In a dramatic turn of events at the Heart of Health Care 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway, Layne Riggs, driver of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150, was disqualified from his second-place finish following a post-race inspection. The inspection revealed a violation of Section 14.4.9.A.3 of the NASCAR rulebook, which pertains to the truck’s bed cover.
The specific rule mandates that the bed cover material must be robust enough to prevent deflection or sagging and must be sealed around the perimeter of all bed panels during competition. Riggs’ truck was found to be non-compliant with this regulation, leading to his disqualification from the race.
As a result, Riggs’ finish was adjusted from second to 31st place, the last position in the race, and he was stripped of all stage points earned during the event. This penalty significantly impacted his standing in the championship, dropping him from sixth to ninth in the regular-season standings.
The disqualification also altered the race’s final results. William Byron was promoted to second place, with Corey Heim, Gio Ruggiero, and Stewart Friesen completing the top five. Brandon Jones, Jake Garcia, Kaden Honeycutt, Grant Enfinger, and Daniel Hemric rounded out the top ten.
This incident marks the second disqualification of Riggs’ career, the previous one occurring at Atlanta in the spring of the previous season. Despite the setback, Riggs expressed determination and optimism about his future in NASCAR, stating, “It’s great to race with them Cup guys, and I think that just proves that I’m going to be there one day.”
Front Row Motorsports has the option to appeal the disqualification, and any developments will be closely monitored as the season progresses.
