NCTS Race Recap: Navy 250

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series used a naval base for the Navy 250! Naval Base Coronado hosted the series, which consisted of 50 laps around an aircraft carrier and utilized a runway. Number one and two in the points standings, Kaden Honeycutt and Layne Riggs started the race on the front row. Chandler Smith and seven time cup series champion, Jimmie Johnson, began the race behind them. Strap yourselves in because this was the longest truck series race, by time, in its history. The stage lengths were 12 laps for the first and second stages, with the final being 26 laps.

Layne “Lightning” Riggs

The leaders both got good starts at the drop of the green flag. Honeycutt took the lead before turn one, but Riggs battled back. Johnson settled in third.

Riggs got alongside Honeycutt and was able to take the lead on lap three. He was faster and showed it when he got the clean air out front.

The first caution came out when Dawson Sutton got into the wall. He was stopped on the track and could not get his truck re-fired. The caution was thrown on lap four. Riggs had pulled away from Honeycutt by almost a second and a half.

Honeycutt and Riggs brought the field back to green on lap seven. Riggs quickly retook his lead after a great restart. Johnson fought Smith to hold on to third.

Riggs pulled away from Honeycutt by over a second and even had his gap at three and a half seconds over Johnson.

Parker Kligerman was the first truck on pit road. Ty Majeski followed him for tires and fuel. They pitted with three to go in the stage.

Riggs would go on to take the green-white-checkered flag, winning stage one in the Navy 250! He had a lead of over five seconds over Honeycutt, who finished the stage in second. Johnson, Smith, and Grant Enfinger rounded out the top five.

The Track is Tough

After Riggs pitted under the yellow, Honeycutt and Johnson started stage two from the front row. Honeycutt pulled away quickly.

Johnson was able to catch back up with Honeycutt and challenge for the lead.

Connor Mosack got turned around in the Coronado Chicane. He got heavy damage and had to pit to repair the fuel.

Honeycutt locked up his tires, which allowed Johnson to take the lead! He pulled away from Smith by almost a second and a half.

Smith was able to catch the rear of Johnson, cutting the lead to under half a second. Honeycutt began to close in on them both.

Johnson pitted with five to go in the stage. Smith took the lead.

Riggs drove his way through the field on his fresher tires. He passed Ty Majeski for fourth and set his sights on Parker Kligerman, who assumed the lead after Smith and Honeycutt pitted.

Riggs took the lead with four to go in the stage. He pitted before the end of the stage. Kligerman took the lead. Majeski battled hard to take the lead but could not make the pass.

Kligerman would lead them to the end of the stage and win stage two of the Navy 250! Majeski, Enfinger, Tyler Ankrum, and Andres Perez finished the stage in the top f

Before the end of the stage, Jamie McMurray got into the wall. That hit destroyed the right front of this truck.

Trouble For Honeycutt

Honeycutt and Smith got the race back underway from the front. Honeycutt took his lead back with 22 to go in the race. He was able to pull away, but Smith quickly reeled him back in to contend for the lead.

Honeycutt slipped and got into the tire barriers. He lost the lead to Smith and drove away with a tire rub. He was able to hold off Johnson, who was patient to pass the ailing Honeycutt. Honeycutt pulled onto pit road for repairs, allowing Johnson and Riggs to take second and third, respectively.

Riggs drove around Johnson to take the runner-up spot.

The fourth caution came after Frankie Muniz got into the wall and left debris on the track. Brendan Gaughan had to pit for a flat right front after getting into the wall.

Majeski and Riggs restarted the race out front. Riggs immediately jumped out to the lead. He pulled away by over two seconds.

Honeycutt got around Ankrum to take fourth. He sat in the best spot, fuel-wise. He fought Gio Ruggiero and used the outside line to move into third.

Johnson got turned around and was able to get it pointed in the right direction and keep going.

Race to the Finish

With 10 to go in the race, Jake Garcia stalled his truck and was slow on the track. That brought out the fifth caution.

Riggs and Majeski restarted the race out in front. Riggs took his lead back. Smith got around Majeski to take second. He stayed glued to the rear bumper of his teammate in Riggs.

Tanner Gray spun around, but was able to keep going.

Smith took the lead as they crossed the start/finish line with seven to go. He was able to put a slight gap over Riggs. Honeycutt lurked in the background behind the top two.

Tyler Ankrum got into the wall, which brought out the sixth caution. He had severe damage to his truck, and even the wall was broken.

The race was red-flagged so that NASCAR could repair the wall.

Let’s Finish This Thing

With two to go, Smith and Riggs restarted the race. Smith was pushed out to the lead by Honeycutt, who took second. Tanner Reif got around Riggs for third.

The next caution came out when Ben Rhodes, Andres Perez, Kris Wright, Brenden Queen, Adam Andretti, Nathan Nicholson, and Gio Ruggiero were all involved in an incident on the restart.

Honeycutt and Smith brought NASCAR overtime to green. Honeycutt took the lead, while Smith got turned around behind him. He was able to get it turned around. Honeycutt also suffered damage.

Daniel Hemric began to battle Riggs for the lead. He took the lead but could not hold onto it. Reif battled on the rear bumper of Hemric.

Riggs made a mistake, which allowed Reif and Hemric to pass him. Riggs radioed and said he was out of fuel. Reif was pushed by Hemric but held onto the lead. He took the white flag out front. Reif got a tire rub but kept the lead.

Riggs got around Hemric and pulled up to the rear bumper of Reif. He put more than half a second over Riggs. Riggs shrank the gap to under three tenths of a second. Reif missed the Coronado Chicane and had to serve the penalty of coming to a complete stop.

Riggs snatched the lead and the checkered flag in the Navy 250! Hemric, Kaz Grala, Landen Lewis, and Majeski rounded out the top five.

Marvin’s Minute:

Tyler Reif made a mistake at the very wrong moment. What a great day it could have been for him and his team. He did a great job holding off the quicker Layne “Lightning” Riggs. Layne has been fast his entire career and earned that win. He put on a great show at NASCAR’s newest street circuit. I do not know if they will run this track again, but so far, so good for the Naval Base. The field raced relatively clean all day and was able to put on a wonderful race!

The series takes several weeks off, but continues its schedule at Lime Rock Park on July 19th.