Riggs stays aggressive entering Truck playoffs at Bristol
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 16, 2026
Riggs leads Chase
Layne Riggs opens the seven-race NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Chase at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday night as the No. 1 seed, and he brings a 25-point lead into the postseason opener. He got there with a season that has produced six wins and a series-best 598 laps led. Through 18 races, Riggs owns a series-best six wins and has led a series-high 598 laps. Three of those victories came from pole position, a sign of how often he has controlled races from the start. Riggs said he plans to keep pressing instead of protecting the points cushion, a stance that fits the way he has raced all year. He has led from the front and stacked up wins before the title run even started. The approach matters now because the Chase begins at Bristol and the seven-race title run is underway. Riggs also has next year lined up. He will return full time to Front Row Motorsports in the No. 34 Ford, giving him a clear home once this championship run ends. For now, his focus stays on the seven races in front of him and the lead he already owns.
Honeycutt stays close
TRICON Garage driver Kaden Honeycutt starts the Chase second in the standings, 25 points behind Riggs, after a season that pushed him into a new place in the title fight. The 23-year-old from Texas spent five weeks atop the standings for the first time in his career and has stayed in the mix with Riggs for much of the year. He enters the opener with a career-best 11 top-five finishes, nearly triple his previous single-season high, and that steady production has given him a real shot to remain in contention over the final stretch. Honeycutt also built his season on wins. He earned his first two series victories at Watkins Glen International and Richmond Raceway before the postseason break, two results that changed the tone of his year and gave him a stronger platform for the Chase. Honeycutt said the late-August win at Richmond Raceway boosted his confidence after struggles at Wilkesboro and IRP. He also said he and his TRICON Garage team have no weak spots in the stretch run. That confidence is backed by more than results. Honeycutt credited crew chief Scott Zipadelli and TRICON Garage’s championship-caliber experience for helping him sharpen his racecraft and race management. He spent the five-week break racing late models to stay sharp, so he arrives at Bristol having stayed active during the break.
Bristol opens Chase
The championship picture starts with two drivers who have spent much of the season near the top and now carry different forms of momentum into Bristol. Riggs owns the points lead, the most wins and the most laps led. Honeycutt arrives with the strongest top-five total of his career, two victories and the confidence that comes with proving he can win on different tracks. That mix makes the opening race more than a simple reset. It puts the season’s central rivalry right back in the spotlight as the Chase shifts from the regular-season grind to the seven-race title run. Riggs and Honeycutt occupied the top two spots in the standings for much of the year, so the opener at Bristol feels like a continuation of what has already unfolded rather than a new storyline. The separation is small, only 25 points, and the next seven races will decide whether Riggs can turn a season of control into a championship or whether Honeycutt can build on a breakthrough year and climb past him. Bristol gives both drivers the first chance to shape that run. Riggs brings the edge of a points leader who says he will stay aggressive. Honeycutt brings the confidence of a driver who has already shown he can win when the pressure rises.
