Layne Riggs’ first full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season has been a struggle for the 22-year-old series rookie
Through the first nine races of his maiden Truck Series season, the Front Row Motorsports driver managed one top-10 finish and an average finish of 23.3.
Not ideal considering his fast start in NASCAR competition last year where he placed 10th in only his second NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
However, the tide turned for the second-generation racer in Sunday’s delayed Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway.
Despite having to start 23rd due to qualifying being based on points with the session rained out, Riggs and his No. 38 FRM team made a winning strategy to vault to the front. He finished third to equal his best result in the series.
“We did a great job considering no qualifying and we had to start at the back,” Riggs said. “My crew chief did a great job getting some track position and he did his math to realize that we didn’t need to pit for tires. We had a really good truck today.
“I fought really tight at the end and we pitted so early on in the race that we didn’t really have a chance to adjust it later on and the track changed, so it definitely got a lot tighter than we thought it was gonna be. It was a great job by everybody from Front Row Motorsports and thanks to Infinity Communications for being on board, Ford Performance and this Ford F-150.
“It was a great day for us. We really needed this confidence-booster.”
A confidence-booster was what the doctor ordered for Riggs. The former asphalt late model star is used to competing up front.
After all, he was crowned the youngest NASCAR Weekly Series National Champion only two years ago.
Riggs admitted he and the team “needed this run today” as they look to dig out of the large points hole they created to kick off the season.
“We’ve really been in a drought and we just needed a good, solid finish for once,” Riggs said. “We had a third or fourth place truck and we finished third and that’s what we needed to do.
“The pit crew did a good job all day. My crew chief did a good job taking no tires. We really, really deserved this finish, so it’s a great confidence-booster for us.”