Lou Modestino sends us a report by Joseph Srigley of TobyChristie, that Gio Ruggiero, the defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year (ROTY), will get the nod to compete in a pair of NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series events this season for Joe Gibbs Racing.
“Last season gave me a great opportunity to get my feet wet with the team, and I am excited to be able to have my debut with the winningest team in the series,” said Ruggiero. “Going into this season, I feel more prepared than ever, and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish. This opportunity allows me to gain valuable experience on the mile-and-a-half and superspeedways, which I can then apply to the truck series. I also have so much fun driving the ARCA cars, and I can’t wait to put the No. 18 up front again.”
In addition to his pair of starts in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Ruggiero will also be returning to the ARCA Menards Series in 2026, driving the No. 18 Toyota Camry in six events, starting with the season-opener at Daytona on February 14.
The 19-year-old driver will be quite busy when Speedweeks rolls around in mid-February, competing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing), NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (No. 17, TRICON Garage), and ARCA Menards Series (No. 18, Joe Gibbs Racing) events at the 2.5-mile superspeedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.