In short
Layne Riggs is finally a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner.
The No. 38 driver took control on the final stage and defeated local hero and polesitter Ty Majeski to win what could be the last NASCAR race at the Milwaukee Mile.
Although it was widely expected that he would continue to challenge for the championship, Front Row Motorsports did not have the same success with Riggs as it did with Zane Smith. But they stuck with the rookie this year, knowing he would excel on the short tracks, so this is the team’s first win of the season.
Unfortunately, Riggs’ win comes a race too late, as Milwaukee served as the opening race of the 2024 Truck Series playoffs. While Riggs isn’t much use in the championship battle, others started their title chase on a good footing. In fact, eight of the ten playoff drivers finished in the top ten.
The top truckers on the Milwaukee Mile
Winner, biggest climber (from 16th to 1st), rookie of the race: Layne Riggs
Pole sitter: Ty Majeski
Winner of the 1st stage: Ty Dillon
Winner Stage 2, most lead laps (71 of 175 laps): Christian Eckes
The main storylines of the race
- With 37 trucks on the entry list, this meant that one driver had to go home. Unfortunately, that driver was Norm Benning, who was making his first attempt of the season. However, Benning confirmed to Front line that he will attempt to race at Talladega Superspeedway.
- Yes, you read that right – Ty Dillon earned his first Truck Series stage win in the first stage. Dillon and Jake Garcia remained on the track under caution due to Jayson Alexander’s crash, hoping to score stage points in a one-lap race for the stage win. However, NASCAR had to add another lap, so the stage was completed under caution and the No. 25 earned a surprise stage win.
- Apart from Alexander’s crash (which ended the stage) and the yellow period of stage two, the rest of the 175-lap event was smooth and green.
- While celebrating his first career victory, Riggs dislocated his shoulder while playing fistball. He was eventually able to put it back in place before continuing to celebrate with his team. This actually led to FOX Sports conducting the winner’s interview on victory lane rather than on the home stretch for the first time in what felt like years.
The winning move
Shortly after the restart of the last stage, Riggs was able to take the lead from Majeski. Christian Eckes was also in the race, but Riggs was able to pull away from both of them.
Majeski was able to keep up with Riggs over the final 50 laps, never being within a second and a half of the No. 38. However, Riggs held on and drove to his first career win.
With the win, Riggs and his father Scott become the youngest father-son duo to win in NASCAR.
Championship overview
As mentioned above, eight of the ten playoff drivers began their title hunt with top-10 finishes. The only two who did not manage that were Grant Enfinger (13th) and Rajah Caruth (18th).
Caruth had to start the race from the back after qualifying eighth due to unauthorized adjustments. The No. 71 team simply could not recover.
He wasn’t the only playoff driver to have a problem this weekend. Corey Heim, one of the title favorites, was caught speeding on pit lane and had to catch up from behind. Unlike Caruth, however, Heim was able to work his way up to seventh place.
The next two races will decide whether the championship hopes of the top two drivers will be dashed. As it stands, Ben Rhodes is the first driver to be eliminated. He is only two points behind Enfinger at the cut line. Caruth is four points behind Enfinger.
Meanwhile, Riggs’ victory means that no one is certain of making it to the last eight yet, but good days from Eckes and Majeski and their playoff points have already put them in a good position to advance after the first race.
That’s the nature of playoff racing. It’s just the first race in a three-race playoff series. Literally anything can happen and mess everything up.
Like a victory for Layne Riggs.
Oh. Wait.
Rookie report
Do I need to state the obvious?
Not only did Riggs take the win, making him the first Rookie of the Year contender to win since Heim in 2022, but he also won the most spots in the field by moving up from 16th on the grid to take the win.
Not only that, but the next best rookie also did worse than Riggs in qualifying. Without question, Riggs is this week’s rookie of the race.
No. 02 – Dexter Bean (30.)
No. 04 – Marco Andretti (31.)
No. 7 – Sammy Smith (17.)
No. 21 – Jayson Alexander (36.)
No. 38 – Layne Riggs (Winner)
No. 44 – Matt Gould (33.)
No. 46 – Thad Moffitt (32.)
No. 66 – Conner Jones (22.)
No. 90 – Justin Carroll (34.)
An important lesson from this race
Is that it for NASCAR in Milwaukee?
Reports have surfaced that the Truck Series (and by extension NASCAR as a whole) will not return to Milwaukee in 2025 after a three-year attempt at America’s oldest racetrack.
The track certainly wasn’t the best race, but it wasn’t the worst either. Last year’s race for the win between Enfinger and Carson Hocevar was one of the best we saw all season.
As a Midwesterner, this is a shame. Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and now the Milwaukee Mile have all been eliminated from the NASCAR calendar in recent years.
For the people of Wisconsin, losing Road America and Milwaukee just two years apart would be brutal.
At the same time, they could have done more.
When Road America was removed from the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, many were outraged and asked almost every year if and when it would return.
You know what could have made NASCAR reconsider Road America? The fact that fans flock to Milwaukee every year. Of course, it’s just a Truck Series race, but think about how many years fans came to Road America to support the standalone Xfinity Series race before it got a Cup date.
It’s possible. But the viewership hasn’t been what NASCAR or TV expected, and it looks like TV wants to go in a different direction.
I’ll say it right away: Standalone racing is great. I think more of it is needed to give the Xfinity and Truck Series their own identity. But if fans don’t come, those races won’t last long.
It’s especially important for Milwaukee to book the date on a Sunday immediately after one of the biggest Cup races of the year at Daytona International Speedway, so it’s no surprise that television ratings also played a role in the decision to leave the club.
Either way, it’s a real shame for the people of Wisconsin. They deserve a NASCAR race one way or another.
Talking truckers
Riggs to victory:
Majeski misses three wins in a row, but finishes second in his home race:
Eckes analyses his run for third place after leading the most laps and winning the second stage:
Six other playoff drivers, including Enfinger, Heim and Caruth, talk about their performances in the first playoffs:
Livery of the race
When GoPro sponsors something, you can be sure that bright blue is part of the color palette.
And that’s exactly what Jack Woods No. 91 featured.
Thanks to additional sponsorship from the High Fives Foundation, this scheme features the perfect combination of sky blue and jet black, complete with a white number 91 that makes it stand out under the Milwaukee sun.
Don’t forget the tree silhouettes on the back of the truck. This scheme is spot on in my opinion.
Wood qualified 25th and finished 15th in Milwaukee.
Next stop
Back to the half mile of chaos.
The Craftsman Truck Series has a two-week break before heading to Bristol Motor Speedway on September 19th for the traditional Thursday night showdown at the Last Great Colosseum. Heim is the defending champion of the race.
Coverage of the UNOH 200 begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 19. FS1 will televise the race, while Motor Racing Network will continue its radio coverage of the Truck Series throughout the season.
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