Layne Riggs claims first NASCAR Truck Collection victory at St. Petersburg Road Course on Saturday within the OnlyBulls Inexperienced Flag 150.
PETERSBURG, Fla. – In an exhilarating remaining run to the checkered flag, Layne Riggs bobbed and weaved, saving simply sufficient gas to maintain a pair of hard-charging fellow Ford drivers, Ty Majeski and Ben Rhodes, behind him – in the end incomes his first trophy of the season within the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Collection inaugural race on the streets of downtown St. Petersburg.
Layne Riggs Victory at St. Petersburg
Riggs’ No. 34 Entrance Row Motorsports Ford crossed the road 0.879 seconds forward of Majeski for the sixth victory of his profession in Saturday’s dramatic, high-action OnlyBulls Inexperienced Flag 150 at St. Petersburg.
Beginning twenty eighth within the 36-car subject, Riggs turned in exceptional work transferring ahead from the drop of the inexperienced flag. He completed seventh within the opening 20-lap stage and received the second stage 20 laps later. Riggs stated the gas mild was flickering with about eight laps to go and that he was virtually sure he wasn’t going to have sufficient to complete.
“simply didn’t understand how lengthy it was going to final.’’
It lasted lengthy sufficient to take the win and permit for victory donuts across the crowded course as he celebrated the primary street course victory of his profession, main a race-best 41 of the 80 laps
“It was a number of enjoyable racing right here at St. Pete, I believe all people heard road course and thought they weren’t going to have the ability to go, and there wouldn’t be nice side-by-side racing, however this was one of many raciest tracks we’ve ever gone to, at the very least within the truck collection in my time,’’ a smiling Riggs stated. “It was a number of enjoyable.
“I name myself a street racer now,’’ he added with a smile, noting this was solely his fifth profession street course race of any sort in his life. “It’s superb to race so many well-known guys, going previous some and understanding these guys are street course ringers and we have been sooner at present.’’
Sunny skies and a scenic 1.8-mile 14-turn course alongside the downtown St. Pete waterfront offered nice surroundings for the collection’ first-ever road course occasion, and the vans didn’t disappoint the massive and enthusiastic crowd.
At one level late within the race, Riggs, 23, held a large two-minute-plus benefit on the sector, however lapped site visitors within the remaining ten laps allowed Majeski and Rhodes to shut in. With a lap to go, it regarded like Majeski had put his No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford in place to make a remaining problem on Riggs. However he overshot the thirteenth flip (for the second time on the day) – recovering sufficient to carry onto second however nonetheless feeling he’d misplaced a chance.
He additionally climbed out of his Ford truck, equally inspired by the venue.
“Simply discovering that steadiness between being aggressive and making errors and staying disciplined,’’ Majeski stated of his day, which included two laps out entrance and that runner-up end after beginning twenty second.
“Simply made just a little mistake into [turn] 13, acquired just a little wheel-hop and needed to chase it and battle my approach again. Hope everybody loved the present. We handed a number of vans at present.”
Rhodes, who led 23 laps early, equally couldn’t mount a problem within the closing laps, having to save lots of gas himself.
“That’s all we had within the tank for our F150 right here, actually I used to be working out of gasoline these final two laps,’’ stated Rhodes, who now has a pair of top-five finishes via the opening three races of the 2026 season.
“Actually happy with Ford Racing for bringing us a quick truck. Our truck’s in a single piece, and a number of these vans aren’t. Very excited although. Model new truck and a great exhibiting for it.’’
All-Star IndyCar and IMSA Drivers
Former IndyCar stars – Dario Franchitti and James Hinchcliffe and present IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Collection full-timer Colin Braun – added an additional aspect of intrigue to the sector. Braun, who began sixteenth in Kaulig Racing’s No. 25 RAM Truck completed ninth – greatest amongst that trio.
The previous Indy 500 polesitter and multi-race winner Hinchcliffe completed tenth within the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, and the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Franchitti was formally scored twenty seventh, his No. 1 TRICON Storage Toyota pitting late within the race and dropping a lap.
The Better of the Relaxation
Fords swept the highest 4 positions, with Riggs’ teammate Chandler Smith ending fourth after main seven laps. TRICON Storage’s Kaden Honeycutt rounded out the highest 5 in a Toyota.
Neice Motorsports teammates Landen Lewis and Andres Perez De Lara have been sixth and seventh, with McAnally-Hilgemann’s Daniel Hemric, Braun, and Hinch finishing the highest ten.
“I believe the general headliner is {that a} Bahamian, North Carolina boy received on a street course in opposition to a few of the greatest on the planet,’’ a grinning Riggs stated. “It’s a testomony to everybody at Entrance Row Motorsports and a shout out to [sports car driver] Joey Hand, who did a number of work with me.’’
“It’s a tremendous place to return and I don’t know why we couldn’t come again subsequent yr … I couldn’t consider how packed the grandstands have been and I believed it was top-of-the-line street course races the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Collection has ever seen,’’ Riggs stated of working the double-header weekend together with the IndyCar Collection, which races Sunday. “Thanks to all of the followers for popping out.’’
Smith now leads the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Collection championship standings by 34 factors over the previous two-time collection champion Rhodes.
Subsequent Up
The collection returns to motion on March 20 on the historic Darlington Raceway. The Buckle Up South Carolina begins at 7:30 p.m. on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The 2025 season champion Corey Heim is the defending winner.
