First Truck Pole For Layne Riggs Comes At Pocono

Layne Riggs celebrates the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole at Pocono Raceway. (Peter Casey/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

LONG POND, Pa. – Layne Riggs captured his first career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole ahead of Friday afternoon’s MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono Raceway.

Riggs piloted his No. 34 Brawl Bare Knuckle Ford F-150 to the top of the timing charts with an impressive lap time of 53.126 seconds (169.409 mph) around the ‘Tricky Triangle’.

This is Riggs’s first ever pole in any of NASCAR’s three national touring series, and it comes at a track where he struggled last season in his one and only start at the venue, finishing 30th after crashing in practice and having to race a backup truck.

That meant Riggs was very surprised to have achieved the pole at Pocono’s 2.5-mile, three-turn oval.

“This is the last place I ever thought I’d get the pole at, especially my first career pole!” he noted. “Last year, I wrecked on lap two of practice, got two laps before the race and then rode around at the back [of the field] all day in a backup truck, so to come out here and have such an awesome piece is a huge deal for us as a team. I feel like I even gave a little bit away on my lap; I was apologizing to the [crew] guys that I didn’t get through turn one as well as I felt I needed to … but it was good enough.

Layne Riggs in action Friday afternoon at Pocono Raceway. (Wyatt Tinsley/Race Face Digital photo)

“I knew it was good from the first lap on track today; this is our Nashville [Superspeedway] truck that ran so strong there. Dylan [Cappello, crew chief] and the guys have been doing a great job all year … but I’m going to give this one to my engineer, Jonathan [Coates]. He’s been up and down on qualifying balance all year, and I give him crap a lot of the time for it, but he hit it right on the money today.

“Super proud of this group. … This is very, very exciting and we want to do something with it now.”

Kaden Honeycutt, driving Niece Motorsports’ No. 45 Chevrolet, will join Riggs on the front row after tying his best starting position this season. It’s Honeycutt’s second time starting from the outside of the front row in the past three races.

Honeycutt put down a time of 53.257 seconds (168.992 mph), missing out on pole by .131 seconds.

Row two consists of two drivers both with NASCAR Cup Series experience this year in Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar, followed by TRICON Garage teammates Tanner Gray and Gio Ruggiero in row three.

Andres Perez de Lara rolls off in his best-ever starting position in seventh alongside Spire Motorsports teammate Rajah Caruth, with Niece’s Conner Jones and Patrick Emerling – who is making his debut for Spire Motorsports – rounding out the top 10.

Notably, current points runner-up Chandler Smith starts 15th, with Tyler Ankrum – currently third in the standings – further back in 18th.

Qualifying was put on a temporary hold after the No. 22 of Clayton Green hit the turn one wall while starting his qualifying lap. Green got the truck back to pit road, but not without some right-side damage.

Dawson Sutton did not attempt to qualify due to an engine issue the Rackley W.A.R. team encountered during practice. Ben Rhodes also did not set a time.

Rhodes and Sutton start 33rd and 34th, respectively.

All 34 trucks who entered Friday afternoon’s MillerTech 200 made the field and will take the green flag.

Broadcast coverage of the race begins at 5 p.m. ET, live on FS1, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.