Riggs ‘Not Happy’ After Short-Lived Daytona Debut

Layne Riggs' night ended early Friday at Daytona Int'l Speedway. (HHP/Chris Owens photo)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The first chapter of Layne Riggs’ NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series journey with Front Row Motorsports lasted less than 20 minutes Friday night.

Riggs, the son of former NASCAR driver Scott Riggs and the 2022 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion, was involved in the first big accident of the Truck Series’ season opener at Daytona Int’l Speedway – the Fresh From Florida 250.

After contact between Christian Eckes and Matt Crafton sent Crafton down into the right-rear of Stewart Friesen, calamity ensued on the backstretch that included Riggs getting doorslammed by both Crafton and Tanner Gray as trucks went spinning in all directions.

Though Riggs’ team worked valiantly on his Love’s RV Stops Ford F-150, using every available second on the six-minute “crash clock,” he left pit road nine seconds too late and was forced to the garage as a result.

It was a gutting end to what Riggs hoped was going to be a promising start to his first full-time season in the Truck Series.

“I just want to go race,” Riggs noted. “I just wanted to get out on the track and race and learn. That really, really stings [to be out of the race so quickly]. We had a stupid-fast truck. It was coming to the front so quickly and handling so well. I guess they were just pushing on the outside lane like it was the last lap on lap six, and we paid the price for it.

“I’m not an expert, by any means, but I feel like it was a little too early for that,” he added. “I really hate it for all these guys. They deserved better than what we’re leaving with tonight.”

Credited with a 33rd-place finish in his first Truck Series appearance at the World Center of Racing, Riggs was candid after the race about the emotions of such an early exit.

“I experienced a lot of fun for five laps, but I’m not happy at all with how things ended,” Riggs said. “This is not an indication of how our season is going to go. I can promise you that. I want to learn, because laps are how you get better, and you can’t do that when you’re sitting in the garage or talking [to reporters] at the infield care center.

“We had pretty bad fender damage [on the right front] and just didn’t cut enough off … to where we blew another right front when I went back out,” Riggs added. “I’m not going to hang my head; I’m going to keep my chin up, and we’re going to get back at it and put this one behind us.”

“Honestly, though, I looked at the replay and there wasn’t anything I could have done at all.”

Riggs will have a quick turnaround for his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race of the season, as the tour heads to Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway for the Fr8 208 on Feb. 24.