In A Nutshell
Layne Riggs stole the show on the Streets of St. Petersburg, winning the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race there in dominant fashion on Saturday (Feb. 28).
Riggs led the most laps, won a stage, took home the fastest lap bonus point, and did so while starting deep in the field (28th, to be exact) to take the victory. Despite this, Riggs had to fend off his toughest competition all afternoon in ThorSport Racing teammates Ty Majeski and Ben Rhodes all the way to the final lap.
Nevertheless, the No. 34 gave Front Row Motorsports its second victory in three races this season.
The Top Truckers on the Streets of St. Petersburg
Winner, Stage 2 Winner, Most Laps Led (41 of 80), Fastest Lap (78.149 seconds, 82.919 mph), Biggest Mover (started 28th, finished first): Layne Riggs
Polesitter: Connor Mosack
Stage 1 Winner: Ben Rhodes
Top Storylines of the Race
- Weather forced the cancellation of all on-track activities Friday (Feb. 27) save for a couple laps of practice. That forced the field to take the green with only a handful of laps of experience on the track.
- Kaulig Racing announced that it’s No. 25 Free Agent Program truck would be driven by Corey LaJoie in the next race at Darlington Raceway. Colin Braun drove the truck to a ninth-place finish at St. Petersburg.
The Race for the Chase
Riggs’ FRM teammate Chandler Smith continues to hold the points lead after three races, with Rhodes now moving into second. Smith’s gap over the No. 99 is currently 34 points. Riggs’ win and subsequent 70 points scored on the day jumps him from 23rd to fifth in the point standings.
Meanwhile, a pair of Kaulig teammates split the cut line as they run, with 10th-place Justin Haley holding a mere one-point advantage over 11th-place Brenden Queen.
Rookie Report
Rookie of the Race: In just his fourth Truck Series start and first since late 2024, reigning zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car champion Landen Lewis landed his first career Truck Series top 10 in Niece Motorsports’ No. 45, finishing an impressive sixth. It’s a nice birthday gift for Lewis, who just turned 20 on Thursday (Feb. 26).
No. 1 – Dario Franchitti (27th)
No. 2 – Carter Fartuch (21st)
No. 4 – Ben Maier (11th)
No. 5 – Adam Andretti (23rd)
No. 12 – Brenden Queen* (24th)
No. 13 – Cole Butcher* (14th)
No. 14 – Mini Tyrrell* (28th)
No. 22 – Jackson Lee (29th)
No. 42 – Tyler Reif (16th)
No. 45 – Landen Lewis (sixth)
No. 62 – Wesley Slimp (36th)
No. 69 – Derek White (35th)
No. 76 – Nathan Nicholson (34th)
No. 77 – James Hinchcliffe (10th)
*Denotes 2026 Rookie of the Year contender
Rookie of the Race winner in bold
One Big Takeaway From This Race
This was arguably the most anticipated race on the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule, and no matter what, it was sure to be a race to remember. I even said as much earlier in the week.
With a new track, and the recent history of the Truck Series’ cleanliness on-track (especially at a new track), there was understandable worry that the race could turn into a complete disaster. When weather ended Friday’s on-track activities after mere laps of practice, those fears were amplified due to perceived lack of experience.
But after 80 laps of hard-fought competition, I can confidently say: I want more.
That was an overall fun race with so many storylines beyond Riggs’ domination. The open wheel and IMSA stars, some retired, some still racing, invading the series to really give the race a road course ringer vibe. A scenic backdrop synonymous with the NTT IndyCar Series race giving way to the Truck Series. A clean race (for road course standards) highlighted by battles all over the track, including for the lead, down to the last lap.
Not to mention a broadcast booth highlighted by Townsend Bell, who is one of FOX’s analyst on the NTT IndyCar Series side. This author was admittedly worried when Bell was announced as an analyst, because he has Clint Bowyer-esque habits of going a little over the top in exciting moments and interrupting his partners (though way less egregious). But by the end of the race, he was not only blending in more chemistry-wise, but outperforming both Jamie Little and Michael Waltrip, despite knowing a fraction as much as the two of them about the Truck Series.
This race had everything. And despite being just three races into the season, the race already makes a case to be one of the top five races of the season.
That race was so much fun, that it should already be locked in on the 2027 schedule.
If next year’s race provides even half of the entertainment this year’s race did, it’s absolutely worth bringing back. And with IndyCar tagging along as the main event (or support race, if your allegiance lies more with NASCAR), the race was a great way to prop up both series. Not to mention, it gives the Truck Series another standalone race, something this author has pleaded for years to have more of.
NASCAR would be making a grave mistake not bringing this track back for 2027. I mean, if it brought Lime Rock Park back for a second season (sorry Lime Rock fans, as much as I love the track too, we can all admit last year’s race was rough), there’s no reason not to have a second (hell even a third) season of St. Petersburg.
it’s absolutely worth it.
Talkin’ Truckers
Rookie teammates Lewis (sixth) and Ben Maier (11th) break down their season debuts:
Nearly 17 years after scoring his lone Truck Series win, Braun returned to the series to score a ninth-place finish in Kaulig’s Free Agent truck:
IndyCar veteran and IndyCar on FOX broadcaster James Hinchcliffe finished an impressive 10th in his NASCAR debut:
Despite a 27th-place finish, Dario Franchitti turned heads running up front in his second career Truck Series start, his first since 2007:
Jimmie Johnson, who served as Franchitti’s crew chief, says the Scottish driver did really well at St. Pete:
Jackson Lee, son of former IndyCar broadcaster Kevin Lee, said he was looking forward to his “so highly anticipated” Truck Series debut. Lee would finish 29th:
Paint Scheme of the Race
Long-time readers of Frontstretch will know that this author is a sucker for the color green.
As such, Franchitti’s No. 1 Dollar Tree Toyota caught my eye immediately upon hitting the track. On a bright Florida day, Franchitti’s No. 1 stood out with the kelly green adorning the truck.
The scheme looks absolutely beautiful. Even if TRICON Garage missed out on a huge opportunity with the number.
Franchitti started sixth and was a staple in the top 10 all afternoon, but transmission issues late resulted in a 27th-place finish – something he did without a helmet blower.
As much as this feels like a one-off for the 52-year-old, he ran so well up until the end that it would be cool to see him give it one more try. He came back after not racing competitively for 12 years and had one of the fastest trucks – maybe he could close the deal on a good finish (hell, maybe even a win) with another shot and a truck that makes it to the end.
Next Stop
From a left-and-right track to The Lady in Black.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has two off-weeks to regroup from the carnage of the first three races of the season before it heads to Darlington Raceway on Friday, March 20. The race moves up to the spring after it was held in the fall last season. Corey Heim won last year’s race, but as of this writing he is not planning on running the race, so he will not defend his win.
Coverage for The Buckle Up South Carolina 200 begins at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 20. Television coverage can be found on FOX Sports 1.
Follow @AnthonyDamcott on X.