Truck Series: Gio Ruggiero scores career first win at Talladega in overtime

Written by Bailey Defoor

Credit: Sean Gardner

Gio Ruggiero dominated at Talladega Superspeedway from pole to his first win!

As it unfolded

Ruggiero started on pole after beating out Ty Majeski in group two of qualifying. The two stayed side by side while Corey Heim gave Ruggiero a push to the lead. The outside lane struggled to get going, and by the third lap, Majeski was outside of the top 10. 

Lap four brought out the first caution as Grant Enfinger got turned around in eighth. Daniel Hemric, Chandler Smith, Jake Garcia, Tanner Gray, Luke Fenhaus, and Majecki were all damaged in the incident. 

Ruggiero and Ben Rhodes led the way as Heim opted to go behind his teammate on Lap nine, and Rhodes was able to stay with Ruggiero through the first lap. Layne Riggs, who started at the back after not qualifying, went sideways and into the side of Connor Mosack, bringing out another caution on Lap 10.

Ruggiero pitted under the caution, moving Heim up to the lead, so Heim and Rajah Caruth led the field back to green on Lap 14. Heim and Rhodes immediately pulled ahead as Caruth tried to side-draft Rhodes to get back alongside Heim.

The Spire Motorsports teammates worked together to push Caruth into the lead as the stage came to an end.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth (Spire Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

2. No. 77 - Corey LaJoie (Spire Motorsports)

3. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage) [PLAYOFFS] 

4. No. 99 - Ben Rhodes (ThorSport Racing)

5. No. 7 - JJ Yeley (Spire Motorsports)

6. No. 52 - Kaden Honeycutt (Halmar Friesen Racing) [PLAYOFFS] 

7. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) [PLAYOFFS]

8. No. 26 - Dawson Sutton (Rackley W.A.R.)

9. No. 17 - Giovanni Ruggiero (TRICON Garage) 

10. No. 19 - Daniel Hemric (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) [PLAYOFFS] 

Most of the front-running drivers pitted, bringing JJ Yeley and Ruggiero to the front. The two stayed door to door until Ruggiero and Riggs got the run and cut in front of Yeley.

The front four battled tightly together before Riggs had to lift with a flat tyre and caused the field to check up. Consequently, Bret Holmes hit the inside wall on Lap 33, and Riggs and Holmes pitted for repairs. Fenhaus was declared the leader at the time of caution.

Fenhaus and Ruggiero led the way with five laps to go in the stage, and Ruggiero came down in front of Fenhaus for the lead as Caruth fought with him for the stage win. The two battled for the lead until Ruggiero secured it and went on for the stage win.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 17 - Giovanni Ruggiero (TRICON Garage) 

2. No. 52 - Kaden Honeycutt (Halmar Friesen Racing) [PLAYOFFS] 

3. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth (Spire Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

4. No. 7 - JJ Yeley (Spire Motorsports)

5. No. 66 - Luke Fenhaus (ThorSport Racing)

6. No. 77 - Corey LaJoie (Spire Motorsports)

7. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) [PLAYOFFS]

8. No. 81 - Connor Mosack (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) 

9. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage) [PLAYOFFS] 

10. No. 88 - Matt Crafton (ThorSport Racing) 

All of the lead lap drivers pitted under the stage caution. Parker Kligerman and Tanner Gray cycled to the front for the restart on Lap 47. Gray and Smith pulled to the front on the inside as the outside lane fell back a bit. 

After a cycle of green-flag pit stops starting on Lap 55, Ruggiero was back into the lead by Lap 63. The seventh caution of the race came out on Lap 65 as Norm Benning lost an engine and caught on fire. Tyler Ankrum, Kris Wright, Bayley Currey, Smith, Riggs, Kligerman, and Caruth pitted under the caution.

Ruggiero and Rhodes lined up again for the restart on Lap 70. Rhodes and Fenhaus moved ahead of Ruggiero and Heim. 

With two laps to go, Ruggiero and Heim moved to the outside lane. Fenhaus bumped into Rhodes and sent the two spinning on the backstretch and sent the race into overtime. 

Ruggiero and Corey LaJoie were on the front row for overtime. Heim gave a push to his teammate and kept him ahead of LaJoie. At the line, Heim tried to go to the outside, but Ruggiero blocked him to make it his first career win!

Provisional Result

1. No. 17 - Giovanni Ruggiero (TRICON Garage) 

2. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage) [PLAYOFFS] 

3. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing) [PLAYOFFS]

4. No. 26 - Dawson Sutton (Rackley W.A.R.)

5. No. 34 - Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

6. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) [PLAYOFFS]

7. No. 88 - Matt Crafton (ThorSport Racing)

8. No. 77 - Corey LaJoie (Spire Motorsports)

9. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth (Spire Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

10. No. 52 - Kaden Honeycutt (Halmar Friesen Racing) [PLAYOFFS] 

11. No. 15 - Tanner Gray (TRICON Garage)

12. No. 16 - Kris Wright (McAnally Hilgemann Racing)

13. No. 7 - JJ Yeley (Spire Motorsports)

14. No. 81 - Connor Mosack (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) 

15. No. 76 - Spencer Boyd (Freedom Racing Enterprises)

16. No. 99 - Ben Rhodes (ThorSport Racing) [FL]

17. No. 44 - Andrés Pérez (Niece Motorsports) 

18. No. 02 - Nathan Byrd (Young's Motorsports)

19. No. 42 - Matt Mills (Niece Motorsports)

20. No. 33 - Frankie Muniz (Reaume Brothers Racing)

21. No. 91 - Jack Wood (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) 

22. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports) 

23. No. 66 - Luke Fenhaus (ThorSport Racing)

24. No. 2 - Josh Reaume (Reaume Brothers Racing) +1 lap 

25. No. 35 - Greg Van Alst (Greg Van Alst Motorsports) +2 laps

26. No. 75 - Parker Kligerman (Henderson Motorsports) +3 laps

27. No. 69 - Tyler Tomassi (Motorsports Business Management) +3 laps

28. No. 1 - Bret Holmes (TRICON Garage) +3 laps

29. No. 13 - Jake Garcia (ThorSport Racing) +3 laps

30. No. 22 - Jason White (Reaume Brothers Racing) [DNF] 

31. No. 45 - Bayley Currey (Niece Motorsports) [DNF]

32. No. 6 - Norm Benning (Norm Benning Racing) [DNF]

33. No. 5 -  Toni Breidinger (TRICON Garage) [DNF]

34. No. 19 - Daniel Hemric (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) [PLAYOFFS] [DNF]

35. No. 74 - Caleb Costner (Mike Harmon Racing) [DNF]

36. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger (CR7 Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS] [DNF]

The next race for the Craftsman Truck Series will be at Martinsville Speedway for their last chance to lock in for the Championship 4. Tune in on Friday, October 24, at 18:00 EST (23:00 UK). Be there or be square.

Provisional Playoff Picture

1. No. 11 - Corey Heim: [WIN]

2. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth: +14

3. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum: +8

4. No. 02 - Kaden Honeycutt: +5

Playoff Cut Line

1. No. 98 - Ty Majeski: -5

2. No. 34 - Layne Riggs: -6

3. No. 19 - Daniel Hemric: -32

4. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger: -40