October 17, 2025 | By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service

Gio Ruggiero scores first career Truck Series win at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala.—Rookie Gio Ruggiero capped a typically dramatic afternoon of racing on the Talladega Superspeedway high banks with the 19-year-old’s first career trip to NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Victory Lane in Friday’s Love’s RV Stop 225.

Though not in the playoffs, Ruggiero held off his Tricon Garage teammate and current championship leader Corey Heim in a two-lap overtime duel to the checkered flag, his No. 17 Toyota leading the way by a mere .059 seconds. The effort rewarded an absolutely strong day for the young driver, who won pole position and led a race-best 37 of the 90 laps.

Ruggiero took the lead with two laps remaining in regulation after then-race leaders, ThorSport Racing teammates Ben Rhodes and rookie Luke Fenhaus, made contact — both Fords spinning out and allowing Ruggiero and Heim to the front. The teammates held position for the two laps of overtime to claim the win.

“Super thankful all the guys on this 17 truck, they worked their butts off today and definitely brought the best piece today,” the Massachusetts driver Ruggiero said. “We showed it in qualifying and throughout the race there that we had the fastest piece. Thanks to Toyota and everybody who supports me. Great to win a race with my mom and dad here.”

Heim’s runner-up effort was the best showing by one of the eight playoff drivers with only a single race remaining in this three-race round to finalize which four will race for the championship on Oct. 31 at Phoenix Raceway.

Heim, the regular-season points leader and 10-race winner, has led laps in all 23 races this season. He is the only driver with a secure entry to the Phoenix finale thanks to a victory in this round’s opening race at the Charlotte Roval two weeks ago.

ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski — the reigning series champion — turned in an impressive rally on the afternoon to finish third after dropping to 34th in the 36-car field early with collateral damage from an early-laps accident.

Rookie Dawson Sutton was fourth, followed by playoff driver Layne Riggs, who, like Majeski, earned his top five the hard way. He started at the rear of the field after an inspection violation and was involved to varying degrees in multiple incidents during the race.

“I’m just glad to end the day in one piece,” said Riggs, driver of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford. “I know Chandler [Smith] gave me a bad push getting into the corner there, and we both wrecked. Just so glad that wasn’t a day-ender.

“Started shotgun on the field and went to the back a few times, there at the end just trying to be patient and hold that bottom and hoping the top would break up and it did. Really bummed we didn’t get any stage points. We’re not quite in the position we want to be in, but it’s a lot better than it could have been.”

Six of the eight playoff drivers finished among the top 10, with playoff driver Tyler Ankrum in sixth, followed by former three-time series champ Matt Crafton and part-time driver Corey Lajoie, and playoff competitors Rajah Caruth and Kaden Honeycutt rounding out the top 10.

Three positions in the Championship 4 are still to be decided. The playoff standings heading to the final race of this round show Caruth heading to Martinsville 14 points above the cutline with Ankrum plus-eight and Honeycutt plus-five. Majeski is five points below the line and Riggs is six back.

Daniel Hemric, who had a tire go down late in the race during a green flag run, finished 34th and Grant Enfinger was 36th — essentially putting both veteran drivers in a must-win situation next week at Martinsville Speedway. Hemric is 32 points below the cutline and Enfinger is now 40 points back.

Enfinger, the defending Talladega race winner entering Friday’s event, was an innocent victim collected in an accident only four laps into the race, his No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevy among three playoff trucks suffering damage. But Enfinger’s Chevy was unable to continue, making him the first title contender with issues.

“Bounced off a guy on the inside and thought I had it saved, just one of those Talladega deals,” the Alabama native Enfinger said. “I love this place, but it just wasn’t meant to be today. … so our job’s pretty simple at Martinsville next week.”

The series moves to the half-mile Martinsville Speedway to decide which four drivers move forward in championship contention with the Oct. 24 Slim Jim 200 (6 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Christian Eckes — now a full-time Xfinity Series driver — is the defending race winner.



NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race Number 23
Race Results for the Love's RV Stop 225 - Friday, October 17, 2025
Talladega Superspeedway - Talladega, AL - 2.66 - Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 90 Laps - 239.4 Miles

Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Friday, 10/17/2025 @ 07:14 PM Eastern

Fin Str Trk Driver Team Laps Stage 1 Pos Stage 2 Pos Pts Status Tms Laps Playoff Pts
1 1 17 Giovanni Ruggiero # First Auto Group Toyota 90 9 1 52 Running 6 37 6
2 3 11 Corey Heim (P) Safelite Toyota 90 3 9 45 Running 1 6
3 2 98 Ty Majeski (P) Soda Sense/Curb Records Ford 90   34 Running  
4 12 26 Dawson Sutton # Rackley Roofing Chevrolet 90 8  36 Running  
5 35 34 Layne Riggs (P) Love's RV STOP Ford 90   32 Running  
6 8 18 Tyler Ankrum (P) LiUNA! Chevrolet 90 7 7 39 Running  
7 4 88 Matt Crafton Jack Links/Menards Ford 90  10 31 Running  
8 18 77 Corey LaJoie Gainbridge Chevrolet 90 2 6 43 Running  
9 11 71 Rajah Caruth (P) HendrickCars.com Chevrolet 90 1 3 46 Running 1 6 1
10 5 52 Kaden Honeycutt (P) Halmar International Toyota 90 6 2 41 Running  
11 13 16 Kris Wright(i) F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet 90   0 Running  
12 10 15 Tanner Gray Place of Hope Toyota 90   25 Running 2 11
13 16 7 JJ Yeley(i) Delaware Life Chevrolet 90 4 4 0 Running 1 3
14 14 81 Connor Mosack # Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Chevrolet 90  8 26 Running  
15 19 76 Spencer Boyd Tibbetts Lumber Chevrolet 90   22 Running  
16 7 99 Ben Rhodes TYM Ford 90 5  28 Running 1 13
17 22 44 Andres Perez De Lara # Telcel Chevrolet 90   20 Running  
18 31 02 Nathan Byrd GMS Chevrolet 90   19 Running 1 6
19 23 42 Matt Mills J.F. Electric Chevrolet 90   18 Running  
20 28 33 Frankie Muniz # More Core Ford 90   17 Running  
21 24 91 Jack Wood Adaptive One Calipers Chevrolet 90   16 Running 1 1
22 25 38 Chandler Smith Wheelers Ford 90   15 Running 1 1
23 6 66 Luke Fenhaus Soda Sense Ford 90  5 20 Running 2 5
24 29 2 Josh Reaume Aerial Titans Ford 89   13 Running  
25 34 35 Greg Van Alst Top Choice Fence Toyota 88   12 Running  
26 21 75 Parker Kligerman Pickers Vodka Chevrolet 87   11 Running 1 1
27 27 69 Tyler Tomassi(i) Elly Productions Ford 87   0 Running  
28 9 1 Bret Holmes ShopTRICON.com Toyota 87   9 Running  
29 26 13 Jake Garcia Quanta Services Ford 87   8 Running  
30 33 22 Jason White Powder Ventures Ford 83   7 Electrical  
31 20 45 Bayley Currey DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet 68   6 Driveshaft  
32 32 6 Norm Benning MDIA Inc Chevrolet 55   5 Engine  
33 30 5 Toni Breidinger # Coach Toyota 54   4 Suspension  
34 17 19 Daniel Hemric (P) Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet 52 10  4 Accident  
35 36 74 Caleb Costner Ironside Forestry Toyota 43   2 Electrical  
36 15 9 Grant Enfinger (P) Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet 3   1 Accident  

Fastest Lap Bonus:  # 99  lap 90 / 49.783
                                                            
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 0 Mins, 27 Secs. Average Speed: 119.253 MPH Margin of Victory: 0.059 Seconds

Stage 1 Top 10: 71, 77, 11, 7, 99, 52, 18, 26, 17, 19
Stage 2 Top 10: 17, 52, 71, 7, 66, 77, 18, 81, 11, 88

Race Comments: Gio Ruggiero won the Love's RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway, his first career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory. Prior to the start of the race, the following trucks dropped to the rear for the reasons indicated: Nos. 42, 38, 75 (unapproved adjustments).

Failed to Qualify: None.

Caution Flags: 7 for 29 laps; Laps: 5-8 (#9, 98, 13, 38, 99 incident frontstretch [None]); 11-13 (#34, 38, 81 incident turn 1 [6]); 22-26 (Stage 1 Conclusion [13]); 33-35 (#1 incident backs


CURRENT NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS

POS NO. DRIVER MFR +/-

1 11 Corey Heim Toyota ADVANCED 
2 71 Rajah Caruth Chevrolet +14
3 18 Tyler Ankrum Chevrolet +8
4 52 Kaden Honeycutt Toyota +5

CUTOFF LINE - 4 DRIVERS ELIMINATED AFTER MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY (OCT. 24)

5 98 Ty Majeski Ford -5
6 34 Layne Riggs Ford -6
7 19  Daniel Hemric Chevrolet -32
8 9 Grant Enfinger Chevrolet -40