Gio Ruggiero wins his first Trucks race at Talladega

Ben Rhodes and Luke Fenhaus were battling for the lead of the Love's RV Stop 225 when they made contact with two laps to go. The two ThorSport Fords spun, handing Friday's victory at Talladega Superspeedway to Gio Ruggiero, who celebrated his first win in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in an overtime finish.

Ruggiero, teammate to Corey Heim at Tricon Garage, had started from the pole position and led 37 of the 90 laps. Heim finished second after leading six laps during the race.

The playoff picture changed dramatically. Rajah Caruth finished ninth and moved up to second place, 14 points above the cutline. Tyler Ankrum finished sixth and has an eight-point cushion. Kaden Honeycutt came in tenth with a five-point buffer.

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Hemric and Enfinger Face Elimination at Martinsville

Daniel Hemric suffered a flat tire during a green-flag run that ruined his race. He finished 34th and is now 32 points below the cutline. Grant Enfinger had a worse afternoon: he was caught in an accident four laps in, finished last, and is 40 points below the line.

"We bounced off of somebody on the inside and I thought I had it saved, that's Talladega for you," explained Enfinger about the incident that virtually eliminates him. Both need to win on October 24th at Martinsville to advance to the Championship 4.

Ty Majeski completed the top three after falling to 34th in the early laps due to collateral damage from an accident. He recovered 31 positions but remains five points below the cutline. Layne Riggs charged from last place to fifth and is six points down in the standings.

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Heim Locked into Phoenix, Seven Drivers Fight for Three Spots

Corey Heim already has his ticket to the Championship 4 after winning last week at the Charlotte ROVAL. The remaining playoff competitors have one race to decide who will join Heim in the final on October 31st at Phoenix Raceway.

Heim extended his streak of consecutive races with at least one lap led this season to 23. He won 10 races in the regular season and leads the championship with 3,167 points.

Riggs started with a penalty for a technical inspection failure and was involved in multiple incidents. "I'm glad to finish the day in one piece. Chandler [Smith] gave me a bad push going into the corner and we both wrecked," he explained after charging back to fifth place. "We started last and went to the back several times. In the end, I tried to be patient and stay on the bottom."

Benning Escapes Unharmed After Truck Fire

Norm Benning was involved in the most critical moment when the engine in his Chevrolet No. 6 exploded on lap 65. A column of white smoke turned into flames in turn 1. Benning got out under his own power before safety personnel extinguished the fire.

He was treated and released from the infield care center. "I just love it. I love climbing through that window and being able to say I'm physically able to do it," stated Benning after the incident. "I hope someone can help us replace this engine."

The engine had only been used for two races and cost $75,000. Benning will compete with another truck at Martinsville but plans to repair the burned unit for Daytona.

Ruggiero celebrated in Victory Lane with his parents present. "I thank everyone on this No. 17 team, they worked incredibly hard today and brought the best truck. We showed it in qualifying and during the race," he expressed after his first series win.

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Rhodes had led 13 laps before the incident with Fenhaus, who had led five laps at the moment of contact. Dawson Sutton finished fourth for his best result of the year. Matt Crafton finished seventh, Corey LaJoie eighth, and Tanner Gray 12th after leading 11 laps.

Love's RV Stop 225 Results - Talladega Superspeedway

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series - October 17, 2025