ARCA News: Gio Ruggiero Scores First ARCA Victory in Dramatic Overtime Finish at Daytona

The ARCA Menards Series kicked off its 2026 season in classic Daytona fashion with the General Tire 200, delivering high drama, big wrecks, strategic battles, and a storybook first-time winner by Gio Ruggiero (pictured) under the lights at the World Center of Racing.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Race Recap

Gio Ruggiero, the 19-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing prospect in the No. 18 1st Auto Group Toyota, etched his name into ARCA history by holding off a hard-charging Jake Bollman (No. 20 SynerFuse Toyota) in a one-lap overtime dash to the checkered flag. It marked Ruggiero’s first career ARCA Menards Series victory in his 13th start—and his first at Daytona in the series. Ruggiero, who has three prior NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Daytona and Talladega (with a win at ‘Dega in 2025 and runner-up finishes at Daytona in 2025 and 2026), led only the final six laps but made them count.

The race was a superspeedway masterpiece of attrition and opportunism. Sioux Chief PowerPEX Pole Award winner Gus Dean (No. 25 Nitro Motorsports Toyota) led the opening nine laps before handing off to teammate Isabella Robusto.

Daniel Dye, the hometown hero from nearby DeLand, Florida, grabbed the lead on lap 20 and paced the field for four laps. Ryan Vargas (No. 91 Maples Motorsports Ford) made history by leading lap 24—his first career lap led in ARCA—before Dye reclaimed it through lap 40.

Dean led again from laps 41-46, but Jake Finch (No. 15 Venturini Motorsports Phoenix Toyota) dominated the middle stages, leading a race-high 31 laps from 47 through 78.

Chaos erupted on lap 79 when Finch crashed while leading, triggering a multi-car incident that sent the race into overtime. On the final restart, Dye lined up on the front row but couldn’t find the push he needed, fading to fourth. Ruggiero pounced, surging to the lead and fending off Bollman by a razor-thin 0.142 seconds at the stripe.

GIO RUGGIERO WINS AT DAYTONA! @ARCA_Racing pic.twitter.com/a3PtWscvpZ

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 14, 2026

Standout Performances

– Jake Bollman: Originally earned the pole in qualifying but was bumped to 33rd after a post-qualifying technical inspection infraction. The Venturini Motorsports driver methodically worked his way forward, dodging two massive late-race wrecks to score a career-best second-place finish and his first ARCA top-five.
– Kole Raz (No. 76 Breeze Hydrogen Fuels Ford): Started 32nd after barely making the field when Bollman’s disqualification bumped him in (Raz lacked sufficient 2025 owner points otherwise). The Rev Racing driver, teaming with 2009 ARCA champion crew chief Mark Rette and co-owner Terry Jones (a 2017 Daytona runner-up), delivered a career-best third.
– Daniel Dye (No. 24 Champion Container Ford): The local favorite restarted up front for the GWC but settled for fourth—his third top-five in four Daytona ARCA starts (including a third in 2022).
– Glen Reen (No. 07 New Wave Bath Ford): Posted his second straight ARCA top-five with a fifth-place run. The former Whelen Modified Tour regular was joined in the top 10 by KLAS Motorsports teammate Andy Jankowiak (No. 71 Dak’s Markets Chevrolet) in 10th.
– Jack Wood (No. 28 Road Ranger Chevrolet): Sixth for Pinnacle Racing Group, last year’s race- and championship-winning squad. Teammate Taylor Reimer (No. 77 BuzzBalls Chevrolet) ran top-10 late before electrical gremlins dropped her to 30th.
– Jason Kitzmiller (No. 97): Started 34th after his own qualifying time was disallowed but charged to seventh—his third consecutive Daytona top-10.
– Ryan Vargas: Turned a brief early lead into a career-best eighth.
– Bobby Earnhardt (No. 89 SmartGrid Integrations Chevrolet): The only Earnhardt family member competing during SpeedWeeks—25 years after his grandfather Dale’s tragic 2001 Daytona 500 finish—kept the car clean and finished a strong ninth for team owner Tim Goulet.
– Cleetus McFarland (No. 30 Pitts Motorsports): The YouTube sensation and ARCA rookie notched a career-best 11th, his first completed Daytona race in the series.

The top 10 featured an impressive nine different organizations, underscoring the depth of the ARCA field. There were seven lead changes among seven drivers. Ruggiero’s winning average speed was 107.202 mph over the extended distance. Twenty-three cars finished on the lead lap, and 31 of the 40 starters were still running at the checkered—remarkably, only three were eliminated by accidents, with the rest falling to mechanical issues.

The race aired live on FOX as part of Daytona SpeedWeeks, with additional coverage on MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Official Race Results

Margin of Victory: 0.142 seconds
Most Laps Led: Jake Finch – 31
Lead Changes: 7 among 7 drivers
Cautions: Multiple (including the lap-79 wreck that forced overtime)
Time of Race: 1 hour, 52 minutes, 18 seconds (approx.)

The ARCA Menards Series now shifts to Phoenix Raceway for the General Tire 150 on March 5. Ruggiero heads there with early-season momentum and a reminder that at Daytona, patience and positioning win the day. A perfect start to the 2026 campaign.