“I think yes, you’ll see a few in there that you probably would consider underdogs or surprise winners, but it’s going to be because something wacky happens,” Denny Hamlin said about the rookies. The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series has given us a rookie showdown that’s more heartbreak than highlight reel. Shane Van Gisbergen and Riley Herbst, two drivers with big dreams and bigger expectations, are duking it out. However, it’s not going as well as most would expect.
Both drivers are at the bottom of the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings. Their seasons are a messy mix of inconsistent runs, races that vanish from memory, and a points situation that’s tough to stomach. It’s a battle for redemption, and neither wants to be the one left in the dust.
Shane, the New Zealand superstar who turned heads with his 2023 Chicago Street Course win, was expected to bring his road-course magic to the Cup Series. Riley, the Las Vegas native driving for Michael Jordan’s high-powered 23XI Racing, had the backing and buzz to make a splash. But 2025 has been a brutal wake-up call. Their races are a blur of mid-pack finishes, costly errors, and moments that make fans cringe. Shane’s shown flashes of brilliance on twisty tracks, but Riley’s been stuck in neutral, and the standings are a harsh reality check.
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The numbers don’t lie, and they’re grim. As of April 2025, Shane’s got 189 points, barely ahead of Riley’s 165, per ESPN’s standings. They’re dead last among rookies, miles behind Carson Hocevar’s 309 points. Shane’s best finish is a 12th at COTA, a road course where he briefly recaptured his spark. Riley’s peak is a 14th at Las Vegas, his hometown track. Neither has sniffed a top-10, with Shane’s average finish at 25.6 and Riley’s at a painful 27.8. Shane’s got three DNFs (did not finish), while Riley’s racked up four.
via Imago Riley Herbst
The 23XI co-owner was unusually a little empathetic about Shane’s struggles. “He’s learning. Trying to learn something. A new technique, a new craft. I mean, that’s really, really hard to do. I don’t know. It’s just — it’s tough to ask someone to just come over here and just change their — the way, you know, what they’re driving and all that stuff. This is not what he grew up doing,” he said on his Actions Detrimental podcast. Hamlin doubled down in noting that Trackhouse hasn’t given him what he needs to showcase his full potential. Riley’s not off the hook either.
The fan vibe is intense. X posts show sympathy for Shane’s situation: “SVG’s stuck with a car that can’t keep up,” one user wrote. Riley’s catching flak too. “Herbst has MJ’s team but no results,” a commenter jabbed. Hamlin’s take on Shane’s team struggles, echoed has fans nodding: “Trackhouse’s performance is underwhelming, and it’s killing their rookie.” Riley’s hometown pride hasn’t translated to results. Riley’s potential for Bristol DFS lineups, but his inconsistency is a dealbreaker.
What’s next? Shane’s eyeing those road courses to flip the script. He’s got a shot at salvation with road courses like Sonoma, Watkins Glen, and the Charlotte Roval still to come. He’s banking on his Supercars pedigree to pull him out of the slump. Meanwhile, Riley’s facing a tougher road, and the gap to Carson Hocevar is daunting, and 23XI’s patience isn’t infinite. With Jordan’s words ringing in his ears, every race is a must-win. Riley’s not so lucky. His move from Xfinity to Cup has been rocky, and incidents like the Martinsville clash with Austin Cindric.
This isn’t a fight for glory—it’s for survival. Shane and Riley are battling to prove they belong in NASCAR’s top tier. Will Shane’s road-course skills save him, or can Riley find the spark to justify 23XI’s faith? The track holds the answers, and the NASCAR world’s glued to this gritty, emotional rookie saga.
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Kyle Busch is shocked by the attitude of the Rookie lot
Kyle Busch, a veteran with two Cup Series titles, is genuinely shocked by the new blood in the sport, especially his Richard Childress Racing teammate, Jesse Love. Busch recently shared. He’s seen it firsthand—rookies diving into races with a fearless edge.
Love, the 20-year-old who stunned Busch at Daytona. “Just that he picked up the phone and asked and called, you know? That’s the first thing, right? A lot of drivers don’t do that anymore these days.” revealed Busch. Love’s bold moves, like leading laps in the Xfinity Series. “A lot of drivers don’t do that anymore these days. But if you call, I’m willing to talk to you and help you and give you as much as you ask and try to give you what you can to get you started and be ready to go when you get here.”
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“Absolutely, it’d be dumb of me to not go ask him questions and pick his ear when I can, or pick his brain, rather, and he’s been helpful, for sure,” Love said. As Busch mentors him, he’s both proud and a little nostalgic.