Gio Ruggiero plays spoiler at Talladega; captures career first win: Rookie Gio Ruggiero capped a typically dramatic afternoon of racing on the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway high banks with the 21-year old’s first career trip to Victory Lane in Friday’s Love’s RV Stop 225 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.(Read More)(10-17-2025)
#17-Gio Ruggiero won the Love’s RV Stop 225 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. The win was the first of his career.
Ruggiero started from the pole, led 37 of the extended 90 laps, and won stage two en route to his win. He was pushed across the line to the win by teammate #11-Corey Heim.
#98-Ty Majeski suffered damage in an incident in the opening laps. He recovered and finished third.
#25-Dawson Sutton tallied his career best finish in fourth.
#38-Layne Riggs started in the back of the field, was involved in two separate incidents, and rallied to finish fifth.
#18-Tyler Akrum, #88-Matt Crafton, #77-Corey LaJoie, #71-Rajah Caruth, who won the opening stage, and #52-Kaden Honeycutt were the top-10.
Playoff drivers #9-Grant Enfinger and #19-Daniel Hemric failed to finish the race after being involved in incidents on laps 3 and 52, respectively. They now sit seventh and eighth in the Round of 8 playoff standings.
There were 17 lead changes among 11 drivers and seven cautions for 29 yellow flag laps.
The average speed of the race was: 119.253mph.
See race details at: Race Results, Driver Point Standings, Owner Point Standings, Cumulative Report, Penalty Report
Race Fast Facts – Talladega
Giovanni Ruggiero # won the Love’s RV Stop 225, his first victory in 23 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races.
This is his first victory and 11th top-10 finish in 2025.
This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in one race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Corey Heim (P) (second) posted his second top-10 finish in four races at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his 19th top-10 finish in 2025.
Ty Majeski (P) (third) posted his first top-10 finish in four races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Giovanni Ruggiero (first) was the highest finishing rookie.
Corey Heim (P) leads the point standings by 75 points over Tyler Ankrum (P).
(NASCAR)(10-17-2025)
Truck Series Driver Point Standings after Talladega:
Race 2 of 3 in the Round of 8:
1) #11-Corey Heim, 1 win in Round of 8
2) #71-Rajah Caruth, 3096, +14
3) #18-Tyler Ankrum,3090, +8
4) #52-Kaden Honeycutt, 3087, +5
Outside of the Championship 4
5) #98-TY Majeski, 3082, -5
6) #34-Layne Riggs, 3081, -6
7) #19-Daniel Hemric, 3055, -32
8) #9-Grant Enfinger, 3047, -40
See the Driver Point Standings, Owner Point Standings
Race Updates:
Ruggiero with his first career win, with Heim in second.
Last lap as Ruggiero leads Heim with LaJoie on the high lane.
Ruggiero and Heim choose the inside lane for the restart. LaJoie and Caruth on the outside.
Lap 85: Overtime for the trucks. Ruggiero leads Heim, LaJoie, Majeski the top-5.
Lap 84: CAUTION Fenhaus makes contact with the rear of Rhodes and they both spin out.
Lap 80: 5 to go. The lead continues to swap hands as the laps click down, depending on momentum from the lanes. Rhodes, Fenhaus, Ruggiero, Heim and Gray are all running single-file out front of two distinct lanes.
Lap 70: Back to green as Ruggiero leads from the inside with Rhodes outside.
Lap 65: CAUTION Big fire coming out of Benning’s truck as he loses an engine and it erupts underneath the 6. He gets out on his own power. 20 to go as Ruggiero leads Heim, Rhodes, Gray and Fenhaus
Lap 59: As stops continue to cycle, Heim moves to the lead of the pack. Once Byrd makes his stop, he will be the leader. Fenhaus, Smith, Rhodes follow.
Lap 55: Pack of lead laps trucks pit under green.
Lap 50: 35 to go. Gray leads Smith, Wood, Mosack and Sutton.
Lap 46: Restart.
Lap 42: Most of the field, including leader Ruggiero, pit.
Lap 40: Ruggiero maintains and wins stage 2.
Lap 37: Ruggiero cuts down in front of Fenhaus to reclaim the lead.
Lap 35: Restart with 50 to go in the race, 5 in the stage. Fenhaus leads the inside lane, being pushed by Caruth. Ruggiero on the outside with Honeycutt behind him.
Lap 31: Riggs gets a flat left and stacks up the field. Holmes caught up with damage after contact with the wall. Fenhaus leads Ruggiero.
Lap 26: Restart for stage 2 as Yeley leads, but Ruggiero on the outside lane wanting the lead back.
Lap 23: Under yellow, Caruth pits. LaJoie, Heim follow – and Yeley now leads as he stays on track from the 5th spot. Various strategy on pitroad. Some fuel only, others 2 tires.
Lap 20: Caruth with the stage win. LaJoie, Heim, Rhodes and Yeley the top-5.
Lap 14: Restart as Heimn leads the low lane.
Lap 11: Under yellow, leader Ruggiero pits for the first show of various pit strategy. Heim now leads Rhodes, Honeycutt, Caruth, LaJoie.
Lap 10: CAUTION as Riggs gets sideways and collects Mosack
Lap 8: Restart. Heim, Honeycutt choose to restart behind Ruggiero on the inside lane. Rhodes holdsthe outside and hooks up with Caruth.
Lap 5: CAUTION Enfinger in the outside lane gets bumped down track after contact from Smith. He shoots back up track and into the wall. Majeski, Fenhaus, Garcia also collected. Ruggiero leads Heim, Honeycutt, Rhodes
Lap 1: Pole-sitter Ruggiero holds the lead as the outside lane with Majeski, who started front row, fades.
Green flag 4:23
Trucks to the rear: #42-Mills Unapproved (driveshaft), #38-Riggs Unapproved (transmission), #75-Kligerman Unapproved (pitman arm)
Race Information:
Broadcast: FOX, NRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 85 laps / 226.1 Miles
Stages: 20 / 40 / 85
Average time of race: 1:48:24
Pit road speed: 55 mph
Caution vehicle speed: 70 mph
Fuel window: 32 laps
Invocation: 4:03:20 p.m.
National Anthem: 4:04:00 p.m.
Command: 4:11:00 p.m.
Green Flag: 4:23:00 p.m.
Pitstall Selections
#17-Gio Ruggiero won the pole for the Love’s RV Stop 225 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 176.380mph for his second pole of the season, first at Talladega, and the second pole of his career.
#98-Ty Majeski will start second, followed by #11-Corey Heim, #88-Matt Crafton, #52-Kaden Honeycutt, #66-Luke Fenhaus, #99-Ben Rhodes, #18-Tyler Ankrum, #1-Bret Holmes, and #15-Tanner Gray in the top-10.
See the complete Love’s RV Stop 225 Starting Lineup and check out the complete Qualifying Results.
Qualifying Fast Facts – Talladega:
Giovanni Ruggiero # won the Pole Award for the Love’s RV Stop 225 with a lap of 54.292 seconds, 176.380 mph.
This is his second pole in 23 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races.
This is his second pole and 12th top-10 start in 2025.
This is his first pole in one races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Ty Majeski (P) (second) posted his 16th top-10 start of 2025 and his fourth in four races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Corey Heim (P) (third) posted his third top-10 start at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his 20th in 23 races this season.
Giovanni Ruggiero (first) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR)
Pre-race inspection in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series garage is complete.
The Nos. 66 and 98 failed twice (loss of pit selection for next event; truck chief for both trucks were ejected).
The No. 35 has not yet passed, and will be reinspected tomorrow morning.
Crew Rosters
Qualifying Order
Goodyear Tire Notes: Teams competing in the Truck Series, which didn’t race at Talladega in April, follow a similar allocation pattern: they will use the same left-side tires as in February’s Daytona race and the same right-side tires as from Atlanta.
The entry list for the Love’s RV Stop 225 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway has been released. There are 36 drivers/teams for 36 spots.
Some notes: #1-Bret Holmes, #7-JJ Yeley, #6-Norm Benning, #16-Kris Wright, #22-Jason White, #33-Frankie Muniz, #75-Parker Kligerman.
See the complete Love’s RV Stop 225 entry list.
At Track Schedule
Race rules and information:
