With a backup crew chief after failing technical inspection, Layne Riggs was given the directive to lay down a qualifying time to avoid having a tire advantage from the rear at the start of tonight’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Phoenix Raceway and still managed to capture the pole.
Riggs put down a speed of 134.796 mph en route to what he described as a surprise lap.
His Front Row Motorsports team swept the front row, as Chandler Smith will start second.
TRICON Garage took home row two, with ARCA Menards Series West pole winner Brent Crews earning third place and Tanner Gray on his outside.
With a championship on the line tonight in the Truck Series, three of the four finalists qualified inside the top 10. Kaden Honeycutt starts fifth, with Corey Heim right behind him in sixth. Ty Majeski, the defending champion who won last year at Phoenix, qualified ninth.
Tyler Ankrum is the lone championship contender who has work to do. The driver of the No. 18, who mentioned prior to the session that the emphasis was to not overthink it, could only muster a 21st-place starting position.
With 34 trucks entered, all drivers qualified for tonight’s race.
Truck Phoenix Lineup
The 2025 Truck finale airs tonight, Oct. 31, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.
Thomas is in his second year covering NASCAR at Frontstretch. A Bay Area NASCAR fan for over 15+ years, he found his love for the sport through Jeff Gordon. He helps manage the 2-Headed Monster Column.
Thomas has enjoyed several trips to Sonoma Raceway in his time and currently covers college athletics in the Bay Area, writing about the California Golden Bears and doing play by play broadcasting.