In a riveting first-ever NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, Layne Riggs stunned fans by seizing victory despite starting 28th due to NASCAR’s Performance Metric. The 1.8-mile street circuit challenged many veterans, but Riggs adapted quickly to his No. 34 Long John Silver’s Ford F-150, showcasing his skill in a discipline he had limited experience with.
Riggs’ performance illustrated his growth beyond his short-track roots, marking a significant milestone in his racing career. The race unfolded on Saturday, delivering a competitive and precise display from the entire field in this debut street race for the series, setting a high bar for future events on similar courses.
Riggs Credits Teamwork and Training for Breakthrough
Behind Riggs’ success was a strategic partnership and extensive preparation. He expressed gratitude for the guidance from noted road course expert Joey Hand, with whom he trained extensively on Ford Racing’s simulator starting in December.
First thing I’m going to say is thank you to Joey Hand, my road course guy. He’s the man; we’ve been working on this racetrack on the simulator at Ford Racing since December. I really wanted to get my first win on a road course,
Riggs shared in Victory Lane.
The short track guy from Bahama, North Carolina, won at St. Pete, can you believe it? I’ve really been perfecting my craft. I feel like I’ve been really close on the road courses, and big shout-out to everyone at Front Row Motorsports. I literally said this year, I want to win on a road course to show that I’m not just that short track guy.
Close Duel with Ty Majeski Defines Final Laps
The closing stages saw Riggs fend off intense pressure from 2023 champion Ty Majeski in the No. 88 Menards Ford F-150. Majeski briefly assumed the lead during the final run but lost control in Turn 14, allowing Riggs to reclaim the front position.
With fewer than 10 laps remaining and a five-second gap, Majeski sliced through the field, closing in on Riggs and teammate Ben Rhodes, who had moved into second. Despite aggressive attempts to overtake on the last lap, Majeski elected to take the outside line in the final corner, settling for second place.
Ben Rhodes and Other Contenders’ Strong Efforts
Ben Rhodes impressively led a substantial portion of the race, appearing poised for a second road course victory after his 2021 Daytona Road Course win. However, his Campers Inn RV Ford F-150 lost pace late, dropping him to third by the finish.
Chandler Smith, who won the season opener at Daytona, remained competitive throughout but fell short of matching the leaders. Smith secured fourth place, helping Ford Racing achieve a strong top-four sweep during this landmark street race.
Trailing just behind, Kaden Honeycutt, who topped practice sessions on a rain-shortened Friday, finished fifth, ending Toyota’s TRICON Garage No. 11 Tundra TRD Pro’s winning streak on road courses.
Additional Notable Performances and Challenges
Landen Lewis and Andres Perez de Lara, both from Niece Motorsports, impressively ran sixth and seventh, while Daniel Hemric overcame an earlier incident to place eighth. Notably, ringers veteran Colin Braun from Kaulig Racing and James Hinchcliffe from Spire Motorsports completed the top ten.
Cole Butcher’s effort stood out as he climbed to 14th despite crashing his primary truck in practice and racing in a backup vehicle. Meanwhile, Dario Franchitti, who appeared strong early on, was forced into an unscheduled late pit stop and finished 27th after falling out of contention.
Current Points Standings and Series Implications
Following St. Petersburg’s event, Chandler Smith, with three top-10 finishes so far, holds a 34-point lead over Ben Rhodes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings. Ty Majeski, Gio Ruggiero, and Layne Riggs round out the top five, underscoring the close championship fight early in the season.
Complete Results from the OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. Petersburg
1. #34 – Layne Riggs
2. #88 – Ty Majeski
3. #99 – Ben Rhodes
4. #38 – Chandler Smith
5. #11 – Kaden Honeycutt
6. #45 – Landen Lewis
7. #44 – Andres Perez de Lara
8. #19 – Daniel Hemric
9. #25 – Colin Braun
10. #77 – James Hinchcliffe
11. #4 – Ben Maier
12. #16 – Justin Haley
13. #7 – Connor Mosack
14. #13 – Cole Butcher
15. #91 – Christian Eckes
16. #42 – Tyler Reif
17. #10 – Daniel Dye
18. #98 – Jake Garcia
19. #81 – Kris Wright
20. #15 – Tanner Gray
21. #2 – Carter Fartuch
22. #9 – Grant Enfinger
23. #5 – Adam Andretti
24. #12 – Brenden Queen
25. #17 – Giovanni Ruggiero (-1 Lap)
26. #52 – Stewart Friesen (-1 Lap)
27. #1 – Dario Franchitti (-1 Lap)
28. #14 – Mini Tyrrell (-3 Laps)
29. #22 – Jackson Lee (-5 Laps)
30. #33 – Frankie Muniz (-6 Laps)
31. #18 – Tyler Ankrum (-10 Laps)
32. #56 – Timmy Hill (-17 Laps)
33. #26 – Dawson Sutton (OUT)
34. #76 – Nathan Nicholson (OUT)
35. #69 – Derek White (OUT)
36. #62 – Wesley Slimp (OUT)
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