NASCAR outfit Joe Gibbs Racing has confirmed a new driver signing on the eve of the 2026 season.
The team runs cars across the Cup Series and O'Reilly Series, and has added to their lineup in the latter with the arrival of Gio Ruggerio, they announced in a statement.
The 19-year-old Seekonk, Massachusetts native is set to drive full-time with Tricon Garage once again in the Truck Series this season, but he will also run a limited schedule for Joe Gibbs Racing in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, competing at Daytona (Feb. 14) and Atlanta (Feb. 21) in the No. 19 Toyota.
Ruggiero will also race six times with the team in the ARCA Menards Series, it was revealed, where he raced twice for them last year in the No. 18 Toyota - the same car he will be in once again this time around.
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Gio Ruggerio inks two-race deal with Joe Gibbs Racing
Speaking in the official statement that confirmed the news, the young NASCAR star revealed he was looking forward to seeing what he and the team could achieve.
“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,” Ruggiero said in a statement.
“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.”
Joe Gibbs Racing 'thrilled'
Elsewhere, Joe Gibbs Racing's Executive Vice President of O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Development, Steve DeSouza, added: “We are thrilled to have Gio back for this upcoming season.
“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.”
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