TRICON Garage extends Honeycutt, Ruggiero for 2027
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 21, 2026
Honeycutt extension
TRICON Garage locked in one of the Truck Series’ top drivers for 2027, extending Kaden Honeycutt and setting up the No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for another run with the current points leader. Honeycutt will return to the seat next season after a 2026 campaign that has kept him at the top of the standings with three races left. He leads Layne Riggs by 39 points, a margin that reflects both speed and consistency over a long season. His year has included wins at Watkins Glen, Richmond, Kansas and Phoenix, along with 14 top-five finishes and 17 top-10 finishes. That kind of production put him in position to headline TRICON Garage’s next move, and the team answered by keeping him in place for 2027.
The extension gives TRICON Garage continuity with a driver who has delivered results across different tracks and different race weekends. Honeycutt has handled the pressure of staying in the points lead while also stacking wins and finishes near the front. That combination matters in the Truck Series, where the title picture can shift quickly and every strong run carries weight. The team did not need to look far for proof of what Honeycutt brings. His 2026 numbers speak for themselves, and his return gives TRICON Garage a proven lead option as it builds toward the next season. That keeps Honeycutt central to the organization’s plans.
Ruggiero return
TRICON Garage also kept Gio Ruggiero in the fold, with the driver set to return to the No. 17 Toyota Tundra in 2027. The move keeps Ruggiero with the team for a third season and gives TRICON Garage another familiar piece for its future lineup. Ruggiero has turned in a solid 2026 season, one that included his first career playoff berth and a place among the top drivers in the standings with three races remaining. He sits seventh in the points, and his work this season has included four top-five finishes and 11 top-10 finishes. Those results show steady progress and give the team another driver it can trust to run near the front.
Ruggiero’s return carries added weight because he is the first driver announced for TRICON Garage’s 2027 lineup. That makes his extension a starting point for whatever the team builds next. For Ruggiero, the announcement ties his future to a program that has given him a clear path forward in the Truck Series. For TRICON Garage, it secures another driver who has shown he can collect points, reach the playoffs and deliver the kind of weekly results that keep a team in the championship conversation.
TRICON foundation
TRICON Garage framed the extensions as a move that strengthens its core for 2027, and the combination of Honeycutt and Ruggiero gives the team a clear base to work from. Honeycutt brings the front-running pace of a points leader with four wins and a long list of top finishes. Ruggiero brings the growth of a driver who reached the playoffs for the first time and has already built a season marked by consistency. Together, they give TRICON Garage two drivers with different but complementary forms of production. One has been at the center of the title race all season. The other has climbed into the playoff picture and delivered solid results along the way.
The timing also matters. TRICON Garage made the announcement while Honeycutt remains first in the standings and Ruggiero sits seventh with three races left in the 2026 season. That places both drivers in the middle of a strong year and keeps the focus on what they can still accomplish before the current schedule ends. The team said the pair provides a strong foundation as it pursues more wins and another championship in 2027, and the numbers back up that view. Honeycutt has been the top driver in the standings, while Ruggiero has shown he can reach the playoffs and stay competitive. With both extensions in place, TRICON Garage can lean into the stability of a lineup that already has momentum and a clear track record of results.
