TRUCKS: Riggs Rebounds for Bristol Victory; Secures 'Round of 8' Berth

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

In one of the most impressive drives of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career, Layne Riggs parked his No. 34 Love's RV Stops Ford F-150 in Victory Lane at Bristol Motor Speedway, recovering from a first-lap incident to win the UNOH 250.

The misjudgment on the opening lap resulted in a no-damage spin in the final set of corners, but also kicked the Bahama, North Carolina-native back to dead-last in the running order, making for a long evening on a racetrack that proved difficult to make passes on.

“You don’t get two mulligans in the playoffs, and I got two, so I’m not sure what happened on the initial start with [Corey Day]. I felt like I was there pretty good, and the first lap of the race, to spin out, is a blow to your confidence,” Riggs said post-race.

To tell you the truth, though, it didn’t seem that hard, at all, for the Front Row Motorsports driver – who by the conclusion of the 65-lap first stage had already soared through the NASCAR Truck Series pack to finish ninth. Another 65-lap stage passed, and all of sudden, the 23-year-old driver was battling for the lead with Corey Heim.

Riggs didn’t end up triumphing in the race’s second stage, coming to the green-and-white checkered flag just behind Corey Heim in the TRICON Garage No. 11. However, when pit stops rolled around at the end of the stage, Riggs’ entire race changed.

A fantastic pit stop from his Front Row Motorsports crew secured him the lead off pit road. It didn’t end up giving him the lead, since series debutant Cole Butcher stayed on the racetrack with much older tires, but it did give him the front row, which ended up being a golden ticket to the victory.

Heim was trapped behind Butcher on the restart, after choosing the inside lane, and dropped to seventh place. With some additional restarts, the eight-time winner this season likely would have been okay, but those never came.

The 110-lap run to the finish was all Riggs needed to keep Heim at bay, and while there was a slight challenge from two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes near the end of the event, Riggs was able to hold on.

“I think it just shows that we’re right there. We’re in contention. We can do it, and these guys right here don’t give up,” said Riggs. “I don’t give up. That’s three in a row at Bristol Motor Speedway for Front Row Motorsports, so it’s a big testament to all of these guys. We’ve got a really good package here, and I’m excited for New Hampshire. I’ve never even been there and I already love that racetrack.”

Ben Rhodes finished in second-place, with Corey Heim third, defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ty Majeski in fourth, and Daniel Hemric rounding out the top-five. Tanner Gray, Connor Mosack, Andres Perez de Lara, Corey LaJoie, and Matt Crafton each scored top-10s.

Other drivers in the NASCAR Truck Series Playoffs: Kaden Honeycutt (12th), Rajah Caruth (15th), Tyler Ankrum (20th), Grant Enfinger (21st), Chandler Smith (30th), and Jake Garcia (33rd). Both Smith and Garcia had mechanical issues that prevented them from finishing Thursday's event on the lead-lap.

Heading to the first of two elimination events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Jake Garcia sits 14 points below the cutline, with Chandler Smith 24 points below. The EJP 175 at New Hampshire will take place next Saturday, September 20 at Noon ET on FS1, NASCAR Radio Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.