Gio Ruggiero showed front-running speed early at Kansas Speedway but ultimately faded to 13th. Ruggiero started third in the No. 17 TRICON Garage Toyota and immediately established himself as one of Kaden Honeycutt’s closest challengers.
Ruggiero finished second in Stage 1 and fifth in Stage 2, accumulating 15 bonus points before the final segment. The handling and track-position picture changed after the weather delay, however, and Ruggiero gradually slipped outside the top 10. He still completed all 134 laps and collected 39 points, limiting the damage from a disappointing final finishing position.
The stage production allowed Ruggiero to improve to fourth in the Chase with 2,125 points. He trails Kaden Honeycutt by 72 points, only one behind
Chandler Smith for third and 10 ahead of fifth-place Christian Eckes. Kansas became a solid points day despite the 13th-place result.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Gio Ruggiero's race recap in the Truck Chase race at Kansas in 2026
