Gio Ruggiero will remain with TRICON Garage for the 2027 NASCAR Truck Series season. The organization announced on October 21 that the 20-year-old driver has signed a contract extension to continue driving the No. 17 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, securing his future for a third consecutive full-time campaign.
Ruggiero joined TRICON Garage ahead of the 2025 season and quickly established himself as one of NASCAR's promising young drivers. The Massachusetts native earned his first career Truck Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2025, recording seven top-five finishes and 11 top-10 results during his rookie campaign. He also captured Rookie of the Year honors before returning to the organization for 2026.
The young driver has continued
developing throughout his sophomore season, qualifying for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Chase for the first time. At the time of the extension announcement, Ruggiero had recorded four top-five finishes and 11 top-10 results through 22 races. Although he has not returned to Victory Lane this season, his consistency helped secure another opportunity with Toyota's flagship Truck Series organization.
Ruggiero will be joined by several familiar faces next season. TRICON Garage also announced a contract extension with Kaden Honeycutt, who will continue driving the No. 11 Toyota. Sammy Smith and Dawson Sutton will join the organization in the Nos. 15 and 5 Toyotas, respectively, while the No. 1 entry will continue featuring multiple drivers. Additional details regarding crew chiefs and sponsorship partnerships will be announced later.
Meanwhile, Ruggiero remains focused on finishing the 2026 season strongly. After finishing eighth at Martinsville Speedway on Friday, he sits sixth in the championship standings with 2,224 points, trailing Honeycutt by 179 markers. Although he has been mathematically eliminated from championship contention, Ruggiero will attempt to end the season with a victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 6 before returning to TRICON Garage in 2027.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Gio Ruggiero extends with TRICON Garage for 2027 NASCAR season
