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.
The Seekonk, Massachusetts-native will get behind the wheel of the No. 19 First Auto Group Toyota GR Supra in the first two events of 2026, taking place at Daytona International Speedway (February 14) and EchoPark Speedway (February 21).
Ruggiero is filling in for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) development driver Brent Crews, who isn’t old enough to compete on racetracks 1.25 miles in length or longer until he turns 18 years old in March.
“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.
“We are thrilled to have Gio [Ruggiero] back for this upcoming season,” said Steve DeSouza, Executive Vice President of O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Development for Joe Gibbs Racing. “He showed strong progress in his limited starts with us last season, and we are excited to see what he can accomplish with more opportunities this season.”
Ruggiero, alongside his part-time schedules with Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and ARCA Menards Series, will be running full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, once again piloting the No. 17 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage.
Last season, while driving the No. 17 as a rookie, Ruggiero had a very solid campaign, picking up seven top-fives, 11 top-10s, and more than 100 laps led, in addition to collecting his first career victory at Talladega Superspeedway in October.
The 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign will begin with the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 14 at 5:30 PM ET. Coverage will be on The CW, Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
