With two races remaining in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season after today the series took to their toughest test in the round of 8 with the unknown at Talladega Superspeedway.

Gio Ruggiero would grab the pole earlier in the day over Ty Majeski. Ruggiero would hold onto the lead early on with help from teammate Corey Heim.

Majeski, one of the eight playoff drivers remaining, would get tangled up early on lap five when another playoff driver Grant Enfinger would get turned down the track into the path of Jake Garcia. All three would end up on pit road with Enfinger ending up in the garage ending his day early and going to Martinsville needing a win to advance.

The hits would keep on coming just one lap after going back green when Layne Riggs would get a bad push from teammate Chandler Smith turning the No. 34 machine of Riggs down the track into Mosack.

Stage one would come to an end with Rajah Caruth picking up his first stage win of the year over LaJoie, Heim, Yeley and Rhodes rounding out the top-five.

Riggs issues would continue to compound in stage two when the field would stack up pushing him out of line. Holmes would also get caught up in the mess after getting turned into the inside wall.

Ruggiero would pick up the second stage win over Honeycutt, Caruth, Yeley and Fenhaus rounding out the top five finishers.

Stage three would see yet another playoff driver with an issue when Daniel Hemric tire would come apart on track as he slowed to the rear of the field. Toni Bredinger would slam into the rear of the No. 19 truck causing extensive damage to the truck.

Hemric would come to pit road with the team attempting to work on the truck before heading to the garage ending his day as the second playoff driver to exit early.

Caution for the sixth time of the day would come out coming to 20 to go as Norm Benning truck would start smoking before eventually becoming fully engulfed in flames. Benning would get his truck stopped on the superstretch exiting the truck collapsing to the ground with the emergency crew surrounding him.

With just two to go, Rhodes and Ruggiero would draw even for the lead with pushing help from Heim and Fenhaus.

However, Rhodes would get turned in the lead from Fenhaus who had been his pushing help setting up a NASCAR overtime.

The final restart would be a duel between Tricon and Spire, Ruggiero would grab the lead with help from Heim holding it all the way with the checkered flag within sight.

Through the tri-oval to the finish line Ruggiero would have to hold off a fast charging Corey Heim moving up the track to block a run within feet the finish line to pick up his first career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory.

“He (Corey Heim) did a great job all day helping me. He was the best pusher, and I was really happy when he was behind me for sure. I knew I had a good shot there at the end. I just didn’t want to let our group down. We had such a fast truck, and I know a superspeedway can be a bit of a wild card race sometimes, but I feel like truckwise we dominated this one.” Said Ruggiero

“I had to hang on a little bit there, but he (Corey Heim) was doing a great job pushing me and just had to keep it straight and keep it square.” Continued Ruggiero

Corey Heim would finish second who was already locking into the Championship 4, Majeski would come in third as another playoff driver followed by Dawson Sutton and rounding out the top-five finishers was Layne Riggs who overcame multiple obstacles throughout the day.

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series now moves onto their penultimate race next weekend in Martinsville Speedway next Friday October 24th for the Slim Jim 200 at 6:00 p.m. ET on FS1.