Deadspin | Layne Riggs delivers last-lap move for Truck Series win at Nashville

LEBANON, Tenn. — Layne Riggs set the tempo early within the rain-delayed NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on Friday, then rallied for a dramatic final-lap move to say the monitor’s iconic “Victory Guitar” trophy within the Allegiance 200.

Riggs, who began sixth on the occasion’s eighth and remaining restart with 16 laps to go, handed the defending race winner Rajah Caruth coming off Turn 4 on the next-to-last lap. Riggs acquired a powerful push ahead from teammate Chandler Smith to carry the highest place and take his second consecutive win, and third of the season, within the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford.

After main the entire opening 90 laps and claiming victories in each Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the race, Riggs restarted the ultimate stage from the fifth row, dropping positions after the competitors’s various pit methods. His transfer ahead afterward, nevertheless, was an exhilarating ending to an extended evening.

Ultimately the 23-year North Carolina native and second-generation NASCAR driver took the checkered flag by 0.468 seconds over Caruth, who drove the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Caruth’s automotive initially was supposed to be raced by NASCAR champion driver Kyle Busch, who died on the age of 41 from sepsis final week.

It was an emotional win for Riggs, who devoted the victory to Busch and an equally emotional outing for Caruth, who honored Busch together with his personal excellent run towards the trophy.

Riggs was energized by his triumph at a monitor the place his father, Scott Riggs, received the collection’ inaugural truck race again in 2001 and two different NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races (2002 and ’03).

“Not till I passed him and cleared him,” Riggs stated of feeling assured in his dramatic comeback. “That’s how you win a NASCAR truck race there, boys and girls. I hope I put on a show for you. I didn’t want to fall back, but I don’t know what happened with that set of tires. It was literally undriveable.

“(Crew chief) Dylan (Capello) made the suitable changes there, acquired me the tires, acquired me the motivation and (I) drove to the entrance,” he said of a late-race pit-stop gamble for an adjustment and new tires with 32 laps remaining.

“So pleased with the superior end there with the 38 truck (Smith), he gave me the push for the win and good racing there with Chandler tonight,” he added of his teammate, who finished third.

Caruth, who led 44 laps, looked to become only the second driver in history to earn back-to-back wins on the 1.33-mile Nashville oval. The talented and well-liked young driver had the emotional support of millions of NASCAR fans who would have loved to see Busch’s truck return to victory lane.

“I used to be making an attempt to make this factor as broad as attainable,” Caruth said of attempting to hold off Riggs, whose car was on fresher tires. “But that was an amazing name by Brian. We have been sturdy however beginning on the again due to qualifying (being rained out) sort of impacted our evening. We acquired the automotive actually sturdy there and possibly some issues I may have executed higher.

“Glad to give these guys a good result. … Really wanted to get that one obviously for everybody that was at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports), especially KB’s family. Close. I just didn’t close it out.”

“Wanted to get a trophy tonight. So close. But proud of the effort and the team.”

NASCAR Cup Series common Ross Chastain completed fourth within the Niece Motorsports Chevrolet, and he was adopted by Tyler Ankrum within the No. 18 McAnally-Hilgemann Chevy.

Stewart Friesen, Grant Enfinger, 2024 Nashville winner Christian Eckes, Gio Ruggiero and Daniel Dye rounded out the highest 10.

Riggs, together with his victory and a uncommon laps-down end for Tricon Garage’s Kaden Honeycutt, took over the championship lead by 37 factors over Honeycutt.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns to motion on June 6 on the Michigan International Speedway 2-mile oval with the DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Friesen is the defending race winner.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race — Allegiance 200

Nashville Superspeedway

Friday, May 29, 2026

1. (1) Layne Riggs, Ford, 150.

2. (25) Rajah Caruth(i), Chevrolet, 150.

3. (22) Chandler Smith, Ford, 150.

4. (21) Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, 150.

5. (17) Tyler Ankrum, Chevrolet, 150.

6. (24) Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 150.

7. (16) Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, 150.

8. (5) Christian Eckes, Chevrolet, 150.

9. (4) Giovanni Ruggiero, Toyota, 150.

10. (36) Daniel Dye, Chevrolet, 150.

11. (18) Parker Retzlaff(i), Toyota, 150.

12. (27) Ty Majeski, Ford, 150.

13. (7) Brandon Jones(i), Toyota, 150.

14. (19) Andres Perez De Lara, Chevrolet, 150.

15. (10) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 150.

16. (29) Cole Butcher #, Ford, 150.

17. (23) Dawson Sutton, Chevrolet, 150.

18. (13) Stefan Parsons, Chevrolet, 150.

19. (30) Brenden Queen #, RAM, 150.

20. (33) Mini Tyrrell #, RAM, 150.

21. (31) Derek Lemke, Ford, 150.

22. (12) Corey LaJoie, RAM, 149.

23. (32) Kris Wright, Chevrolet, 149.

24. (26) Frankie Muniz, Ford, 149.

25. (35) Caleb Costner, Chevrolet, 148.

26. (28) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 148.

27. (2) Kaden Honeycutt, Toyota, 147.

28. (6) Ben Rhodes, Ford, 145.

29. (34) Clayton Green, Ford, 141.

30. (8) William Sawalich(i), Toyota, 120.

31. (15) Justin Haley, RAM, Suspension, 108.

32. (11) Jake Garcia, Ford, Accident, 75.

33. (9) Tanner Gray, Toyota, Accident, 72.

34. (3) Jesse Love(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 70.

35. (20) Carson Ferguson, RAM, Accident, 59.

36. (14) Tyler Reif, Chevrolet, Accident, 55.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 99.958 mph.

Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 59 Mins, 45 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.468 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 8 for 48 laps.

Lead Changes: 5 amongst 3 drivers.

Lap Leaders: L. Riggs 1-98;R. Chastain(i) 99-104;R. Caruth(i) 105-133;R. Chastain(i) 134;R. Caruth(i) 135-149;L. Riggs 150.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Layne Riggs 2 instances for 99 laps; Rajah Caruth(i) 2 instances for 44 laps; Ross Chastain(i) 2 instances for 7 laps.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 34,11,77,91,17,38,99,15,98,19

Stage #2 Top Ten: 34,11,38,91,9,99,20,88,19,45

–By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media.