Daytona 500: Riley Herbst to make NASCAR Cup Series debut for Rick Ware Racing

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Rick Ware Racing announced on Tuesday that the team has signed NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Riley Herbst to drive for them in the Daytona 500. Herbst, 24, will make his Cup Series debut driving the No. 15 Ford of the team with the sponsorship of SunnyD.

Herbst has competed full-time in the Xfinity Series since 2020 and will do so again in 2023 in his third season with Stewart-Haas Racing. The Las Vegas native had 17 top fives and 54 top 10s in 109 career starts with a best finish of second twice.

“As a kid you always dreamed of being able to race in the Daytona 500, and I am able to accomplish that with Rick Ware Racing,” Herbst said in a team statement. “It’s such a big event and having it be my first Cup start will be a crazy experience. I can’t wait to see what I can do behind the wheel of the #15 Ford Mustang SunnyD…I hope for support and learn from other Ford drivers throughout the week as I feel more comfortable in the Next Gen car and prepare for the Great American Race.”

Herbst will be the first driver to take the wheel of Rick Ware’s #15 this season, which has featured a variety of drivers over the past year complementing the #51 driven full-time by Cody Ware.

The No. 15 finished eighth in last year’s Daytona 500 with veteran David Ragan at the wheel.