With Corey Heim finally no longer competing full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, it's become a dogfight for alpha status on the track. But 11 races into the 2026 season, it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone as to who has claimed it.
Layne Riggs was Heim's closest competition a season ago, and he's taken his performance to a new level this year. He's won three races, including the most recent two back-to-back, and at Nashville Superspeedway last Friday, he put on a show and a half.
Riggs dominated the race but found himself stuck back in traffic late due to pit strategy. In the final 15 circuits, he drove from outside the top 10 to the lead, passing Rajah Caruth on the final lap.
And it's officially time to start a bigger conversation for the second-generation standout.
Layne Riggs is ready to go Cup Series racing, and Front Row Motorsports needs to make the move
It's not fairly common for NASCAR drivers to jump straight to Cup from the Truck Series, but two of Front Row Motorsports' three current Cup drivers, Zane Smith and Todd Gilliland, did exactly that. And considering their equipment, they have put up respectable results at the top level.
The same can't be said for their teammate, Noah Gragson. In his fourth (intended) full season on three different teams, the polarizing personality is 29th in points with only one top 10 finish. This is somehow an improvement from last year, when he finished 34th in the standings.
It's not good enough.
Gragson may be popular in some circles, but nothing he has done at the top level has validated the hype he received after he won eight Xfinity (now O'Reilly Auto Parts) Series races in 2022.
Riggs, meanwhile, is four years younger with significantly greater upside. His performance the past two seasons has been on par with Smith's and exceeded Gilliland's in the same truck years ago, and a title this year would cement him as Front Row's most successful Truck Series driver ever.
With a driver like Riggs, it's also not just about the results he achieves; it's about how he achieves them. Not just anybody puts on the type of performance he did at Nashville. Future Cup Series stars do. His effortless ability to overcome adversity and willingness to attempt bold moves without crossing into reckless territory is reminiscent of a Ryan Blaney or a Tyler Reddick. That is how good he can be.
The only reason Riggs shouldn't be in a Front Row Cup car next year is if he ends up with an even better team instead, such as RFK Racing or the Wood Brothers. His ceiling is higher than Smith's and Gilliland's, and certainly higher than Gragson's.
Front Row needs to be doing everything in their power to hang onto Riggs as long as they can. That starts by putting him in the No. 4 Ford in 2027.
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