Front Row Motorsports delivered a strong showing at the Martinsville Race, with drivers pushing through adversity and tension to secure notable results on Saturday. Despite high emotions on track and a playoff format that tested every competitor, the Front Row Motorsports Martinsville Race performance stood out for determination and skillful driving.
Layne Riggs Earns Podium, Faces Playoff Frustration
Layne Riggs achieved an impressive third-place finish at Martinsville, fighting for every position throughout the event. The race proved to be dramatic and emotionally charged for Riggs, whose hopes of advancing in the championship came down to a tiebreaker. The Front Row driver started strong, earning sixth in Stage One and moving up to third in Stage Two, before ultimately securing his third-place result at the finish line.
Despite his finish, emotions ran high as playoff advancement slipped away by the narrowest of margins. Riggs detailed the internal conflict he felt during the closing laps and after the race, highlighting the challenging nature of Martinsville and the playoff system:
“I was dejected even when I thought we were in at first. I just don’t like racing that way. I’m hearing, ‘Gotta get one. Gotta get one.’ And everybody knows how it is. If I’ve got the opportunity to get in for my team, I’m gonna do it even if I don’t want to do it the way I do. I mean, I got there at the end. I hate I roughed up the 1 and I’m glad he still finished pretty good. It all kind of started with that missed shift on that restart. I’m not really sure what happened. I’ve never missed a shift in a truck in my whole career. We do have some new transmissions and I guess I’m just not quite used to them yet, so I’m pretty upset about that. I think things could have been a lot different, but it all started at the ROVAL and getting turned around on lap one. We go to Talladega and having all the issues we had. I’m definitely dejected. I would have been dejected if we were even in fourth. I just don’t like it.”
— Layne Riggs, Driver
Finishing tied on points but missing playoff advancement, Riggs had more to say about the pressure and his commitment to the team:
“Even that last lap I thought that we were in and it’s still just upsetting. I just don’t like racing like that. I want to race straight up and how it’s supposed to be, but I’m hearing, ‘Gotta get a spot. You’ve got to get one.’ I’m gonna do what my team tells me to do to get in this championship. Roughing guys up, I don’t really want to rough up – they’ve done nothing to me in the past. I just don’t like racing like that. I don’t like how it comes down to the end like this and how people have to race, especially at a track like Martinsville. It’s never been my favorite race of the year, but this 34 team did a great job all year. I would have been on the disappointed side even if we were in. It’s just really odd how it all plays out with these playoff formats, but I’m excited for the future with this race team – coming back with them and fighting for it again next year. We’ve been strong all year. I’m not gonna hang my head about today. We’ve had such a great year all year long and battled up front. I learned a lot and excited to see what our future holds.”
— Layne Riggs, Driver
Chandler Smith Pushes Through to a Top-Ten Finish
Chandler Smith also delivered a strong result for Front Row Motorsports, coming in sixth despite early setbacks in the race. Starting the event from 20th in Stage One and improving to 15th by Stage Two, Smith’s climb to sixth at the checkered flag underscored his persistence and ability to adapt at Martinsville.
Reflecting on the outcome and efforts made throughout the race, Smith said:
“For how the day started with our qualifying effort, we’re all pretty happy with a top-10. I thought we had something there in the end to get the lead, but we just couldn’t get the passes off that we needed. We’ll take this momentum and finish the year strong in Phoenix.”
— Chandler Smith, Driver
Front Row Motorsports Looks Ahead After Emotional Weekend
The emotional intensity and stakes at Martinsville underlined the competitive mindset of all Front Row Motorsports drivers. While Layne Riggs narrowly missed moving forward in the playoffs due to a tiebreaker and experienced a mix of disappointment and pride, Chandler Smith’s determined run highlighted the team’s depth. Key events at Talladega, struggles with new transmissions, and the constant pressure for positions factored into the outcome and atmosphere at Martinsville.
As the season moves next to Phoenix, both drivers and the organization are looking to use the lessons learned and energy from Martinsville as motivation. With strong performances throughout the year, Front Row Motorsports aims to build on its progress, maintain its fighting spirit, and remain a force as the championship battle continues and a new season approaches.
