Layne Riggs will lead the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series field to green Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after winning the pole for the EJP 175.
Riggs turned a 29.346-second lap to claim the top starting spot, beating Kaden Honeycutt by more than two-tenths of a second. Honeycutt qualified second with a 29.569, setting up a front row featuring the top two drivers in the Truck Series standings.
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The pole could be especially important at New Hampshire. Track position has historically played a major role in Truck Series races at the Magic Mile, with 14 of the previous 21 races won from the front row. The driver leading the most laps has also won 10 of the last 11 races at the track.
Ruggiero Gives TRICON Another Contender
Behind Riggs and Honeycutt, Gio Ruggiero qualified third with a 29.581-second lap.
Ruggiero enters the weekend already locked into the Chase and now has an excellent starting position to chase his first victory of the season. With Honeycutt starting alongside Riggs, TRICON Garage will have two trucks inside the top three for Saturday’s race.
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Connor Zilisch qualified fourth at 29.606, while Tristan McKee continued to impress by putting himself fifth with a 29.631-second lap.
Daniel Hemric will roll off sixth, followed by Gavan Boschele in seventh and Grant Enfinger in eighth. Jake Garcia and Ben Rhodes complete the top 10.
McKee Continues to Impress in Second Truck Series Start
One of the biggest stories from qualifying came from 16-year-old Tristan McKee, who put the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet fifth on the starting grid with a 29.631-second lap.
What makes that performance even more impressive is the lack of Truck Series experience behind McKee. Saturday’s EJP 175 will be just the second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start of his career. McKee made his debut last weekend at Richmond Raceway and immediately showed he belonged, earning a top-10 finish in his first career start.
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The speed carried over immediately to New Hampshire. McKee was third-fastest in Friday’s practice session before backing it up with a fifth-place qualifying effort.
For a driver with only one Truck Series race under his belt, running near established names like Layne Riggs, Kaden Honeycutt, Gio Ruggiero and Connor Zilisch is another strong sign of McKee’s potential. He isn’t simply gaining experience in these starts — he’s already showing the speed to compete near the front.
Starting fifth gives McKee another opportunity to turn heads Saturday. After a top-10 in his debut and now a top-five starting spot in race No. 2, McKee is quickly becoming one of the young drivers to watch in the Truck Series.
Championship Pressure Builds at New Hampshire
Saturday’s EJP 175 is more than another race on the schedule. It serves as the final race of the 2026 Truck Series regular season, meaning the remaining Chase positions will be decided at New Hampshire.
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That makes several qualifying performances especially important.
Enfinger starts eighth and Rhodes starts 10th as both look to secure their spots in the postseason, while Hemric’s sixth-place qualifying effort gives him valuable track position entering one of the biggest races of his season.
At the front, however, all eyes will be on Riggs.
The No. 34 Front Row Motorsports driver entered New Hampshire leading the championship standings and will now have the best view in the field when the green flag drops. With passing historically difficult at New Hampshire and front-row starters owning a major advantage, Riggs has put himself in an ideal position to close out the regular season with another statement victory.
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Top 10 Starting Lineup
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Kaden Honeycutt — 29.569
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Connor Zilisch — 29.606
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Gavan Boschele — 29.732
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Grant Enfinger — 29.746
The EJP 175 is scheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, with Riggs and Honeycutt leading the field to green as the Truck Series regular season reaches its conclusion.
