Abbate and Ruggiero Push Nitro Motorsports to the Podium in the Trans Am Series Presented by Pirelli Western Championship

April 22, 2024

Abbate earns podium on Saturday as Ruggiero sweeps the day Sunday

April 22, 2024 – Earning race wins and podium results in the National Series, Nitro Motorsports stood on the podium in the Trans Am Presented by Pirelli Western Championships this weekend. With a trio of drivers flying the Nitro Motorsports banner, Gio Ruggiero led the way on the results sheet with a win on Sunday, while Michele Abbate added a podium finish on Saturday with Brad McAllister earning a pair of top-ten results.

In a race weekend that featured qualifying on Saturday morning to set the grid, Gio Ruggiero turned the second fastest lap in the TA2 class to secure a front-row starting position as Abbate followed close in third. McAllister put all three Nitro Motorsports, which has become a common trend in 2024, in the top-six with the sixth-fastest lap and a row three starting spot.

Race one saw Abbate climb to the second step of the podium taking advantage of some drivers’ misfortune in front of her. Showing speed and building off her podium at Road Atlanta last month, Abbate is proving that she can fight at the front of the field. Ruggiero and McAllister both had some misfortune and fell down the running order to finish 13th and 14th respectively. 

Back to the track Sunday, Ruggiero started from the inside of the front row after earning the pole position while Abbate started right on his rear bumper in the third position and alongside McAllister in fourth. In a dominant drive, Ruggiero stole the show and drove to his first win of the season as he went on to sweep the day and rebound from a disappointing result from the day before. Brad McAllister scored his second top-ten result in as many days crossing the line in seventh while Abbate could not repeat her results from the day prior due to an issue on the opening lap.

“Decent weekend for us as a team as we continue to prove that we can put different drivers on the podium showing our overall strength and diversity,” explained Nitro Motorsports’ Nick Tucker. “Wins and podiums continue to motivate us for more.”

For more information on Nitro Motorsports, please visit them online or contact Nick Tucker via email HERE or visit them online at www.RaceNitro.com.