The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series made its debut on the streets of St. Petersburg on Saturday, racing alongside the NTT IndyCar Series for the first time. Rain shortened practice and eliminated qualifying, forcing Connor Mosack to secure the pole position through the metric system. Despite limited preparation, the event delivered a gripping competition on an 80-lap urban circuit.
Practice and Early Race Developments Mark Challenging Start
Kaden Honeycutt led the brief practice session with a fast lap of 78.922 seconds at 82.106 mph, outpacing Ben Maier, Ben Rhodes, James Hinchcliffe, and Ty Majeski. Notably, INDYCAR veterans Dario Franchitti and James Hinchcliffe joined the field; Franchitti returned after a 17-year absence from the Truck Series, and Hinchcliffe competed in his first Truck race. Colin Braun also returned to the series after a 15-year hiatus.
The race began just after 12:25 p.m. ET under live broadcast on FOX, with Mosack leading from the pole. Behind him, Gio Ruggiero, Ben Rhodes, Hinchcliffe, and Chandler Smith followed closely. However, an early caution on lap two arose when Justin Haley’s No. 16 stalled in turn one, briefly interrupting the pace. After cleanup, racing resumed with Mosack still at the front.
Mid-Race Action Sees Lead Changes and On-Track Battles
<pThe battle intensified as Franchitti and Hinchcliffe engaged in close racing, exchanging positions. Hinchcliffe, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet with Jimmie Johnson as crew chief, ultimately gained the upper hand. Meanwhile, Rhodes passed Mosack for the lead seven laps in, holding position as Gio Ruggiero, Chandler Smith, and Landen Lewis battled for top-five placements at the 10-lap mark.
Rhodes secured the stage one win over Mosack, Lewis, Smith, and Ruggiero. Shortly into stage two, a crash involving Christian Eckes, Daniel Hemric, and Adam Andretti triggered another caution. Haley was awarded the free pass to rejoin the race. Layne Riggs emerged as the stage two leader after overtaking Chandler Smith with two laps remaining. Smith, Lewis, Majeski, and Rhodes rounded out the top five in stage two.
Final Laps Feature Intense Challenges and Strategic Moves
Riggs maintained the lead during the restart with 37 laps left, while on-track incidents involving Tyler Reif and Chris Butcher went unpenalized as NASCAR kept the green flag flying. Derek White stalled on lap 53, bringing out another caution; Majeski inherited the lead for the restart with 25 laps remaining. Not long after, Hinchcliffe and Ruggiero spun out but avoided causing a caution.
Majeski’s own misstep while leading resulted in a spin, dropping him to sixth and allowing Riggs to reclaim first place with 19 laps remaining. The race tightened as Riggs held a lead over Rhodes, Smith, Majeski, and Honeycutt with 10 laps to go. Navigating lap traffic, Riggs managed to put Ruggiero a lap down, which set up a late-race duel as Rhodes challenged him for the win.
Riggs Holds Off Competition to Secure Sixth Career Victory
In the tension-filled closing laps, Majeski advanced into second place but failed to pass Riggs despite relentless pursuit. Running low on fuel, Riggs crossed the finish line first, marking his sixth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory in his 57th start. His consistency includes 22 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes as he enters a two-week break.
Following Riggs, Majeski finished second; Rhodes placed third, with Chandler Smith and Honeycutt completing the top five. Landen Lewis, Perez de Lara, Hemric, Colin Braun, and Hinchcliffe all secured spots in the top 10. Dario Franchitti encountered late problems that forced his No. 1 Toyota team a lap down after a late pit stop, detracting from his promising run.
Upcoming Return to Competition at Darlington Raceway
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will resume racing on March 20 at Darlington Raceway. Fans can catch live coverage of the 7:30 p.m. ET race on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio, continuing the momentum built at St. Petersburg’s challenging street course event.
“Franchitti and Hinchcliffe found themselves racing each other and trading paint. The driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet, with Jimmie Johnson serving as crew chief, took the spot.” ?Event commentary
“Riggs scored his sixth career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory on Saturday in his 57th career start and goes into the two-week hiatus with 22 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes.” ?Race report
“Hinchcliffe and Ruggiero looped their trucks around, with the race staying green.” ?Race update
