Ever seen a NASCAR Truck Series race turn into a boxing match? Well, welcome to Rackley Roofing 200! The event at Nashville was billed as a truck race, however, Layne Riggs and Stefan Parsons had other plans. The two drivers were involved in an on-track feud, (if one can call it that, considering the post-race explanations) trading blows and paint multiple times.

With tempers flaring and both drivers refusing to give up, it was inevitable that at least one driver’s race would get ruined. However, in this case, it was both. While Layne Riggs did manage to get the better of Stefan Parsons, causing him to spin, the maneuver resulted in a two-lap penalty, forcing Riggs into the pit road. As expected, words were exchanged about the incident after the race, with both drivers defending their side of the story. Even fans raised their voice- yet a past incident proved them wrong.

Hard racing or justified penalty?

A feeling of déjà vu was strong upon seeing Layne Riggs and Stefan Parsons battle it out on track. At Martinsville last year, Carson Hocevar was held for two laps by NASCAR officials for attempting to right-rear hook Taylor Gray. With many fans calling out Riggs’ penalty as unjust and unprecedented, the incident last year and the subsequent repercussions for Hocevar proved otherwise. However, many fans backed Layne Riggs, claiming that the two incidents were apples and oranges, with the 22-year-old receiving the short end of the stick. And that is exactly how Riggs feels too.

Speaking to Bob Pockrass after the race in Nashville, Layne Riggs recounted how Stefan Parsons’ car damaged his No. 38. He said, “He just killed the whole left side, killed the handling of it. It wasn’t the same the rest of the race. I don’t agree with the decision at all. Especially when you have the people that you look up to race on Sundays do the same kind of stuff.”

As for Stefan Parsons, when asked by Bob Pockrass about NASCAR giving Layne Riggs a two-lap penalty, the 26-year-old replied, “Well, at least they did something. He picked my rear tires up……..and never let me go until I was back to the fence. I’m glad they did something. I hope they look at it this week and if there’s anything further, that’s up to them. But there’s no excuse to intentionally wreck somebody like that.”

Looking at the incident, it’s easy to see why Layne Riggs felt hard done by. It looked like both drivers were engaged in hard racing, and as far as wrecks go, it seemed like a light one. Both Stefan Parsons and Layne Riggs went door-to-door, rubbing tires, and a light bump caused the Henderson Motorsports driver to spin. In comparison, Ben Rhodes causing Taylor Gray to spin at the start of Stage 2 seemed much more serious. However, NASCAR chose to focus on this particular incident.

The pair exchanged words after the race, with Parsons claiming that contact with Layne Riggs was unintentional. Stefan Parsons’ justification was that his No. 75 Chevrolet Silverado wasn’t handling well, an explanation that Riggs wasn’t convinced by. The race ended with Parsons finishing 26, while Layne Riggs ended up just a spot ahead at 25. While the incident can be brushed off as both drivers being young and hot-tempered, it remains to be seen if this incident will be the start of a new rivalry. Irrespective, the incident gave fans plenty to talk about after the race.

Fans react to Layne Riggs and Stefan Parsons incident

The incident between Stefan Parsons and Layne Riggs brought about sorts of reactions from fans. Responding to Bob Pockrass’ tweet about Riggs being given a two-lap penalty for reckless driving, one fan began reminiscing about the older days when hard racing was encouraged on track. The user wrote, “Nascar is so different than it was back then. This stuff should not be a penalty”. Another fan could not wrap their head around the decision, asking Pockrass, “What exactly was reckless”.

With both drivers going wheel-to-wheel, the result of Parsons spinning out was just a product of hard racing. Disagreeing with Stefan Parsons’ opinion in the post-race interview with Bob Pockrass, a fan wrote, “I’m not holding anything against @StefanParsons_ for this. Don’t agree with his take on the penalty. (Although I’d understand why he likes the penalty.) The whole thing was a racing deal. He got into Layne a few times but couldn’t get by like the others. Layne shipped him. Racing.”

At the start of Stage 2, Ben Rhodes caused Taylor Gray to spin and collide into the outside wall, an incident that was not penalized by NASCAR. Responding to Layne Riggs’ post-race interview with Bob Pockrass, a fan commented, “Have to agree with him, there’s been far worse bumps that didn’t get a penalty. I was surprised he got the penalty.”

Another disgruntled fan echoed these sentiments on X, highlighting NASCAR’s lack of consistency in punishing drivers for on-track incidents. The user wrote, “What a joke. Let them handle business. Not like he right hooked him into the fence. Yet again nascar being inconsistent with these calls 🤡”

Do you think Layne Riggs deserved a two-lap penalty at Nashville Superspeedway? Let us know in the comments!