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Layne Riggs ‘Stomps on ‘Em’ at Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE, Wis. –Layne Riggs has been humbled this season, but on Sunday (Aug. 25) he scored his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win and made a statement in the process.

“We had a rocky start to the season, it’s no question about it,” Riggs said.

The Front Row Motorsports team Riggs drives for had experienced great success with his predecessor, Zane Smith. During Smith’s two years driving FRM’s truck, he won six races and a championship. So when Riggs got the opportunity to drive the truck, he knew expectations were high.

Riggs continued: “Coming into this season I knew it was a great team and guns are blazing, we’re gonna go win our first race.”

But it didn’t go that way. Through the first 16 races with FRM, Riggs had four top fives and a best finish of third. He also had nine finishes outside the top 20. The difficulties started to weigh on him.

“I got really humbled. It’s just pushin’ me down, pushin’ me down. You question a lot of things at times,” Riggs said.

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But Riggs’ first career victory in the Truck Series seemed to make all the humbling struggles worth it, because of the way it unfolded. Riggs’ win wasn’t one that came because of a lucky break. It wasn’t a strategy win, a fuel mileage win or an attrition win. Riggs just straight up beat the best drivers in the series, ones like Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, and Ty Majeski. Riggs was happy to beat the best in the series.

“Just to come out here and just stomp ’em, pass ’em, take the lead and dominate that way, it feels so much better to do it that way,” reflected Riggs.

The race winner wasn’t the only racecar driver with the last name Riggs. Layne’s father Scott Riggs was in attendance and spoke to Frontstretch after the race, reflecting on the journey and how proud he is of his son.

“It’s been a whirlwind, but really just proud,” Scott Riggs said. “Not just of Layne, but the entire team. They’re a bunch of young guys. Young kids I call them, I feel like I’m all of their dads.

“It’s a whole different element when you have your child have accomplishments like this.”

Layne Riggs has gone through some turbulence this season, as rookies often do, but this heads-up no-doubt-about-it win makes a statement. Layne Riggs has arrived. He may not be in the playoffs this season, but this win should help him continue to grow his career and compete for wins for many years to come.

All six of Riggs’ wins have come on racetracks shorter than a mile-and-a-half. When the series gets back to racing after a few weeks off, they’ll be at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Can Riggs continue to crash the playoff party and ‘stomp on ’em’ again? Tune in on Thursday, Sept. 19 to find out.

Steve Leffew joined Frontstretch in 2023 and covers the Xfinity Series. He has served honorably in the United States Air Force and and lives in Wisconsin.