Milwaukee Mile

For the second-straight day, a second-generation rising NASCAR racing star earned his first-career win. This time it was 22-year-old Layne Riggs claiming the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory in Sunday’s Playoff-opening LiUNAI 175! at the historic Milwaukee Mile.

Riggs, son of former NASCAR competitor Scott Riggs, took the lead from Ty Majeski with 53 laps remaining and pulled away to a solid 1.547-second victory over the Wisconsin native and a super-motivated group of Playoff drivers, making the rookie driver’s effort all the more impressive.

Riggs victory in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford comes a day after 23-year-old Harrison Burton – son of former NASCAR star Jeff Burton – earned his first-career win in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

“I don’t even know how to describe it,’’ said an emotional Riggs, making only his 23rd start in the series, saying he knew in practice his truck was going to be in contention. “It’s awesome.’

“We’ve had a terrible year, it’s been an awful year, but I’ve learned so much though in my rookie season. After the start I thought there’s no way we’re going to get a win, we’ll do the best we can and just learn for next year. But I knew in practice this thing [today] was awesome.’’

Riggs was so happy and demonstrative that he dislocated his shoulder pumping his arms high in celebration – his team rushed over to help. And it certainly appeared Riggs was okay by the time he hugged his father trackside.

“Dislocated my shoulder I was celebrating so hard, but it was worth it,’’ Riggs said smiling.

Eight of the 10 Playoff drivers finished just behind Riggs, including Majeski, the defending race winner and polesitter who led 45 of the 175 laps in the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford. McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes was third – leading a race high 71 laps in his No. 19 Chevrolet. REV Racing’s Nick Sanchez and TRICON Garage’s Taylor Gray rounded out the top-five.

McAnally-Hilgemann’s Tyler Ankrum, TRICON Garage’s Corey Heim, McAnally-Hilgemann’s Daniel Dye and reigning series champion, ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes rounded out the top-nine finishers – all Playoff drivers. Three-time series champion Matt Crafton was 10th.

“I was leading on the bottom and it shot up the race track and just couldn’t recover, I was way too tight’’ said Eckes, who paced the field for much of the afternoon and collected a series best ninth stage win.

He now holds a 16-point advantage over Majeski atop the Playoff standings. Heim is third, only 19 points back.

“Proud of everybody but a pretty big missed-opportunity,’’ Eckes said.

The other two Playoff drivers, Grant Enfinger, driver of the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevy, finished 13th and Rajah Caruth, driver of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevy rallied to an 18th place finish after starting from the rear of the grid.

With two more races remaining in this opening round and eight of the 10 drivers advancing, Rhodes is two points behind Enfinger for that all-important eighth Playoff position and Caruth is only four points back.

Round 2 of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season championship takes place at Bristol Motor Speedway where Heim is the defending race winner.

After Carson Hocevar crashed a two-driver party, pole winner Grant Enfinger rallied for victory in Sunday’s Clean Harbors 175 at the Milwaukee Mile and clinched a spot in the Round of 8 of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs.

Enfinger, who led 95 of 175 laps, passed Hocevar for the top spot on Lap 159 and pulled away to win his third race of the season by 1.553 seconds. Hocevar was gambling on older tires and led the field to green for the final restart on Lap 148.

The victory—the 10th of Enfinger’s career—was a point proven for the Alabama driver, whose GMS Racing truck team announced it would discontinue operations at the end of the season.

“I don’t think anybody’s going to ask if we’re going to lay down again,” Enfinger said after climbing from his No. 23 Chevrolet. “(Crew chief) Jeff Hensley’s been focused the whole year. There’s been distractions going on all year long. So if anything, this has clarity.

“None of these guys, including me, have a job next year, but I feel like we proved we deserve one.”

Fast from the outset of the first NASCAR national series race at Milwaukee since 2009, Enfinger won the first stage wire-to-wire, leading all 55 laps. After surrendering the top spot on pit road during the stage break, he passed Corey Heim for the lead on Lap 95 and went on to capture Stage 2 by 2.149 seconds.

But Enfinger lost three positions on pit road during the second stage break and had to overcome the loss of track position as well as varying strategy from Hocevar and six other non-Playoff drivers who stayed out on older tires during caution for William Sawalich’s contact with the Turn 2 wall on Lap 135.

Restarting 14th on Lap 141, Enfinger fought his way back to the front, passing Derek Kraus for second on Lap 153 and overtaking Hocevar six laps later.

“It’s kind of a bummer to run second,” said Hocevar, who has three victories to his credit this season and holds a 56-point cushion above the cut line with one race left in the Playoffs’ Round of 10. “I haven’t done this in quite a while.

“Luckily, I’ve been fortunate enough to win three races, so it’s close.”

Christian Eckes and Heim finished third and fourth, respectively, and both clinched berths in the Round of 8 on points. Matt Crafton came home fifth and moved nine points above the cutoff for the next round.

Chase Purdy ran sixth, followed by Ty Majeski, who won the Truck Series Playoff opener at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. But Majeski raced under the specter of possible NASCAR penalties this coming week.

NASCAR confiscated the right rear tire from Majeski’s No. 98 Ford and ejected crew chief Joe Shear Jr. Majeski started from the rear of the field and served a pass-through penalty after the opening lap but rallied to finish seventh. Any further penalties the team may accrue will be announced later in the week.