Ruggiero Looking to Make History at Winchester 400

Gio Ruggiero will have a chance to do something that no other driver has done before at the Winchester 400.

The Massachusetts teenager won the ASA Southern Super Series title by just 25 points, and is now closing in on the ASA/CRA Super Series title. He holds a 109-point lead in the standings going into next weekend’s Winchester 400, the season finale for the Champion Racing Association. With a total of 110 points up for grabs in every CRA race, Ruggiero is all but certain to be crowned ASA/CRA Super Series champion barring anything catastrophic taking place before the green flag.

He would become the first driver to win CRA and Southern Super Series championships in the same year. Former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric is the only driver with championships with both sanctioning bodies, winning the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour title in 2012 before becoming the inaugural Southern Super Series champion in 2013.

With the success of his Southern Super Series championship and potential ASA/CRA Super Series title to go along with an ASA STARS National Tour win at Hickory Motor Speedway and a CRA win at Salem Speedway, one might find it surprising to hear that this is Ruggiero’s rookie season in a Super Late Model. He jumped onto the scene in Pro Late Model competition in 2022, winning the Show Me The Money Series title at Montgomery Motor Speedway with Anthony Campi Racing. He also made three Super Late Model starts last season, which included a second-place run at the All American 400 and a Snowball Derby appearance in his first race with Wilson Motorsports.

Ruggiero made the jump over to Super Late Model racing full-time, joining Wilson Motorsports for a run at championships with the ASA STARS National Tour, ASA/CRA Super Series and ASA Southern Super Series. He sits third in the ASA STARS standings with his win at Hickory, having passed NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron in the final corner to take his first Super Late Model win.

He now heads to Winchester Speedway with a second championship looming. He appeared to be on his way to the win at the half-mile during the ASA/CRA Super Series race on Labor Day weekend, but a flat tire ended his race with just eight laps to go while leading. He finished third in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour race during Winchester 400 weekend last year after setting fast time in qualifying.

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com. Be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

ASA STARS National Tour
The ASA STARS National Tour debuted in March 2023 for Super Late Model racing in America. Announced in October 2022, many of the best drivers in America will compete in the ten-race national tour with a minimum $100,000 point fund. The championship team will be guaranteed $25,000.

The ASA STARS National Tour is made up of three races from each of the regional pavement Super Late Model Series under the Track Enterprises banner - the ASA/CRA Super Series, the ASA Midwest Tour and the ASA Southern Super Series.

The Team Construction Winner’s Circle program has been announced as a part of the ASA STARS National Tour for licensed drivers/teams with perfect attendance. The program provides additional financial incentives to those teams who support the series.

Track Enterprises, a racing promotions company based in Illinois, will operate the ASA STARS National Tour. It announced the acquisition of Champion Racing Association (CRA) in January 2022 and followed that up with the purchase of the Midwest Tour in July. In October, Track Enterprises President Bob Sargent announced a partnership with the Southern Super Series, which set the table for the formation of the ASA STARS National Tour.

-ASA STARS National Tour Release
-Photo credit: Will Bellamy/Racing America