Layne Riggs secured his first win of the season and his career on a street course by outlasting a competitive field at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ inaugural race in downtown St. Petersburg on Saturday. Driving the No. 34 Ford for Front Row Motorsports, Riggs managed fuel carefully while holding off a late charge from Ty Majeski and Ben Rhodes to cross the finish line 0.879 seconds ahead in the OnlyBulls Green Flag 150.
Starting deep in the field from 28th place, Riggs delivered an impressive performance on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street layout along the scenic St. Pete waterfront, a venue that challenged drivers with its tight turns and urban setting. His victory marked a milestone for him and the series as it introduced the first-ever street race in its history.
Advancing Through the Field and Mastering Fuel Strategy
From the green flag, Riggs showed remarkable progress by moving through the pack, placing seventh at the end of the first 20-lap stage and capturing the second stage win after another 20 laps. With about eight laps left, his fuel gauge flickered unpredictably, casting doubt on whether he could reach the checkered flag without stopping.
Despite this uncertainty, Riggs skillfully conserved enough fuel to maintain the lead, ultimately controlling the race pace and leading 41 of the total 80 laps. After crossing the finish line, Riggs celebrated with victory donuts on the crowded street circuit.
He reflected on the experience,
“It was a lot of fun racing here at St. Pete, I think everybody heard street course and thought they weren’t going to be able to pass and there wouldn’t be great side-by-side racing, but this was one of the race-iest tracks we’ve ever gone to at least in the truck series in my time.”
“I call myself a road racer now,”
he added, noting that this was just his fifth career road course start and expressing pride in beating some of the top road course specialists in the field.
Competitive Battle Among Ford Drivers With Majeski and Rhodes
Riggs, 23, extended a commanding advantage through much of the event, at one point holding a lead of over two minutes. However, lapped traffic in the closing laps allowed Majeski and Rhodes to close the gap significantly. With one lap to go, Majeski seemed poised to challenge Riggs for the win but lost time by overshooting Turn 13 twice during the race, an error Majeski acknowledged.
Reflecting on the contest, Majeski shared,
“It was probably the most fun I’ve had in a race car in a long time. A lot of fun. It’s a racey race track with three good passing zones and rewards discipline.”
He continued,
“Just finding that balance between being aggressive and making mistakes and staying disciplined. Just made a little mistake into [turn] 13, got a little wheel-hop and had to chase it and battle my way back. Hope everyone enjoyed the show. We passed a lot of trucks today.”
Ben Rhodes, who led 23 laps earlier in the race, also struggled to mount a late challenge as fuel conservation became critical.
“That’s all we had in the tank for our F150 here, literally I was running out of gas those last two laps,”
Rhodes said, praising Ford Racing for delivering a fast, reliable truck.
Rhodes added,
“Our truck’s in one-piece and a lot of these trucks aren’t. Very excited though. Brand new truck and a good showing for it.”
Notable Entries from Former IndyCar Stars
The race featured additional intrigue thanks to former IndyCar drivers including Dario Franchitti, James Hinchcliffe, and current IMSA full-time driver Colin Braun. Braun made the strongest showing among them, finishing ninth after starting 16th in Kaulig Racing’s No. 25 RAM Truck. Hinchcliffe took 10th place in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, while Franchitti, who started in the No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota, struggled after a late pit stop and finished 27th.
Ford trucks dominated the top spots, sweeping the top four positions. Riggs’ teammate Chandler Smith finished fourth after leading seven laps, and Kaden Honeycutt of TRICON Garage secured fifth place in a Toyota. Neice Motorsports teammates Landen Lewis and Andres Perez De Lara came in sixth and seventh respectively, followed by Daniel Hemric, Braun, and Hinch to round out the top ten.
Riggs Acknowledges Support and Looks Ahead to Future Street Course Competition
Reflecting on his milestone victory, Riggs said,
“I think the overall headliner is that a Bahamian, North Carolina boy won on a road course against some of the best in the world. It’s a testament to everyone at Front Row Motorsports and a shout out to [sports car driver] Joey Hand who did a lot of work with me.”
He also praised the event’s atmosphere, stating,
“It is an amazing place to come and I don’t know why we couldn’t come back next year. I couldn’t believe how packed the grandstands were and I thought it was one of the best road course races the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has ever seen. Thank you to all the fans for coming out.”
Impact on Championship Standings and Upcoming Schedule
Following this event, Chandler Smith leads the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship by 34 points over two-time series champion Ben Rhodes. The series next heads to the historic Darlington Raceway in South Carolina for the Buckle Up South Carolina race on March 20. The 2025 season champion, Corey Heim, is the defending winner at that venue.
