Truckin’ Thursdays: Lime Rock is Layne Riggs’ to Lose

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Layne Riggs gave himself a new nickname after winning the June 19 race at Naval Base Coronado: Layne van Riggsbergen.

We laugh, but it’s understandable if the Truck Series field is taking Riggs’ joking comparison to NASCAR’s greatest ever road racer somewhat serious ahead of Saturday’s (July 11) race at Lime Rock Park.

Unlike the Cup Series with Shane van Gisbergen and the O’Reilly Series with Brent Crews, the Truck Series is missing a true road course ace in its full-time ranks. There are, of course, part-time road course ringers who make appearances, including a few who will do so this weekend in Thomas Annunziata, Graham Doyle, Ben Maier and Wesley Slimp, among others.

But there isn’t a full-time Truck Series driver that is the odds-on favorite among series regulars every time a road course is up next on the schedule. Kaden Honeycutt, Riggs’ biggest championship rival this year, won at Watkins Glen on May 8.

But Riggs is the favorite this weekend, and while he doesn’t seem as indomitable on road courses as van Gisbergen, he’s slowly getting there.

On the streets of St. Petersburg, which NASCAR had never raced, Riggs waxed the field, leading 41 of 80 laps en route to his first win of the season on Feb. 28. You’d be lying if you said that you expected Riggs’ first win of 2026 to come at a road course, as he hadn’t won one before in Truck Series competition and was thought of as more of a short track ace rounding into an all-around talent ahead of his third campaign.

Riggs has been good just about everywhere this year, as evidenced by his victories at Charlotte and Nashville alongside his two road course triumphs.

Still, his road course wins remain among the most impressive of his career. After his win at St. Petersburg, he was quick but not in contention to win at Watkins Glen. After finishing third in stage one and fifth in stage two, he finished the race in 21st. Notably, crew chief Dylan Cappello was suspended at Watkins Glen for a lug nut infraction at Texas the week prior.

Where Riggs truly shined on the road this year was San Diego, where he not only won the race but was far and away the best Truck Series driver on the new street course. He was fastest in practice, qualified second behind only Honeycutt and led 21 of 53 laps while cruising to the race win. He also won stage one.

It wasn’t just Riggs’ speed that was impressive, but the nature of the win. His fake-out of Tyler Reif entering the second-to-last corner caused Reif to make a crucial mistake and miss the turn altogether, allowing Riggs to scoot by and take the win. He didn’t have to drive through Reif to win the race, either, which is admirable given the current lack of etiquette in the Truck Series and NASCAR as a whole.

Riggs was impressive at Lime Rock in 2025, finishing second in stages one and two before fading to a 13th-place finish. But his speed was evident, and if not for Corey Heim deciding to obliterate the field again, the No. 34 may have been the fastest truck at the Connecticut road course.

Riggs is the clear-cut title favorite in the Truck Series this year. He’s consistently rolling off the hauler with winning speed, and he’s driving like he’s a 10-year veteran, not a third-year driver.

He’ll have his fair share of competition on Saturday, namely Honeycutt, who will be hungry for win No. 2, but make no mistake about it: Lime Rock is Riggs’ race to lose.

A win could also be huge for Riggs in the standings. With only four regular season races remaining after Saturday, a big points day could essentially lock up the regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the Chase for the No. 34 team as it races toward a championship.