Jimmie Johnson's racing team Legacy Motor Club is set to expand next year, adding a third charter for the 2027 Cup Series season. With the new seat available, it appears that the team's search for its wheelman is over.
According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Legacy's year-long search for a third chartered driver is "effectively over" and the team is now focusing on 23XI Racing's Riley Herbst to get behind the wheel in 2027.
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Riley Herbst, age 27, became a full-time Cup Series driver with 23XI in the No. 35 car last season. He struggled in his rookie year, failing to record a single top 10 finish, while posting one of the worst average starting positions (26.97) and average finishing position (26.39) among full-time Cup drivers.
He has performed much better in 2026. Through 12 races, Herbst's average starting position (20.25) and average finishing position (22.67) have improved significantly. Herbst earned his first top-10 finish (Daytona 500) since 2023, and he has finished in the top 20 four times this year.
Herbst also brings other qualities that probably have significant importance to the heritage. First of all, he has proven to be an excellent teammate to Tyler Reddick this season through his work in leading Tyler Reddick to victory at Daytona and in the sim.
Equally important for a relatively new team like Legacy, Herbst also brings funding. The Herbst family owns a vast chain of convenience stores, and Driver has a long-term relationship with Monster Energy. Combine all this with the improvements he has made this year, and it is easy to see why he is a top candidate to join the Legacy Motor Club next season.
The domino effect of joining Riley Herbst's legacy
All of Legacy's pursuit comes as it secured a third charter in the Cup Series for the 2027 season, creating a domino effect that will impact many top teams. Both 23XI and RFK Racing are affected by the move.
RELATED: Chase Contender Could Lose Chartered Status in 2027
The above charter is leased to RFK this season and is being used for Ryan Preece. RFK is also in a tough spot as all three of its drivers—Preece, Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski—are in contract years. Even if all three drivers are re-signed, there is currently no viable path for the team to acquire a third charter.
Since RFK deals with the loss of a chartered car, 23XI has its own vacancy. Fortunately for the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, NASCAR's top prospect Corey Haim is set to replace Herbst next season. Widely regarded as the top prospect in NASCAR, Heim's arrival should give 23XI a chance to establish itself as the third-best team in the Cup Series.
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