NASCAR continues to pull every lever at its disposal to grow the sport, attract fresh fans, and keep drivers engaged. Ideas have ranged from tweaking the playoff format and trimming race lengths to expanding internationally, recruiting global talent, or even scrapping stage breaks altogether. Yet despite the push for reinvention, the shadow of the early 2000s still looms large.
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Some, including Layne Riggs, believe the sport may never recapture its old glory or reach the cultural heights of basketball or football. That’s why, in Jeff Gluck’s 12 Questions segment, when Riggs was asked how NASCAR might raise its profile, his response was blunt.
“NASCAR is trying to do all they can, but I don’t know if it’ll ever be the same as football or basketball. It’s hard to relate to. Any kid can play football, basketball, or soccer, and it’s so much easier to get involved, but not every kid has a go-kart. It’s kind of an acquired taste.”
He stressed that the real key lies in personal investment. “The key is getting people more involved, get them to the racetrack, let them see it. Don’t just watch the race (with no rooting interest); if I’m not pulling for somebody while watching the race, that’s boring even to me. … You need a driver to pull for, someone in the mix, either running good or bad, to make it interesting for you.”
Meanwhile, Riggs himself is also a living proof of the rollercoaster at this point. Despite three wins this year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, he now finds himself one point below the cutline in the Round of 8.
He had entered the opening race of the round with a 21-point cushion but saw it vanish on Lap 1, when Grant Enfinger triggered a wreck that swept up Riggs and Corey Heim from the front row. With a broken sway bar, the Front Row Motorsports driver wrestled his truck the rest of the way and limped home 21st after starting second, a bitter pill in a season where every point counts.
