Sunday, July 15, 2001
Riggs wins Kroger 225 truck race
By Tom Groeschen
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Scott Riggs celebrates
(AP photo)
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SPARTA, Ky. — Scott Riggs won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Kroger 225 before 41,229 fans at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday night, then put a refreshingly different spin on the postrace press conference.
It was the third win of the season for the 30-year-old from Durham, N.C., but he was ready with a new victory speech. Whereas most drivers uncork a robotic recitation of thanking their sponsors, Riggs also mentioned his wife and his recently deceased dog.
“Yesterday was my wife's 29th birthday, so I dedicate this win to her,” said Riggs, the truck season points leader. “And some of you may think this is silly, but I had a German shepherd who was with me since I started racing 15 years ago, and we just had to put him to sleep. So, that's sentimental to me.”
Name?
Fans cheer as the trucks start their first lap.
(Jeff Swinger photo)
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“His name was Rowdy Riggs. So I'd like to dedicate this to my dog, my Team ASE (Dodge) race team in their 150th career start ... and my wife's birthday. Of course, not necessarily in that order.”
Riggs and bystanders laughed, something Riggs definitely was not doing most of the race.
Riggs, Joe Ruttman and Jack Sprague were the top three finishers, which also is how they rank in the season standings. But it was Sprague and Ted Musgrave, the former Winston Cup driver, who dominated most of the race.
Musgrave led 79 of the first 117 laps before being taken out in a crash, and Sprague had engine troubles late.
“I don't know what happened to Sprague,” Riggs said. “I was just trying to stay in his tracks. I don't know what happened, but he slowed down dramatically.”
Polesitter Jack Sprague leads the field on the first lap.
(AP photo)
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Sprague, the polesitter and two-time truck series champion, said he lost a cylinder and couldn't keep up at the end.
“Nobody could run with the two of us, Ted (Musgrave) and I,” Sprague said. “Then (Musgrave) goes out, and then with 10 or 12 laps to go, we lose a cylinder. I'm pretty disgusted right now, but at least we were able to finish.”
For a long time, the pack trailed Musgrave and Sprague by nearly half the length of the 1.5-mile track. But after several caution flags and reshuffling of the field, Riggs emerged as the strongest car. After the final caution, just five laps from the finish, Riggs raced away to win.
The fans got some bang for their entertainment buck almost immediately when, 10 laps into the race, rookie Ricky Hendrick spun and caused a five-truck melee.
Fire spits from Ricky Hendrick's car after it spun out on the 10th lap.
(Jeff Swinger photo)
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Hendrick, son of Winston Cup car owner Rick Hendrick (Jeff Gordon's car owner), spun coming out of Turn 4. His screeching tires sent a blinding cloud of white smoke across the track, and the backlash saw trucks spinning into the infield grass and colliding. Five trucks were involved, but only one had to leave.
Hendrick, who won last week's truck race at Kansas City, had to change all four tires but was able to continue. He finished sixth.
Kentucky fans paid tribute to the late Dale Earnhardt during the race, with thousands of spectators flashing three-finger salutes during Lap 3.
The No.3 was Earnhardt's car number, and Winston Cup fans have stood and raised three fingers during Lap 3 of each race since Earnhardt died at Daytona in February.
For Riggs, it was the kind of win Earnhardt would have appreciated. He might not have had the best car, but with perseverance and some racing luck, he was there at the end.
“We didn't realize we'd be so slow at the beginning,” Riggs said. “But we kept digging and digging.”
Riggs won an estimated $75,000 for his third career win, all this year. He finished 23rd in the inaugural Kroger 225 at Kentucky last season.
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Riggs wins Kroger 225 truck race
