NASCAR Rumors: Denny Hamlin's tweet fuels speculations of Riley Herbst joining 23XI

Recent talk about Riley Herbst's future in NASCAR has been fueled by a tweet from Denny Hamlin. Rumors suggest that Herbst might join 23XI Racing in 2025. After an impressive performance at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last Saturday, Herbst landed his second career Xfinity Series win.

Herbst races full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Stewart-Haas Racing and is sponsored by Monster Energy. He had 17 top-10 finishes during his rookie season and 20 top-10 finishes in his second year.

According to reports, Riley Herbst is rumored to be the top pick for 23XI Racing’s third car. The team is owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan and is likely to get a third charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. With Monster Energy sponsoring Herbst and supporting Tyler Reddick at 23XI Racing, this move is likely.

Denny Hamlin tweeted "Impressive" right after Herbst had won the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That has further struck up the theory of Riley Herbst joining Hamlin's team.

The tweet, seen by over 218,000 people, stirred excitement and led a lot of fan reactions.

"What’s his car number going to be?," wondered one fan.

'Impressive enough for a cup ride Denny?," another replied.

A skeptical fan tweeted, "Tweet this again when he’s 27th in points next season plz."

Riley Herbst had had ups and downs last season. He missed the playoffs despite having more points than another driver who made it. But he has shown considerable improvement.

In October, he won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and added another win at Indianapolis. His recent performances suggest he's ready for a Cup Series ride.

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Riley Herbst's win at Indianapolis

The thrilling race at Indianapolis saw an early crash that involved 12 cars. AJ Allmendinger and Sam Mayer were included in the hit, which led to the elimination of Mayer and Josh Berry. Herbst took the win, driving the No. 98 Ford Mustang, as he bypassed Aric Almirola on the final lap.

"This is the coolest racetrack in the world," Herbst told NBC Sports after his win.

His Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, Cole Custer, finished second. This was the team's first 1-2 finish in the Xfinity Series. Aric Almirola came third, while Shane van Gisbergen and Sheldon Creed rounded out the top-five.

“This is hallowed ground. This is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Every person in the world wants to race here, and I won here.” Herbst said after the race.

“I don’t care if it is the Xfinity Series, the Cup Series or the go-kart track out back. This is the Brickyard. This is the coolest racetrack in the world.” he added