Zach Herrin
Zachary John Daniel Herrin is an American professional stock car racing driver who currently competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series driving the No. 12 Toyota for Fast Track Racing.
Racing career
Early career
Born in Glendale, California, Zach began racing motorcycles at the age of five, competing in amateur championships until the age of sixteen. In 2012, Zach began his professional career in the AMA Pro SuperSport Championship. Zach then moved on to superkarts in 2013, competing in the SKUSA Pro Tour and SKUSA SuperNationals. In 2014, Zach competed in legends cars in the INEX Winter Nationals series. For the 2016 season, Herrin returned to the SKUSA Pro Tour and SKUSA SuperNationals.Personal life
Herrin left the motorsports industry for four years after discovering that he needed time to realize his authentic self as a member of the LGBT community. He began a career in real estate and in 2022 returned to motorsports competing in the 2022 ARCA Menards Series West finale at Phoenix Raceway.He is the younger brother of former Moto2 rider and 2013 AMA Superbike champion Josh Herrin.
Return to racing
ARCA Menards Series
On January 16, 2022, Herrin began his ARCA series career at the Daytona Pre-Season practice, driving for Fast Track Racing, marking his return to professional racing since coming out. He plans to compete in a limited schedule in the ARCA Menards Series in 2022, then expand to a larger ARCA/NASCAR schedule in 2023.Racing Pride
Herrin is a member of the founding class of the North American expansion of Racing Pride.Awards/Accolades
In 2023, Herrin was named to Out 's 2023 Out100: a prestigious compilation of the year's most impactful and influential LGBTQ+ people. Zach is the first motorsports athlete to receive this honor.In 2024, Herrin was honored by NASCAR's Drive for Diversity Awards in the "Developmental Series Driver" category. Herrin is "an exemplary advocate for LGBTQ+ people in the motorsports industry, integrating inclusion into his ethos through building partnerships with organizations such as Lambda Legal and representing the sport in a positive light both on and off the race track."