Lou Modestino checks in with an ARCA race report on Gio Ruggiero, from Josh Calloni | TobyChristie.com…
Gio Ruggiero, driving the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, was the dominant driver in Saturday’s ARCA Menards Series Tide 150 at Kansas Speedway, but thanks to a rash of late-race cautions, which led to a double-overtime finish, Ruggiero, from Seekonk, MA, had to fend off some heavy challengers.
In the end, Daniel Dye, who was making his first stock car racing start since being reinstated by NASCAR, would be his most formidable challenger, but would come up just shy of being able to get around Ruggiero for the win in the closing laps.
Jake Bollman, Gavan Boschele, and Lanie Buice would finish third through fifth behind Ruggiero and Dye.
Squirrel McNutt would finish 12th, which allowed him to win the head-to-head battle with his friend Cleetus McFarland on the afternoon in the ARCA Menards Series race.
McFarland had the better overall race, but with under 30 laps to go, McFarland suffered a blown engine in his No. 30 Rette-Jones Racing Ford, while running 10th. McFarland would be credited with a 20th-place finish.