EXCLUSIVE: Grateful Layne Riggs Claims Kaulig Racing Gig Helped Secure the Biggest NASCAR Break at FRM

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Front Row Motorsports‘ latest Truck Series recruit, Layne Riggs, is a practical believer in this principle. Having made an impressive Truck Series debut with a P7 finish in 2022, the only way has been up for him. Following a long stint on local race tracks and grassroots-level competitions, the jump to racing in national competitions is something for which he has waited for a long time.

In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Layne Riggs has voiced his rise through the ranks and a rewarding run with Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series. With his career predominated by racing in Dale Earnhardt Jr‘s CARS Late Model Tour, he has continued to learn and grow with time. Riggs also emphasized the difference in skill between the grassroots and national-level competitions as he expressed his gratitude to Front Row Motorsports.

Layne Riggs thanks Front Row Motorsports for providing a platform for his talents

Front Row Motorsports has expanded its base in NASCAR in the past few years. The team had an exciting Cup Series season in 2023, where Michael McDowell beat the likes of Chase Elliott to a win in Indianapolis. Capitalizing on a successful season, the team has shown ambition with its sponsorships and silly season moves. The recruitment of Layne Riggs also shows the team’s keen eye for racing talent in the lesser-recognized echelons of stock car racing.

A recent example of a late-model star making it big in NASCAR would be Stewart-Haas Racing‘s Josh Berry. Having raced for JR Motorsports‘ Late Model Program for a long time, he eventually graduated to the Xfinity Series and is now in the top flight. Layne Riggs could follow a similar trajectory with the horde of opportunities FRM can provide. Speaking about his big jump to the Truck Series exclusively with EssentiallySports, the 21-year-old said, “It is amazing.”

“The step from late-model racing and local track racing to racing in the Truck Series at the national level is really tough. That’s a huge step to make. The step between Trucks to Xfinity to Cup is a lot closer than grassroots to the nationals. I’m just super thankful to get this big step and Front Row for giving me the opportunity to do it, all the partners for supporting me, and everybody involved that made it happen.”

Read More: NASCAR News: “We Were Both Pretty Happy in Australia, But…” SVG Reveals the Rewarding Reality Behind His USA Arrival

Continuing the conversation, Layne Riggs added that what mattered most was his capitalizing on the chances he received. Impressing the limited opportunities was the stepping stone for his career. He further revealed the essence of these changes,  as he stated, “It’s all right timing; making the most out of all the part-time opportunities I had, one-off fields, different teams every weekend, and having great performances ended up with this opportunity.”

Following his six Truck appearances with Spire Motorsports and Young’s Motorsports between 2022 and 2023, an Xfinity Series stint awaited him in 2023. Little did he know that this would be the golden ticket he was waiting for.

Riggs’ spectacular run with Kaulig Racing earned him the FRM call-up

Trending

Tony Stewart’s Wife Leah Pruett Pens a Heartfelt Message for Husband After His Unwavering Support for His Family

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Offers a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to His Loyal Fanbase as He Gears Up for His Return With Budweiser

JRM Prodigy & Kelley Earnhardt’s Son Earn Major Backing as Dale Jr.’s Loyal Partners Announce 2025 Return

“It Drives Like a Forklift” – Shane van Gisbergen Controversially Splits the Difference Between NASCAR’s Proud Next Gen and Xfinity Cars

Rick Hendrick’s Alliance Rumored to Save Chevy Prodigy Who Crashed Kyle Busch’s Party

After solid performances in the Truck Series, Kaulig Racing felt that Layne Riggs could have shot in the Xfinity Series for three races. These three races proved a boon for the youngster as he landed a top-10 spot at the Las Vegas Speedway, entering the good books of NASCAR fans and team owners.

On being asked about what the Kaulig Racing stint meant from his point of view, Layne Riggs conveyed that those three races were a passage to the No.38 Ford of Front Row Motorsports. Riggs divulged, “It was good. I think that looking back, if I didn’t have those races at Kaulig in Xfinity Series, I don’t think I’d have this opportunity with Front Row to run.”

“It was a last-minute decision, and they needed a driver for a couple of races, and I had the means to do so. So we did it. That’s where I got to meet Jerry Freeze, the president of Front Row and talked to him a little bit. They watched my final race in the Xfinity Series at Martinsville. I got the call that Monday morning that he watched me and thought I was good enough and he wanted me. So it all goes back to if I didn’t do that first race a couple of years ago, this and that wouldn’t have happened.”

Layne Riggs has always had the talent. Son to Scott Riggs, a multiple-time winner in the Truck and Xfinity Series in the 2000s, he has continued the racing tradition in the lineage. According to him, the window of opportunity in the second tier attracted his attention toward. Having arrived from the relatively less popular racing circuit, the limelight from Xfinity was quite helpful for him.

Watch This Story: Tony Stewart’s insider claims to mimic Rick Hendrick’s blueprint for success 

He added, “I think the last little push I needed was to run the couple of Xfinity races that shed the light on me enough to be able to get this opportunity. So, it was great; I learned a lot. It was fun to race with those guys and be a part of the mix.”

Adding more about embracing the intensity of competition without hesitation, Layne Riggs revealed to EssentiallySports, “I wasn’t just running around making laps you know; we were competing for the win at times. Martinsville, in the last 20 laps of the race we were running in the top five, banging doors with the guy that won the race. The results weren’t quite what I wanted, but making the splash, making the name, being seen, and showing that I could do it is what we did when we accomplished that goal.”

Layne Riggs has all the right tools at his disposal to continue his dream run. With Front Row Motorsports having his back, Riggs can use the launchpad to move ahead to the Cup Series with a gradual transition in national competitions.