23XI Racing’s latest hiring engages over a Thanksgiving 'beer' banter with JRM prodigy Connor Zilisch

23XI Racing-bound Riley Herbst has playfully feuded with Connor Zilisch over a Thanksgiving post. Herbst told the young driver to let him know when he was old enough to drink a beer with him.

Herbst is a 25-year-old professional stock car racing driver set to drive the new third car for 23XI Racing next season. Meanwhile, Zilisch is a racing prodigy who is coming to the Xfinity Series with a full-time drive for JR Motorsports.

In an X (formerly Twitter) post, Riley Herbst posted a photo of his taco meal in response to his earlier post implying, "Thanksgiving food is not good." Connor Zilisch replied to the post, saying:

"Ur weird."

Herbst got back at his fellow NASCAR driver and replied:

"Let me know when you're 21 and can have a beer with me."

Connor Zilisch didn't respond to the legal drinking age banter. Since the legal drinking age in the US is 21 years old, Zilisch cannot legally drink a beer with Herbst yet. Zilisch only turned 18 years old last July, yet he is among the top young prospects in the world of stock car racing.

One of Zilisch's most significant achievements this year was winning his first Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen. He will run the full schedule of the second-tier series next year, driving JR Motorsports' No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro.

Riley Herbst won the Xfinity Series season finale in the No. 98 car at Phoenix Raceway - Source: Imagn

Meanwhile, Riley Herbst will pilot the new No. 35 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing after driving the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the Xfinity Series. He will compete alongside the No. 45 Toyota of Tyler Reddick and the No. 23 car of Bubba Wallace.

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Riley Herbst joins 23XI Racing despite ongoing legal battle

23XI Racing announced last week that Riley Herbst joined the team despite the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR. Since the Toyota-based team didn't sign the charter agreements, its drivers would compete in open cars, though it could change depending on the court's ruling.

For the uninitiated, an open car doesn't have guaranteed entries into NASCAR's 36-race schedule in a season. In addition, an open car won't receive huge payouts as compared to those with a charter.

Regardless, Herbst shared his excitement for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with 23XI Racing and sponsor Monster Energy. He said:

"It‘s an honor to join 23XI and Toyota for the opportunity to race in the Cup Series each week,” Riley Herbst said in a statement. “Racing full-time in the Cup Series has been my goal since I started in NASCAR and I‘m excited to start my Cup career with such an accomplished and driven team."

The Las Vegas native added:

"What 23XI has accomplished in a short time is impressive and I look forward to building on their success as the organization grows. It‘s also great to continue representing Monster and I‘m excited about adding to their legacy in NASCAR."

Considering 23XI Racing doesn't have a charter, the Mooresville-based outfit could skip this year's The Clash before the Daytona 500 season-opener in February.