“He flipped me off”: Layne Riggs breaks silence on dramatic final lap chaos with Carson Hocevar

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Layne Riggs competed in the Heart of Health Care 200 and secured a runner-up finish. During a post-race interview, Riggs opened up about his dramatic final lap moment with Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar.

The duo had a tense battle to cross the finish line and secure the event title. Following the same on turn one, Riggs got alongside Hocevar and made contact with the #7 Chevy's rear end. This led to the Spire Motorsports driver spinning sideways and hitting the outside wall. However, Hocevar nearly escaped getting into a big wreck on the final lap of the race.

Layne Riggs secured his second runner-up position this year; meanwhile, the Cup Series driver secured his fifth Truck Series victory. Reflecting on the move, Riggs said that Hocevar flipped him off down the frontstretch. The Front Row Motorsports driver explained the situation (via Bob Pockrass via X):

"I knew that we were just gonna scrape and go. I'm glad that we didn't spin out. You know, I positioned it pretty well. We were both kind of like sliding up the track, and I got into him. It's kind of like that, you know, Denny Larson's thing here in the Cup Series a year or two ago, down the backstretch. I'm just glad he didn't spin or wreck bad. I was gonna try to get into him and get him free." [00:05 onwards]

"They can make him hit the wall a little bit and be passing, but I lost him on the minute too, but hey, you know, like I said, he flipped me off all the way down the front stretch coming to the checkered flag, but I gotta be too bad when you win the race, but you know, it's all fun and games. It's just good to race for those guys; it really teaches me a lot, and I feel like I was better than him at six spots, and I drive it behind the wheel," he added.

Layne Riggs ranks eighth in the Truck Series standings with 242 points to his name in nine starts. He has secured four top-ten finishes, three top-five finishes, but has yet to secure a win this season.

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Layne Riggs opened up about managing his studies while competing in the Truck Series

Apart from being a full-time Truck Series driver, Layne Riggs is also studying to earn an engineering degree from UNC Charlotte. However, managing two things at the same time is proving to be difficult for the Front Row Motorsports driver, as they both require his undivided attention.

“You have to dedicate yourself because engineering homework is not something you can quickly spit out in 30 minutes," Riggs was quoted as saying by Niner Times in October of 2024.

Riggs showcased his gratitude to UNC Charlotte for allowing him to pursue racing and engineering at the same time. He further revealed that the university professors recognize his NASCAR accomplishments. He drives the #34 Ford for Front Row Motorsports alongside his teammate Chandler Smith in the #38 Ford for the 2025 season.