Gio Ruggiero captures his first NASCAR Truck Sequence Win at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday evening within the Love’s RV Cease 225
Rookie Gio Ruggiero capped a sometimes dramatic afternoon of racing on the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway excessive banks with the 21-year-old’s first profession journey to Victory Lane in Friday’s Love’s RV Cease 225 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Sequence race.
Gio Ruggiero’s Win at Talladega
Although not within the Playoffs, Ruggiero held off his Tricon Storage teammate and present championship chief Corey Heim in a two-lap additional time duel to the checkered flag, his No. 17 Toyota main the best way by a mere 0.059-second. The trouble rewarded a powerful day for the younger driver, who gained pole place and led a race-best 37 of the 90 laps.
He took the lead with two laps remaining in regulation after then-race leaders, ThorSport Racing teammates Ben Rhodes and rookie Luke Fenhaus made contact – each Fords spinning out and permitting Ruggiero and Heim to the entrance. The teammates held place for the 2 laps of additional time to assert the win.
“Tremendous grateful all the blokes on this 17-truck, they labored their butts off at this time and undoubtedly introduced the most effective piece at this time,’’ the Massachusetts driver Ruggiero stated. “We confirmed it in qualifying and all through the race there that we had the quickest piece. Because of Toyota and all people who helps me. Nice to win a race with my mother and pop right here.’’
Heim’s runner-up effort was the most effective displaying by one of many eight Playoff drivers, with solely a single race remaining on this three-race spherical to finalize which 4 will race for the championship on October 31 at Phoenix Raceway.
Heim, the common season factors chief and ten-race winner, has led laps in all 23 races this season. He’s the one driver with a safe entry to the Phoenix finale because of a victory on this spherical’s opening race on the Charlotte ROVAL per week in the past.
ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski – the reigning sequence champion – turned in a formidable rally on the afternoon to complete third after dropping to thirty fourth within the 36-car discipline early with collateral harm from an early-laps accident.
Rookie Dawson Sutton was fourth, adopted by Playoff driver Layne Riggs, who, like Majeski, earned his top-five the exhausting manner. He began on the rear of the sector after an inspection violation. That induced him to be concerned to various levels in a number of incidents throughout the race.
“I’m simply glad to finish the day in a single piece,’’ stated Riggs, driver of the No. 34 Entrance Row Motorsports Ford. “I do know Chandler [Smith] gave me a nasty push moving into the nook there, and we each wrecked. Simply so glad that wasn’t a day-ender.
“Began shotgun on the sector and went to the again a couple of instances, there on the finish simply making an attempt to be affected person and maintain that backside and hoping the highest would break up, and it did. Actually bummed we didn’t get any stage factors. We’re not fairly within the place we need to be in, nevertheless it’s lots higher than it might have been.’’
Six of the eight Playoff drivers completed among the many prime ten, with Playoff driver Tyler Ankrum in sixth. Subsequent had been former three-time sequence champ Matt Crafton and part-time driver Corey Lajoie. Playoff opponents Rajah Caruth and Kaden Honeycutt, roundi out the highest ten.
Three positions within the Championship 4 are nonetheless to be determined. Caruth heads to Martinsville 14 factors up on the cutoff line with Ankrum plus-eight and Honeycutt plus-five. Majeski is 5 factors under the road and Riggs six again.
Daniel Hemric had a tire go down late within the race throughout a inexperienced flag run and completed thirty fourth. Grant Enfinger was thirty sixth – primarily put each veteran drivers in a must-win state of affairs subsequent week at Martinsville. Hemric is 32 factors under the cutoff line, and Enfinger is now 40 factors again.
Enfinger, the defending race winner, was an harmless sufferer collected in an accident solely 4 laps into the race. His No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevy is amongst 4 Playoff vehicles struggling harm. However Enfinger’s Chevy was unable to proceed making him the primary title contender with points.
“Bounced off a man on the within and thought I had it saved, simply a type of Talladega offers,’’ the Alabama-native Enfinger stated. “I really like this place, nevertheless it simply wasn’t meant to be at this time. … so our job’s fairly easy at Martinsville subsequent week.”
Up Subsequent
The sequence strikes to the half-mile Martinsville (Va.) Speedway to resolve which 4 drivers transfer ahead in championship rivalry on October twenty fourth. The Slim Jim 200 begins at 6 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Christian Eckes – now a fulltime NASCAR Xfinity Sequence driver – is the defending race winner.
