Bristol Lightning Halted Qualifying, Riggs Got Truck Pole

NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 17, 2026

Qualifying ended early

Lightning stopped NASCAR Truck Series qualifying at Bristol Motor Speedway, and NASCAR could not restart the session, so the UNOH 250 starting lineup came from the rulebook instead of from on-track times. The stoppage left nine trucks still waiting to qualify, with Jake Garcia on top of the incomplete chart when the session ended. That put the focus on the lineup sheet rather than the stopwatch and pushed the race field into place without a final qualifying run. The weather cut short the only chance for the trucks to settle the order the usual way. The stoppage shifted attention to the drivers whose positions had already been established before the session was shut down.

Riggs inherited pole

He also led practice, making him the clear standout from the limited track time that was available. Chandler Smith started second and Kaden Honeycutt third, giving the front of the field a familiar look for a race that never got through qualifying. Tristan McKee, Stewart Friesen, William Sawalich, Daniel Hemric, Ty Majeski, Justin Haley and Grant Enfinger filled the rest of the top 10. That group opened the race with the advantage of starting position rather than qualifying speed, a direct result of the lightning interruption. The front rows were set without a full run.

Weather stayed in play

The storm delay did more than reshape the starting lineup. It also kept weather in the conversation for the rest of Bristol’s Cup Series weekend later in the week. The UNOH 250 was scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT on FS1, FOX One and SiriusXM, with the field set by the rulebook. The forecast remained a concern as the weekend continued, after lightning had interrupted the qualifying process.