Gio Ruggiero delivered a solid eighth-place finish in Friday's Black's Tire 200 at Martinsville Speedway, continuing his competitive performances during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship Chase. The TRICON Garage driver started 11th and remained among the top-10 contenders throughout much of the afternoon.
Ruggiero initially demonstrated competitive speed in his No. 17 Toyota, advancing through the field while Layne Riggs dominated the opening stage. He finished 10th in Stage 1, collecting one championship point.
However, his afternoon became more challenging during Stage 2 when changing track position shuffled him outside the top 10. Ruggiero finished 14th in the segment, missing additional stage points.
The final stage featured numerous
accidents and restarts, providing opportunities to recover positions. Ruggiero avoided race-ending damage and returned to the leading group as several competitors experienced problems during the closing laps.
He ultimately finished eighth, completing all 200 laps and earning 30 points. The result helped Ruggiero maintain sixth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Chase standings with 2,224 points. However, his 179-point deficit to championship leader Kaden Honeycutt mathematically eliminates him from title contention. Ruggiero will attempt to close his sophomore season with a victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Gio Ruggiero's race recap in the 2026 Chase race at Martinsville
