In a Nutshell
Layne Riggs is finally a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner.
The driver of the No. 38 took control of the final stage and held off hometown hero and polesitter Ty Majeski to win what could possibly be the final NASCAR race at the Milwaukee Mile.
Largely expected to continue to be a championship contender, Front Row Motorsports has not found the same success with Riggs as it did with Zane Smith. But it has stayed faithful to the rookie this year, and it knew the short tracks would be where they shined. As such, it’s the first win for the team this season.
Unfortunately, Riggs’ win comes one race too late, as Milwaukee served as the opening race of the 2024 Truck Series playoffs. While Riggs doesn’t benefit much in the championship hunt, others started off their title chase on the right foot. In fact, eight of the 10 playoff drivers finished in the top 10.
The Top Truckers at the Milwaukee Mile
Winner, Biggest Mover (16th to first), Rookie of the Race: Layne Riggs
Polesitter: Ty Majeski
Stage 1 Winner: Ty Dillon
Stage 2 Winner, Most Laps Led (71 of 175 laps): Christian Eckes
Top Storylines of the Race
- With 37 trucks on the entry list, that meant one driver would have to go home. Unfortunately, that driver was Norm Benning, who was making his first attempt to race this season. However, Benning confirmed to Frontstretch that he will attempt the race at Talladega Superspeedway.
- Yes, you read that right — Ty Dillon came away with his first career stage win in the Truck Series in stage one. Dillon and Jake Garcia stayed out under a caution for Jayson Alexander‘s crash in hopes of grabbing stage points in a one-lap dash for the stage win. However, NASCAR had to add another lap, thus ending the stage under caution and giving the No. 25 a surprising stage win.
- Aside from Alexander’s crash (ended the stage) and the stage two caution, the rest of the 175-lap event ran clean and green.
- As Riggs was celebrating his first career win, he ended up dislocating his shoulder after pumping his fist. He eventually got it reset before continuing to celebrate with his team. That actually led to FOX Sports performing the winner’s interview in victory lane for the first time in what seems like years instead of on the frontstretch.
The Winning Move
Riggs outright wrestled the lead away from Majeski shortly after the final stage restart. Christian Eckes was also in the mix, but Riggs was able to get away from both of them.
Majeski was able to keep pace with Riggs throughout the final 50 laps, never falling below a second and a half behind the No. 38. However, Riggs held steady and wheeled his way to his first career win.
With the win, Riggs and his father Scott become the latest father-son duo to win in NASCAR.
Championship Rundown
As previously stated, eight of the 10 playoff drivers started their title chase with top-10 finishes. The only two who didn’t were Grant Enfinger (13th) and Rajah Caruth (18th).
Caruth had to start at the rear to begin the race after qualifying eighth due to unapproved adjustments. The No. 71 team was just never able to recover.
He wasn’t the only playoff driver with an issue this weekend. Corey Heim, one of the favorites for the title, was caught speeding on pit road and had to rally from the back. Unlike Caruth, however, Heim was able to work his way up to seventh.
The next two races will determine the first two drivers will see their championship hopes end. As it stands, Ben Rhodes is the first driver out, trailing Enfinger on the cut line by just two points. Caruth sits four points behind Enfinger.
Meanwhile, Riggs’ win means nobody locked into the Round of 8. But good days from Eckes and Majeski, combined with their playoff points, have already put them in a good spot to advance after the first race.
That’s the nature of playoff racing. It’s only the first race in a three-race playoff round. Quite literally anything could happen and shake things up.
Like a Layne Riggs win.
Oh. Wait.
Rookie Report
Do I have to state the obvious?
Not only did Riggs get the win, becoming the first rookie of the year contender to win since Heim in 2022, but he also gained the most spots on the field to do so, coming from 16th on the grid to score the victory.
Not only that, but the next highest finishing rookie finished worse than where Riggs qualified. Without question, Riggs is this week’s Rookie of the Race.
No. 02 – Dexter Bean (30th)
No. 04 – Marco Andretti (31st)
No. 7 – Sammy Smith (17th)
No. 21 – Jayson Alexander (36th)
No. 38 – Layne Riggs (winner)
No. 44 – Matt Gould (33rd)
No. 46 – Thad Moffitt (32nd)
No. 66 – Conner Jones (22nd)
No. 90 – Justin Carroll (34th)
One Big Takeaway From This Race
Is this it for NASCAR at Milwaukee?
Reports have surfaced that the Truck Series (and therefore, NASCAR altogether) will not return to Milwaukee in 2025 after a three-year endeavor at the oldest racetrack in America.
The track certainly didn’t put on the best racing, but it certainly didn’t put on the worst either. Last year’s race for the win between Enfinger and Carson Hocevar was one of the best we saw all season.
It’s a shame as a midwesterner myself. Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and now the Milwaukee Mile have all been eliminated from the NASCAR schedule in recent years.
For Wisconsinites, the loss of both Road America and Milwaukee just two years apart would be brutal.
But at the same time, they could have done more.
When Road America was taken off the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, many were up in arms about it and have asked almost every year if and when it will return.
You know what could have made NASCAR reconsider Road America? Having fans show out in droves to Milwaukee every year. Sure, it’s only a Truck Series race, but think about how many years fans came out to Road America to support the standalone Xfinity Series race before it got a Cup date.
It could be done. But fan turnout hasn’t been what NASCAR or TV hoped, and it looks like TV wants to go another direction.
I’ll be the first to say it: Standalone races are awesome. I think more are necessary to give the Xfinity and Truck Series their own identities. But if fans don’t show up, those races don’t stick around long.
For Milwaukee in particular, putting it on a Sunday immediately following one of the biggest Cup races of the year at Daytona International Speedway, and it’s no wonder TV ratings also factor into the decision to leave
Either way, it’s a true shame for Wisconsinites. They deserve a NASCAR race in one way or another.
Talkin’ Truckers
Riggs on the win:
Majeski misses out on three wins in a row but finishes second at his home race:
Eckes breaks down his third-place run after leading the most laps and winning stage two:
Six other playoff drivers, including Enfinger, Heim and Caruth, talk about their opening playoff performances:
Paint Scheme of the Race
When GoPro sponsors anything, you best believe bright blue will be in the color palette.
And that’s exactly what adorned Jack Wood‘s No. 91.
With additional sponsorship from the High Fives Foundation, this scheme has the perfect combination of sky blue and jet black, complete with a white No. 91 to make it pop underneath the Milwaukee sun.
Also, don’t forget the silhouette of trees on the rear of the truck. This scheme is a home run in my book.
Wood qualified 25th and finish 15th at Milwaukee.
Next Stop
Back to the half-mile of mayhem.
The Craftsman Truck Series has two weeks off before heading to Bristol Motor Speedway for its traditional Thursday night showdown at The Last Great Colosseum on Sept. 19. Heim is the defending winner of the race.
Coverage for the UNOH 200 will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 19. FS1 will carry television coverage, while Motor Racing Network continues its season-long radio coverage of the Truck Series.
Anthony Damcott joined Frontstretch in March 2022. Currently, he is an editor and co-authors Fire on Fridays (Fridays); he is also the primary Truck Series reporter/writer and serves as an at-track reporter, among many other duties he takes on for the site. A proud West Virginia Wesleyan College alum from Akron, Ohio, Anthony is now a grad student. He is a theatre actor and fight-choreographer-in-training in his free time.
You can keep up with Anthony by following @AnthonyDamcott on X.