Front Row Motorsports’ rising star Layne Riggs just shook up the world with an emphatic win at Pocono Raceway, securing a playoff berth, soaking in the golden Pennsylvania sunset in full glory. Surging ahead with a 3.6-second margin over runner-up Tanner Gray, Riggs flipped the script and delivered a seismic jolt to the 2025 playoff standings with his first win of the season.
Layne Riggs Rewrites 2025 Playoff Narrative With a Pocono Stunner
The No. 34 Ford F-150 was fast, with Riggs clinching his first career pole, but he wasn’t the only dominant driver on the field. Both Corey Heim and Cup Series regular Carson Hocevar were breathing down his neck the whole race. While the FRM ace secured Stage 1, collecting valuable stage points, Heim won the second stage.
Yet, despite strong challenges from the two, Riggs was able to capitalize on the closing lap chaos and secure his spot in the playoffs. The pivotal moment of the race came in Lap 61, when Heim, who had been in control of the race up until that point, waved to the back of the field with a flat right rear tire.
The resulting restart and the chain of events vaulted Hocevar to the front row. Believing he had the lead from the outside lane, he jumped ahead, only for NASCAR to penalize him with a pass-through on pit road while the race remained under green.
Seizing the opportunity, 23-year-old Riggs charged ahead and held off Gray until the checkered flag, leading a total of 25 laps, including the final 20. The victory was the first by any Ford driver at the “Tricky Triangle” since 2013 when Ryan Blaney took the checkered flag.
The win also marked the No.34 driver’s third career win and his first this season. He expressed his delight, crediting his team in the post-race interview – “That’s just a testament to the team. That thing was bad fast, especially that last run right there.”
Layne Riggs gets it done and wins from the pole at Pocono! He talks with @Team_Onion after climbing out. #NASCARonFS1 pic.twitter.com/jtTmBaa3m2
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 20, 2025
He continued, “I really hate the No. 11 (Heim) fell out, and I’m not sure what the No.7 (Hocevar) was doing on the restart there, but (we) made sure to take advantage of it there. Not really sure why we slowed to 30 mph coming to the restart zone there. This is not one I had circled. Last year, we wrecked in practice, wrecked in qualifying, and rode around in dead last all day. Today, we were the best.”
Updated! Welcome to the playoffs, @LayneRiggs99. https://t.co/iiWSEE5RlN pic.twitter.com/nBizwsRaI8
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 20, 2025
Prior to Friday’s 80-lap ringer, Riggs sat seventh in the playoff leaderboard with just four playoff points to his name. But with his commanding win at the 2.5-mile tri-oval, the driver is now up to third, holding nine crucial points and plenty of momentum for the final fray.