Nevada-born NASCAR Racer Riley Herbst Receive Encouragement From His Parents, Troy and Laura Herbst, To Keep Going On Despite The Dark Days

January 21, 2026

This article was last updated by Aditya Rana on January 20, 2026

NASCAR racer Riley Herbst said a phone call with his parents stopped him from quitting NASCAR. The racer’s parents, Troy and Laura Herbst, have supported his career since day one.

Coming from a racing family, Riley was always geared towards making a big splash in the racing world.

He began racing karts at age five,e and in 2015, he started racing weekly at Irwindale Speedway.

With his family’s roots more in off-road racing, he gave it a chance and competed in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series’ Junior 1 Kart division.

His debut in the ARCA Menards Series came in 2017, driving full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing.

A year later, Herbst competed in the Camping World Truck Series, and in 2026, Riley announced he would drive for Rick Ware Racing in the Cup Series.

Despite the early setbacks, Herbst has remained a consistent driver and had a breakthrough 2026 season.

Herbst claimed his first victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series of the 2026 season in July at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

His 2026 season’s last victory came in November at Phoenix Raceway as he won the last lap of double overtime.

After his Phoenix victory, the 27-year-old announced he had joined 23XI Racing, the team owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin.

Riley Herbst Received Moral Support From His Parents

In an interview with , Riley talked about his early days in NASCAR and the support he received from his parents.

The young NASCAR driver, Riley Herbst, won his first Xfinity race after 138 starts and three playoff appearances in 2026.

After winning his first race at Las Vegas, Riley said he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

In the 2026 season, Herbst faced many hurdles before getting his first win.

He started the year with six consecutive top-10 finishes but missed playoffs.

Herbst said there were days he thought NASCAR wasn’t for him.

But during those dark days, he remained in contact with his parents, Troy and Laura.

After a long conversation with his parents, Riley decided he would not quit racing.

In his interview, Riley recalled his father’s teaching, the racer said:

The biggest thing that (my dad) learned from his dad — and I remember my grandfather telling me and all my cousins — is that hard work pays off, and it’s inevitable.

Via

Herbst further said his dad would tell him to continue to work hard and would tell him that he might not see the result immediately, but the hard work would eventually pay off.

The racer said his father, Troy, repeated these words 24 hours before the Las Vegas race.

Riley’s dad, Troy Herbst, is a seven-time Off Road Racing Champion. He is also the Baja 1000 and 500 multiple Overall Champion.

So, the pressure on Riley’s shoulder to prove himself on the race track has been immense since day one.

Riley Herbst Comes From A Famous Racing Family

Riley and his dad, Troy, aren’t the only racers of the Herbst family.

Troy’s dad and Riley’s grandfather, Jerry Herbst, were the first from the Herbst family to start racing.

His first race was desert racing in Southern Nevada, and later, after raising three sons, Troy, Ed, and Tim, Jerry started the Terrible Herbst Motorsports company.

Alongside winning local races, Jerry Herbst also won the 1970 SCORE Baja 500 in the unlimited Class 1.

His two sons, Ed and Tim, became the all-time winningest team in SCORE Trophy-Truck history.

The two brothers split the driving time in their No.19 Monster Energy Herbst Motorsports Ford F-150.

Ed and Tim recorded 11 career wins in SCORE Trophy-Truck and four of the 20 season championships in the marquee desert racing class for high-tech, 850 horsepower unlimited production trucks.

Riley’s father, Troy Herbst, is available on and loves sharing videos of Off-Road racing.

Alongside owning Terrible Herbst Motorsports Company, the Herbst family also owns the gas station company Terrible Herbst in Nevada.

In Case You Didn’t Know

In 2026, a Reddit user shared that the Terrible Herst company had partnered with the Big Boy restaurant chain in 2026. The Reddit user also shared that connections like these had helped Riley land big-name sponsors like Monster.
Riley Herbst’s cousin, Thor Herbst, dated Daisy Kent, a finalist on season 28 of The Bachelor.

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Sriyukta Pradhananga is a versatile writer with a keen interest in exploring the multifaceted dimensions of sports. Her articles offer readers a dynamic blend of insightful analysis, engaging storytelling, and thought-provoking commentary that sheds light on the diverse experiences within the athletic realm.

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