DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Gio Ruggiero (No. 18 1st Auto Group Toyota) scored the victory within the ARCA Menards Sequence’ season-opening Basic Tire 200 at Daytona Worldwide Speedway. Ruggiero held off Jake Bollman (No. 20 SynerFuse Toyota) on a one-lap extra time sprint to the checkered to win for the primary time in his ARCA Menards Sequence profession.
Ruggiero has three profession NASCAR Craftsman Truck Sequence begins at Daytona and its sister observe, Talladega Superspeedway. His worst end is second, twice, at Daytona in 2025 and 2026 and he gained at Talladega in 2025. It was his first profession ARCA Menards Sequence begin at Daytona.
Bollman turned the quickest lap in Sioux Chief PowerPEX Pole Qualifying, however his time was disallowed after an infraction in post-qualifying technical inspection relegating him to thirty third beginning place.
Bollman steadily labored his approach by means of the sphere and missed two large accidents within the ultimate ten laps to attain his first profession ARCA Menards Sequence top-five end.
Kole Raz (No. 76 Breeze Hydrogen Fuels Ford) narrowly made the race on time, beginning within the thirty second place.
Raz was ran into the sphere when Bollman’s time was disallowed; had that not occurred, he would have missed the beginning discipline resulting from not having sufficient proprietor factors from 2025 to fall again on. Raz completed a career-best third driving for 2009 ARCA Menards Sequence championship-winning crew chief Mark Rette and group co-owner Terry Jones, who completed second within the 2017 ARCA Menards Sequence race at Daytona.
Hometown hero Daniel Dye (No. 24 Champion Container Ford) restarted on the entrance row for the ultimate restart however didn’t get assist from behind over the ultimate lap and dropped to fourth on the end. Dye, from close by Deland, Florida, completed within the high 5 in each profession ARCA Menards Sequence begins at Daytona; he was third in 2022.
Glen Reen (No. 07 New Wave Tub Ford) scored his second consecutive top-five end within the ARCA Menards Sequence in fifth. Reen, a former common within the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, additionally completed fourth final yr at Watkins Glen Worldwide. Reen was joined within the high ten by KLAS Motorsports teammate Andy Jankowiak (No. 71 Dak’s Markets Chevrolet), who completed tenth.
Jack Wooden (No. 28 Street Ranger Chevrolet) completed sixth driving for final yr’s race-winning and championship-winning group, Pinnacle Racing Group. Wooden’s teammate Taylor Reimer (No. 77 BuzzBalls Chevrolet) was operating within the high ten late within the race earlier than being befallen with electrical points that ended her day in thirtieth place.
Jason Kitzmiller was additionally relegated to the thirty fourth beginning place after his qualifying time was disallowed, however he expertly drove to the entrance of the sphere and notched his third consecutive top-ten end at Daytona in seventh.
Ryan Vargas (No. 91 Maples Motorsports Ford) led for the primary time in his ARCA Menards Sequence profession when he crossed the road first to finish lap 24. Regardless of shedding the lead earlier than the completion of the following lap, Vargas stayed within the high ten the remainder of the best way and got here dwelling a career-best eighth.
Bobby Earnhardt (No. 89 SmartGrid Integrations Chevrolet) stored group proprietor Tim Goulet’s automobile within the entrance half of the sphere all afternoon, scoring a powerful ninth-place end. Earnhardt is the one member of the Earnhardt household driving in competitors throughout SpeedWeeks 25 years after the lack of his grandfather Dale Earnhardt on the ultimate lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
