Jimmy Spencer has never been one to hold back with NASCAR’s shifting landscape. He has lately been firing off shots at the sport’s leadership, calling out how greed has watered down the raw edge since Bill France’s days. He sees today’s drivers as products of polished programs rather than gritty proving grounds like dirt tracks, and that frustration boiled over in his latest Door Bumper Clear appearance.

“We need to get the talent from the dirt cars, the Flo racing. You know, I mean, the other thing that I believe in is that that shows the talent. I mean, who’s that Riley Herbst? That poor son of a bi–h can’t drive nothing,” Spencer vented on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, his voice as bold as ever as only a 1990s Cup vet could muster.

The “son of a bi–h can’t drive” line shocked fans as Spencer laid his unfiltered doubts about Herbst’s fit in the Cup Series. Fans lit up social media, some cheering the old-school honesty while others pushed back hard.

[DBC 30:00] Jimmy Spencer on @rileyherbst: “That poor SOB can’t drive nothing” (via u/LBHMS) https://t.co/9jWpoepCH7 https://t.co/BGJIyl6fHK #NASCAR

— r/NASCAR on Reddit (@NASCARonReddit) October 21, 2025

Spencer is throwing shade because Herbst‘s 2025 rookie season has been rough. Think of a disqualification at the Charlotte Roval for failing post-race weight inspection, dropping him from 16th to last after a solid run. Then came Talladega, where he rolled to the back alongside John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones after inspection snags.

For Spencer, the core gripe is simple: drivers like Herbst skip the dirt-track grind that builds real instincts, jumping straight from Xfinity flash to Cup pressure without the scars. “I think that they really did a lot to subdue the drivers. And in turn, I think that the last few years, the drivers have become so freaking boring,” he added later, hammering how sanitized paths filter out safe bets over bold talents.

Back in his ARCA days, Spencer scrapped for every inch; now, he watches Herbst struggle in a #71 Toyota, averaging outside the top 25 through 34 starts, and it feels like the sport’s lost its hunger for raw talent.

That frustration ties straight to 23XI’s call to snag Herbst over Corey Heim for their third car in 2025, despite Heim’s edge in consistency—three Truck Series wins and stronger Xfinity showings against tougher fields. Hamlin’s crew bet on Herbst’s three Xfinity victories and his Vegas roots to draw crowds, even as legal battles with NASCAR over charters dragged on.

Spencer’s words landed like a checkered flag on a divided field, igniting debates that echo through the garages and grandstands.

Fans are split on Jimmy Spencer’s take

Not everyone’s buying Spencer’s hot take, with one fan pointing out the bigger picture: “There have been many worse drivers than Riley come into the Cup Series.” It’s true; look at drivers like Derrike Cope, who stumbled through 1990s seasons with sub-30 averages before a surprise Daytona win.

Herbst, at 23, mirrors that raw entry; his Xfinity title chase with a win at Phoenix in 2024 showed poise, and fans see echoes of those underdogs who eventually clicked, reminding everyone Cup’s a brutal classroom and demands time for even being a good contender.

Some praise rolled in for Herbst’s cool head under fire. “I will give Riley props for this past weekend; he could’ve junked the whole field but held onto the car, and everyone was able to get around,” a commenter noted after Talladega chaos.

That pack-style save kept the playoff showdown clean. In a sport where one small move can become a disaster, Herbst’s restraint earned nods, proving even shaky rookies can step up when it’s needed.

Yet doubt lingers for some, “Dude was a decent Xfinity driver but is nowhere close to being Cup-level talent.” Herbst’s 2024 Xfinity stats with just two wins and seven top-5s don’t fully translate yet, and his Cup average hovers at 26th. It’s reminiscent of Ty Dillon‘s early Cup stints, who was solid in trucks but lost in the big leagues.

Defenders pushed deeper into context, one writing: “Herbst is the punching bag this year but he’s a rookie with a rookie CC and is a rookie in a series where the cars are very different from the ones he has driven (and won in) in the Xfinity series. 23XI being embroiled in litigation all year also can’t have helped things. His results haven’t been good, but I think people are just piling on at this point.”

Spot on, 23XI’s charter fight distracted resources, and Herbst’s crew chief Davin Restivo is inexperienced too, echoing rookie teams like the 2010s Furniture Row setup that took laps to gel before Truex’s rise. With just 34 starts under his belt, the pile-up of criticism feels premature against his prior 88 Xfinity top-10s.

Wrapping the buzz, excitement bubbled over the episode itself. “This was the best DBC episode of the year. Jimmy is a total wild card, and you never know what he’ll say. He should be on the show every week. His donkey laugh is maddening and fantastic,” gushed a listener.

Spencer’s unfiltered and raw takes, like his Austin Hill callout after Talladega—“stupid son of a bi–h” for post-win antics—keep the podcast electric, much like his 1994 Bristol brawl days that hooked fans on the human side of racing. That chaos? Pure NASCAR gold.