ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In a thrilling run to the checkered flag, Layne Riggs bobbed, weaved and saved just enough fuel to keep a pair of hard-charging fellow Ford drivers in Ty Majeski and Ben Rhodes behind him to win the OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 on Saturday afternoon.

Riggs’ No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford crossed the line .879 of a second ahead of Majeski for his first victory of the year and sixth of his career as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series held its inaugural race on the streets of downtown St. Petersburg.

Starting 28th in the 36-car field, Riggs turned in remarkable work moving forward from the drop of the green flag. He finished seventh in the opening 20-lap stage and won the second stage 20 laps later. Riggs said the fuel light was flickering with about eight laps to go and that he was almost certain he wasn’t going to have enough to finish.

“Just didn’t know how long it was going to last,” Riggs said.

It lasted long enough to take the win and allow for victory donuts around the crowded course as he celebrated the first road course victory of his career, leading a race-best 41 of the 80 laps.

“It was a lot of fun racing here at St. Pete, I think everybody heard street course and thought they weren’t going to be able to pass and there wouldn’t be great side-by-side racing, but this was one of the race-iest tracks we’ve ever gone to, at least in the truck series in my time,” Riggs said with a smile. “It was a lot of fun.

“I call myself a road racer now,” he added, noting it was only the fifth road course race of his life. “It’s amazing to race so many well-known guys, going past some and knowing these guys are road-course ringers and we were faster today.”

Sunny skies and a scenic 1.8-mile 14-turn course along the downtown St. Pete waterfront provided a great scene for the series’ first street course event — and the trucks did not disappoint the large and enthusiastic crowd.

At one point late in the race, Riggs, 23, held a two minute-plus advantage on the field, but lapped traffic in the final 10 laps allowed Majeski and Rhodes to close in. With a lap to go, it looked like Majeski had put his No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford in position to make a final challenge on Riggs, but he overshot Turn 13 for the second time on the day.

Majeski recovered enough to hold on to second, but left the track feeling he’d lost an opportunity.

The 2024 series champion also climbed out of his Ford truck encouraged by the venue.

“It was probably the most fun I’ve had in a race car in a long time,” Majeski said. “A lot of fun. It’s a racey race track with three good passing zones and rewards discipline.

“Just finding that balance between being aggressive and making mistakes and staying disciplined,” Majeski said of his day, which included two laps out front and that runner-up finish after starting 22nd.

“Just made a little mistake into (Turn) 13, got a little wheel-hop and had to chase it and battle my way back. Hope everyone enjoyed the show. We passed a lot of trucks today.”

Rhodes, who led 23 laps early, similarly could not mount a challenge in the closing laps as he, too, had to save fuel.

“That’s all we had in the tank for our F150 here, literally I was running out of gas those last two laps,” said Rhodes, who has a pair of top-five finishes through the season’s opening three races.

“Really proud of Ford Racing for bringing us a fast truck. Our truck’s in one piece and a lot of these trucks aren’t. Very excited, though. Brand-new truck and a good showing for it.”

Former IndyCar stars — Dario Franchitti and James Hinchcliffe and current IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series full-timer Colin Braun — added an extra element of intrigue to the field. Braun, who started 16th in Kaulig Racing’s No. 25 RAM Truck, finished ninth to pace that esteemed trio.

Hinchcliffe, the former Indy 500 polesitter and multi-race winner, finished 10th in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Franchitti, the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, was officially scored 27th as his No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota pitted late in the race and lost a lap.

Fords swept the top four positions, with Riggs’ teammate Chandler Smith finishing fourth after leading seven laps. TRICON Garage’s Kaden Honeycutt rounded out the top five in a Toyota.

Neice Motorsports teammates Landen Lewis and Andres Perez De Lara were sixth and seventh with McAnally-Hilgemann’s Daniel Hemric, Braun and Hinchcliffe completing the top 10.

“I think the overall headliner is that a Bahamian, North Carolina, boy won on a road course against some of the best in the world,” a grinning Riggs said. “It’s a testament to everyone at Front Row Motorsports and a shoutout to (sports car driver) Joey Hand, who did a lot of work with me.”

“It is an amazing place to come and I don’t know why we couldn’t come back next year … I couldn’t believe how packed the grandstands were and I thought it was one of the best road course races the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has ever seen,” Riggs said of running the doubleheader weekend along with the IndyCar Series, which races Sunday. “Thank you to all the fans for coming out.”

Smith now leads the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship standings by 34 points over former two-time series champion Rhodes.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race — OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. Petersburg

Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Florida

Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026

1. (28) Layne Riggs, Ford, 80.

2. (22) Ty Majeski, Ford, 80.

3. (4) Ben Rhodes, Ford, 80.

4. (5) Chandler Smith, Ford, 80.

5. (19) Kaden Honeycutt, Toyota, 80.

6. (8) Landen Lewis, Chevrolet, 80.

7. (14) Andres Perez De Lara, Chevrolet, 80.

8. (34) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 80.

9. (16) Colin Braun, RAM, 80.

10. (3) James Hinchcliffe, Chevrolet, 80.

11. (35) Ben Maier, Chevrolet, 80.

12. (11) Justin Haley, RAM, 80.

13. (1) Connor Mosack, Chevrolet, 80.

14. (30) Cole Butcher #, Ford, 80.

15. (31) Christian Eckes, Chevrolet, 80.

16. (18) Tyler Reif, Chevrolet, 80.

17. (12) Daniel Dye, RAM, 80.

18. (9) Jake Garcia, Ford, 80.

19. (20) Kris Wright, Chevrolet, 80.

20. (29) Tanner Gray, Toyota, 80.

21. (26) Carter Fartuch, Ford, 80.

22. (25) Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, 80.

23. (10) Adam Andretti, Toyota, 80.

24. (15) Brenden Queen #, RAM, 80.

25. (2) Giovanni Ruggiero, Toyota, 79.

26. (17) Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 79.

27. (6) Dario Franchitti, Toyota, 79.

28. (21) Mini Tyrrell #, RAM, 77.

29. (24) Jackson Lee, Ford, 75.

30. (23) Frankie Muniz, Ford, 74.

31. (13) Tyler Ankrum, Chevrolet, 70.

32. (36) Timmy Hill, Toyota, 63.

33. (33) Dawson Sutton, Chevrolet, Accident, 62.

34. (27) Nathan Nicholson, Chevrolet, Accident, 55.

35. (32) Derek White, Ford, Fuel Pump, 52.

36. (7) Wesley Slimp, Toyota, Power Steering, 15.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 58.756 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 27 Mins, 3 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.879 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 6 for 17 laps.

Lead Changes: 9 among 5 drivers.

Lap Leaders: C. Mosack 1-6;B. Rhodes 7-21;C. Mosack 22;B. Rhodes 23-30;C. Smith 31-37;L. Riggs 38-54;T. Majeski 55;L. Riggs 56-60;T. Majeski 61;L. Riggs 62-80.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Layne Riggs 3 times for 41 laps; Ben Rhodes 2 times for 23 laps; Chandler Smith 1 time for 7 laps; Connor Mosack 2 times for 7 laps; Ty Majeski 2 times for 2 laps.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 99,7,45,38,17,1,34,18,11,44

Stage #2 Top Ten: 34,38,45,88,99,17,18,1,9,44

–NASCAR Wire Service

GG Jackson turned 21 years old in December, but the Memphis Grizzlies’ 6-foot-9 forward is practically an NBA veteran.

When the Grizzlies visit the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in Indianapolis, Jackson will be nearing the end of his third season in the league and playing some of the most consistent basketball of his career.

With Memphis being short-handed this season due to an abundance of injuries — the most significant being the multiple injuries to star guard Ja Morant and a lingering ankle issue with big man Zach Edey — Jackson has benefited from extended play.

In the team’s last six games, Jackson has emerged as an offensive presence. He has averaged 20.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game during this stretch and produced season highs of 28 points and nine rebounds in a Feb. 21 loss at Miami.

He had 12 points, three boards and four assists in Friday’s 124-105 win at Dallas that snapped a three-game skid.

“GG has made big strides throughout the season,” said Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo. “We talked about it with GG during (the summer league). We said his superpower is getting to the paint. He’s been doing a great job of touching the paint. His (offensive) efficiency is (at a) career high right now. How he’s finishing in those situations is a testament to his hard work.”

Jackson, who missed most of last season due to an injury, has also been accurate from beyond the arc during the six-game stretch. He has made 12 of his 25 3-point attempts (48%), boosting his season percentage to 34.7% from long range.

Iisalo noted that Jackson has also been “playing way simpler” and passing the ball more effectively. He had five assists in each of the team’s games on Jan. 30 and 31 against New Orleans and Minnesota.

“Offensively, he’s playing well off the catch and finding the open guys,” Iisalo said. “He still has to toggle between the right amount of aggressiveness and patience.”

The team’s recent deal that sent Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah has also created more playing time for GG Jackson, but at this early stage, he has yet to develop the same skills that earned Jaren Jackson the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2023.

“Defensively, (GG has) improved as a point-of-attack defender,” Iisalo said. “There are still some things that he needs to do better on the defensive end: being on a string, having that defensive awareness, rebounding better for his position. I think it’s very encouraging, the steps he’s making, and offensively, he has become a real weapon.”

Struggling Indiana hopes that the return of forward Obi Toppin will give the Pacers a boost. The sixth-year pro, who turns 28 on Wednesday, played Thursday in a 133-109 loss to Charlotte — his first action since suffering a stress fracture in his right foot in late October that required surgery. He scored three points and grabbed two rebounds in eight minutes.

“It was heart-warming,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He brings energy to our team and our situation. It’s great to have him back (but) it’s clear this is going to be a slow process of getting him gradually up to speed. But we need him. We need bodies.”

Toppin’s playing time should gradually increase, beginning Sunday against Memphis.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been out there on the floor,” Toppin said. “To be out there, I felt really good offensively and defensively. Just being out there, I feel like I’m going to find my rhythm.”

–Field Level Media

Two teams coming off noteworthy 3-point shooting performances will meet Sunday when the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Boston Celtics.

Boston made 22 of 34 3-point attempts (64.7%) during Friday night’s 148-111 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The Celtics shot 66.7% from the field overall (52 of 78) after shooting 34.9% and scoring a season-low 84 points in Wednesday’s loss at Denver.

“We were due for some makes,” Jaylen Brown said following the win.

Nikola Vucevic turned in his best effort since he was traded to Boston from Chicago. He made each of his three 3-point attempts and collected 28 points with 11 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench.

“I thought our spacing was good,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I thought (Vucevic’s) screening was good. I thought we found the advantage quickly, and I thought we just kept hammering that, so it’s a credit to him and his screening and his execution, and then to the guys finding him in advantages to make plays for himself or for others.

“I thought we just did a good job reading the game. I thought we made the right reads throughout most of the entire game. I thought Vooch really looked comfortable in his offensive reads and his offensive screening. He unlocked a lot of stuff for us.”

Boston has a 6-2 record since it acquired Vucevic.

“Every day is a day we get better, so continuing it and continuing to find him in his spots and allow him to feel more comfortable is big-time for our team,” Brown said. “I think today was a great step forward. I like to see him aggressive. I think that’s a good sign for us, especially when teams are trying to double or trying to take certain parts of the game away.”

Tyrese Maxey passed Allen Iverson and set the franchise record for made 3-pointers in Philadelphia’s most recent game, a 124-117 victory over Miami on Thursday.

Maxey made five 3-pointers in the win and has 887 made 3-point field goals in 375 games in his NBA career. Iverson made 885 3-pointers in 722 games with the 76ers.

“I’m just happy, man,” Maxey said. “I’m blessed. I thank God for the opportunity, thank God for the Sixers organization drafting me, trusting me, believing in me. I thank God for both my coaches, Doc (Rivers) and (Nick) Nurse. They’ve instilled a lot of confidence in me.

“And lastly, my teammates, man. I gave a shoutout to Tobias (Harris) earlier. My rookie year, he told me I was a great shooter. Even though I wasn’t shooting as well as I wanted to, he told me I was a great shooter. And Joel (Embiid), man. He’s been on me about shooting 10 threes a game since probably my second or third year and I appreciate him for that.”

Philadelphia was 17 of 43 (39.5%) from beyond the 3-point arc during the win over Miami. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes each made three 3-point field goals. The victory extended Philadelphia’s winning streak to three games.

Sunday’s game will be the fourth meeting between the Celtics and 76ers this season. After Philadelphia posted a 117-116 road victory in the season opener for each team, the Celtics and 76ers split two games in Philadelphia. Boston won 109-108 on Oct. 31, and Philadelphia prevailed 102-100 on Nov. 11.

Boston is second in the Eastern Conference standings. Philadelphia is sixth.

–Field Level Media