim, who’s won two races in a part-time slate, will take over that ride next season.
From Las Vegas, Nevada, Herbst’s roots with owner Jimmie Johnson run deep. Johnson has a relationship with Herbst’s father, Troy, from off-road racing, making the decision easy for both driver and owner.
The No. 84, of course, is an inverse of the number Johnson drove to seven Cup championships.
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“It was awesome to team up with a childhood hero,” Herbst said in a press conference at Ten Tenths Motor Club, which sits adjacent to Charlotte Motor Speedway. “My dad always used to tell me that he grew up with Jimmie, knew Jimmie – I didn’t believe him. This is when Jimmie was on a streak of five in a row and dominating.
“I love Jimmie, but this red badge on my arm was probably case No. 1 of why Legacy was the right option. The investment that Tyler [Gibbs, group vice president and president of Toyota Racing Development] and Jack [Irving, TRD general manager] and everybody at Toyota USA puts into NASCAR and motorsports is second to none, and I think Jimmie would back that up. I’m just excited to stay with the Toyota family and continue to grow with that manufacturer and hopefully take Legacy to the next step within the Toyota camp.”
Johnson confirmed in March that the organization would field three full-time Cup entries next season for the first time. Erik Jones currently drives the No. 43 Toyota and will return in 2027, but the announcement comes less than 24 hours after the team confirmed that John Hunter Nemechek will not return to the No. 42 Toyota.
“He’s the perfect fit for us, and he’s the future of Legacy,” Johnson said of Herbst. “Troy, he’s been so kind, offering me a chance to race a [off-road] truck the last couple of years, and it came together in March. As we worked through that incredible opportunity, this started to heat up in this opportunity. There’s a certain discipline that you learn on the dirt and driving those vehicles that I really feel like gives you a huge advantage in a Cup car, and I was able to exploit that. And then you take the work ethic and commitment this young man has, his dedication and focus to being the best driver he can be.
“Riley is an up-and-coming driver in the sport. There’s a lot of legacies that built it, but we’re hopeful we’re just dropping seeds and watering that soil for all these legacies to grow out in front of us.”
Herbst has experienced significant gains during his second full-time Cup bout, earning three top 10s – including a pair of eighth-place finishes – in 25 starts this season. He missed last Saturday’s race at Daytona due to “lingering effects” from a crash the previous weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
As a rookie, Herbst finished no higher than 14th and place 35th in the series ranks. His average finish is tracking over four positions better than 2025.
Before jumping to the Cup Series, Herbst spent five full-time campaigns in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, winning three races. He finished as high as seventh in points two years ago, driving for now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing.
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“I just gained so much knowledge throughout 38 races the first year, and then this year, I felt like our pace has been way better,” Herbst explained. “I feel like this year, we’ve turned the page, and we’ve really progressed with pace and speed and finishes. I’m very grateful to have really good teammates in Bubba and Tyler that have taught me how to prepare, and be able to go to what, [64]-time winner in Denny to ask questions.
“But all that has to do with great people, and I mean that wholeheartedly, and to have a really good ownership that I know will be seamlessly for my transition over to Legacy.”
Herbst’s longtime sponsor, Monster Energy, will follow him from 23XI to Legacy, adding a major sports energy drink brand to the exponentially growing organization. The team in August announced 11 additions to its ownership group, including Major League Baseball star Bryce Harper, IndyCar legends Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan and tennis great Andy Roddick.
“We’re building the Legacy of tomorrow, and there’s a lot of ways that you can spin it,” Johnson said. “But for us to have a vision, have a mission, have incredible partners like Toyota, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Carvana, you go through the list. Very thankful for the corporate support, and now to have a brand with Monster inside of our organization is so meaningful.”
Information regarding Herbst’s crew chief was not released. Davin Restivo currently calls the shots for Herbst at 23XI and has been paired with the driver since mid-2023 in the O’Reilly Series.
Additionally, Johnson did not share information regarding Nemechek’s replacement in the No. 42 entry. Nemechek has scored a pair of top 10s this season, trending toward a step down in that category and average finish from 2025. The team’s flagship driver, Jones, has five top 10s – including a runner-up at Michigan International Speedway in June – and sat above the provisional Chase presented by Mobil 1 cutline after 20 races.
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But regardless of who fills that now-vacant seat, Johnson believes that adding Herbst and a third car to the organization will prove beneficial as he enters his third season as majority owner.
“It increases our on-track knowledge by 33 percent, and it sounds silly, but as a young team, the strategy with our cars and our correlation loop, it’s just difficult, and that car can provide a lot of flexibility for us,” he said. “Now that we can’t test and instrument cars, the driver is the computer and is the most important piece of that validation loop. So to have another driver, another team, another everything that comes with that scaling is really important.
“To really have a chance to create a culture within our walls and build the organization that we want, we’re in that building process, and I truly feel like we have the foundation built. And now, we’re going to be able to really flex muscle, perform on track and hit all of our objectives, which, in the long run, our goal is in five years to be an elite team.”