Riley Herbst is in his second NASCAR Cup Series season with 23XI Racing, and the results have been much better this year. In 2025, Herbst struggled to compete and didn't earn a single top-10 finish; however, the No. 35 team has turned it around during the 2026 NASCAR season. The driver of the No. 35 car has shown speed over the last month.
However, what does Toyota think of Herbst's performance? Toyota Racing president Tyler Gibbs spoke to FanBuzz and gave his honest take on Herbst.
"Loving it," Gibbs told FanBuzz. "I mean, last year was tough, right? [Riley Herbst]'s a rookie. He's coming to a team that has such expectations and all the rest of that stuff, and now you're seeing him begin to play that out."
Corey Heim is knocking on the door in the Cup Series, and many point to Herbst as being the odd one out at 23XI Racing. While Heim might end up replacing Herbst in the No. 35 car in 2027, this raises more questions about whether that will happen or not. For now, Toyota loves what they are seeing from Herbst in 2026.
More: NASCAR reveals status of Kyle Busch's No. 8 car at R&D Center
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Toyota provides honest take on Riley Herbst's performances in 2026