TC Daily Pit Stop: Hocevar Defeats Riggs in Epic Last-Lap Battle at Kansas; Riggs DQ'ed; Larson On Pole for Sunday

TC Daily Pit Stop: Sunday, May 11th, 2025

May 11, 2025

Photo Credit: Craig White, TobyChristie.com

Even though Carson Hocevar was informing Layne Riggs that he was No. 1 as they crossed under the checkered flag in Saturday’s Heart of Health Care 200 at Kansas Speedway, it was indeed the NASCAR Cup Series regular that won the event.

Hocevar, making one of four scheduled starts in the No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports, was able to hold back a hard-charging Layne Riggs in the final laps of Saturday’s 134-lap contest, despite some last-lap contact that kicked both drivers sideways and completely out of control.

The 22-year-old driver led a race-high 75 laps on the evening, after taking over the lead from rival Corey Heim after the TRICON Garage driver had a horrific pit stop, which dropped him from the race-lead to outside the top-15.

After post-race inspection, where Layne Riggs was disqualified, William Byron was awarded a second-place finish, with Corey Heim in third, Gio Ruggiero in fourth, and Stewart Friesen rounding out the top-five.

RACE RECAP
RACE RESULTS
STANDINGS: DRIVER | OWNER | ROOKIE | MANUFACTURER

Layne Riggs (Bed Cover) Disqualified From Second-Place

After a fantastic finish to Saturday’s Heart of Health Care 200 for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Kansas Speedway, one of the main players, second-place finisher Layne Riggs, has been disqualified.

Riggs, driver of the No. 34 Love’s RV Stops Ford F-150 for Front Row Motorsports, was found to violate Section 14.4.9A of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rule Book, which pertains to the bed cover of the truck.

The noted section of the Rule Book states that the “bed cover material must be strong enough to prevent the cover from deflecting or sagging and must be sealed around the perimeter of all bed panels while the vehicle is in competition.”

Riggs was demoted to 31st.

Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher to Share Front Row at Kansas

As it turns out, the beginning of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Kansas Speedway is going to look identical to the final moments of last Spring’s event at the intermediate racetrack.

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, will lead the field to green in Sunday’s AdventHealth 400, his 22nd career pole at NASCAR’s top level.

The native of Elk Grove, California, posted a lap time of 29.391 seconds (183.730mph) as the last driver to hit the racetrack in single-car qualifying, snatching his first pole position of 2025.

Larson took the pole position away from RFK Racing driver Chris Buescher, who last Spring finished a record-low 0.001 seconds behind the No. 5 in the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history.