Controversial NASCAR Driver Refuses to Change His Ways Despite the Heat From Garage

When Carson Hocevar hit Layne Riggs with the bird, most in the NASCAR world weren’t fans of the aggressive Cup Series driver’s gesture.  NASCAR has always been a sport where personalities shine as brightly as the chrome on the cars. From Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s intimidating swagger to Tony Stewart’s fiery temper, the garage has never lacked for drivers who stir the pot. Kyle Busch built his reputation on brash moves and blunt interviews. Now, Carson Hocevar makes headlines for his own brand of aggressive racing.

Fans love a driver with an edge. Someone who isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers or trade paint if that’s what it takes to win. But when Riggs found himself on the wrong end of the argument, he got a wild warning from one of his competitors.

But there’s a fine line between being bold and being reckless. Crossing it can turn the whole garage against you in a hurry. This weekend, all eyes were on a new name in the center of the storm, as one young driver’s wild style pushed the paddock to its breaking point.

Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro was a classic short-track showdown. But it was Layne Riggs who stole the spotlight. And not for the reasons you’d expect. The 255-lap Window World 250 saw Corey Heim dominate, leading a race-best 162 laps from pole. But in overtime, it all unraveled.

It was understandable to see Heim’s frustration. For the majority of the last 50 laps, Heim led the race, setting the pace up front, and going into overtime, he was in first place. As the final lap shootout started, Riggs took the middle line, and Heim went round the outside, momentarily losing the lead. In a moment of hard racing, Riggs’ No. 34 Ford tangled with the No. 11 as they raced side to side. And fans who watched the race saw that the trucks were losing grip, and the same thing happened to Heim. That opened the door for Riggs’ Front Row Motorsports teammate, Chandler Smith, to slip through for the win. Riggs finished second, and Heim? A frustrated 17th.

The fireworks didn’t end at the checkered flag. Heim confronted Riggs on pit road, delivering a blunt warning. “You’re racing like a f—— idiot. You need to calm down or I’m going to take care of you.” Heim didn’t mince words in interviews either, calling Riggs’ tactics scum racing and referencing similar last-lap contact the week before at Kansas, when Riggs nearly knocked Carson Hocevar from the lead.

“You’re racing like a fucking idiot. You need to calm down or I’m going to take care of you.” https://t.co/Ga09VSDAOZ

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) May 17, 2025

Riggs, for his part, made no apologies for his aggressive style. “If I have a reputation of going for wins, I’m not going to regret that at all,” he said after the race. He admitted his slide-job attempt on Heim came up short but insisted that’s just the nature of short-track racing. “I feel like that’s what this kind of racing is made for. I feel like it was a strong move, and I thought it was going to pay off. But sadly, didn’t get the win.”

This isn’t the first time Riggs’ hard-nosed approach has ruffled feathers. As mentioned earlier, Layne Riggs had a similar encounter with another aggressive driver, Carson Hocevar, at Kansas. In the closing laps of the Heart of Health Care 200, Riggs closed in fast on Hocevar, riding the high lane and finally getting to his left rear as they took the white flag. Riggs dove low, made contact, and both trucks scraped the wall.

Hocevar managed to keep control and edged Riggs by just 0.262 seconds for the win. Riggs, meanwhile, was disqualified from his runner-up finish after post-race inspection found his truck in violation of bed cover rules. Despite the DQ, Riggs was unapologetic about his aggressive move here, too. “I think he flipped me off all the way down the frontstretch coming to the checkered, but how can you be mad when you win the race, right?” Riggs said. This comment underscores Riggs’ mindset. He’s here to race hard, not make friends. And if rubbing fenders ruffles feathers, so be it.

Now, with the backdrop of both these incidents, the garage is buzzing and tempers are flaring. Yet, Layne Riggs shows no signs of backing down. The question is: will his relentless style win him a race eventually, or just make him more enemies in the Truck Series paddock?

Aggression without the trophy in the 2025 Truck Series for Layne Riggs

Layne Riggs has made plenty of noise in the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. But the checkered flag keeps slipping away. His aggressive, elbows-out driving style has earned him attention and a fair share of controversy, yet it hasn’t translated to victory lane. Through ten races, Riggs has posted four top-10 finishes and three top-5s, including runner-up results at Homestead and North Wilkesboro. His average finish sits at 12.9, and he holds eighth place in the driver standings.

Despite flashes of speed and race-winning potential, Riggs hasn’t managed to seal the deal. At Homestead, he fought hard for the win but came up just short in the final laps. At North Wilkesboro, his aggressive move on Corey Heim set up a wild finish, but again, he settled for second, even at Kansas, where he crossed the line in second after a heated battle with Carson Hocevar, a post-race disqualification erased his best finish of the year.

Maybe Layne Riggs could take a page from drivers who learned to harness their aggression for better results. Kyle Busch is a prime example. Early in his career, Busch was known for his raw speed and fiery temper, often clashing with competitors and officials alike. Over time, though, Busch mellowed (at least by his standards). He learned when to push hard and when to play the long game, a shift that helped him capture two Cup Series championships and over 60 Cup wins.

Tony Stewart also started out as one of NASCAR’s hottest-headed drivers, but as he matured, he became more strategic. Stewart’s ability to balance aggression with patience earned him three Cup titles and widespread respect in the garage. Even Jeff Gordon, who was never as brash as Busch or Stewart, found greater consistency as he focused more on preparation and racecraft than sheer aggression in his later years.

These drivers didn’t lose their edge. They just learned to use it wisely. If Layne Riggs can find that same balance, his first win might not be far away. Will he adapt, or will his current approach keep him from reaching his full potential in the Truck Series?

The post Controversial NASCAR Driver Refuses to Change His Ways Despite the Heat From Garage appeared first on EssentiallySports.