The exact moment where Layne Riggs figured out NASCAR Truck racing

Layne Riggs says there was an ‘aha’ moment where he fully made the transition form champion Late Model driver to fully comfortable NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series contender and that occurred at Gateway last summer.

“That was the click race,” Riggs told Motorsport.com over the phone on Tuesday. “I was running 15th all day and I didn’t know what I was supposed to do to make it turn the way I wanted. I was too tight and it just wouldn’t respond the way I needed it to.

“We made an adjustment and I drove all the way back to fifth. I asked Dylan (Capello, crew chief) what we did and he said we went down on the track bar and tightened me up. It was an eye opening moment because it was the opposite of what I thought I needed but it made me drive the truck harder.

“I realized to drive these trucks; you need security and the understanding that you have to drive it really hard.”

That moment came in his 18th career start and he entered that race 18th in the standings. Sure, it was a young team with a first-year crew chief but there were also high expectations due to the success Zane Smith and Chris ‘Tic Tac’ Lawson had before him. Riggs was a second-generation NASCAR driver who had become one of the faces of Late Model Stock racing and seemed like a no-brainer, should-be contender.

Progress, however, isn’t linear.

“I had faith that everything was going to work out, so I didn’t doubt we could reach this level but I was really aware of the expectations,” Riggs said. “This is still the same organization that Zane won a championship with and I am here to continue that

“They revamped a lot before I got here, but this is a good team, and our goals were so incredibly high. It was a struggle to not immediately get to that level. But ever since that aha moment, we’re quick everywhere and I feel really confident and comfortable.”

There were two more top-5s after the ‘aha race’ but it wasn’t enough to make the playoffs. Regardless, Riggs went out and won the first two races of the playoffs that season at Milwaukee and Bristol.

What exactly was Riggs trying to work through?

“The tire is the biggest thing,” Riggs said. “The feel of a radius versus a bias-ply is completely different. I had some beginner’s luck my first couple of races. A truck has track arms just like a Late Model but you drive it so much harder.

“There’s also working through the aero side of things, which took a while, but then it becomes second nature too.”

This season, approaching career start No. 50 on Saturday at New Hampshire, Riggs and Front Row Motorsports has been the 1b to Corey Heim and Tricon Garage’s 1a.

Riggs is second in the standings, both in the first round of the playoffs that end on Saturday, but also the season-long points with a 9.6 average finish to a 6.0 for Heim. While Heim has eight wins, Riggs has three and is frequently the driver Heim has to go through — especially over the past seven where they have been the only two winners.

And again, for second-year tandem Riggs and Cappello to be taking the fight to Heim and Scott Zippadelli, there is a tremendous point of pride.

“It’s great to be winning races and for Corey and I to have been the only drivers to have won a race since June says a lot about the level of our teams right now,” Riggs said. “I am proud of Dylan and myself, for my growth, as well.

“There were a lot of growing pains with this team early on, and they actually did a good job of shielding me from it so I could learn what I needed to behind the wheel but we have so much potential left to unlock.”

And that includes his personal development.

Riggs is frequently seen in the Cup garage, just like his father Scott before him, just because that’s where he too wants to race someday.

“The biggest thing for me is just being comfortable in the Cup garage,” Riggs said. “I want to imagine what it’s like to race there someday. I want to know if I feel like I would fit in. I think I do.

“I want to ask our Cup drivers what they feel about certain tracks. I want to watch their attention to detail. I want to make sure I know what it takes to race at that level. For the most part, our truck shop is kept separate from the Cup shop so we don’t get to interact with each other, so going to the Cup garage is the best way to learn more about what they do.”

All told, Riggs is very pleased with his current dynamic with the Front Row Truck Series team. He wants to continue to progress and advance up the ranks but he’s not interested in rushing it either.

“Look at what Corey (Heim) is facing,” Riggs said. “There are very limited opportunities at the highest level. Limited seats. You have to have patience. It’s important to be at a place where you can win races.

“I’m content to be patient for that right move. Like, if someone came up to me tomorrow with a Cup deal, I don’t know that I would take it unless it was a perfect opportunity. I’m open and always searching for the right move but I am also over the moon excited about what we’re doing right now.”

And right now is preparing to race Heim and two others for a championship at Phoenix in November.

 “I feel like if you make it to the final four, that’s a great season,” Riggs said. “You’re really good if you make it to that point. And once you get there, you want to leave the race track feeling like you did everything in your power to win that race. No mistakes.

“If something stupid happens, you can’t control that. But you want to get to the final four and control as much as you can. That’s a good season.”