Reflecting on an up-and-down weekend, Ruggier detailed his disappointment in not capitalising on early speed at the Tasmania Super440.
Ruggier stunned by qualifying on pole position in a revised, knockout-style format debuted by V8 SuperUtes in Tasmania.
The ex-Super2 driver and engineer swapped the lead with former champion Aaron Borg throughout Race 1, eventually finishing third after appearing to miss a gear through the final corner.
Ruggier was left to rue what could’ve been, having forcefully taken the lead back from Borg before losing it again right before a safety car that set up a one-lap dash.
“I am more determined than ever now to do a better job than I did in Tasmania, I feel that I’ve let the team down a bit there because of missed opportunities,” Ruggier said via social media.
“We’ve got speed, we’ve just got to put it all together now, lock it in.”
Race 2 was where the rollercoaster weekend took a dive for Ruggier.
Midway through the race, Ruggier was tagged by Borg at the hairpin, pitching the Hilux into a single rollover.
It was the second hospital stay for Ruggier in Tasmania in consecutive years, having fallen severely ill during the 2025 Symmons Plains event.
“From being on pole position Friday morning, to being in hospital Saturday afternoon once again in Tasmania – the curse continues, two years in a row, but for different reasons,” Ruggier said.
“Unfortunately I ended up in hospital because of the rollover, I was in severe pain.
“The landing was 4.5G, it looked like a soft roll, but to me it was quite severe, it knocked the wind out of me.
“A massive thank you to the first responders, a big thank you to everyone in the hospital to get the scans done quite quickly.
“The intention was straight away, even when I was getting checked, I said ‘I want to race Sunday, please let’s just do what we can. I know I’m in pain, but I just want to get this done, and see if we can get back out there Sunday’.
“Paul Rietdyk, who runs Western Sydney Motorsport, I don’t know if he took me seriously, but he must have, because the crew were all hands on deck to get that car ready for Sunday morning.
“That just means the world to me that the team just went way out of their way for me, like they’ve always done, you know, we won the championship together back in 2019 in Aussie Racing Cars.
“Our relationship is very strong, we’re highly competitive, we’re highly motivated, and to see that Thrifty Car Rental Toyota Hilux back out on track Sunday morning is just a credit to them.”
Ruggier was released from hospital in time to run Race 3 on Sunday morning, where he was to pilot a battered WSM Toyota Hilux sans its front and rear windscreen.
Unfortunately, the tough weekend continued as the wind caught the Hilux’s dashboard and propped it up, blocking Ruggier’s vision and forcing him to pit.
Ruggier would go on to finish 19th, two laps down to teammate Cody Brewczynski who took the win.
It was reported on the broadcast ahead of Race 4 on Sunday afternoon that the team was not actually allowed to compete without the windscreen.
This forced a team member on a trip to the hardware store for a piece of Perspex, and Ruggier started Race 4 with a DIY windscreen in place.
Ruggier salvaged an eighth place finish in the final race, finishing 11th in points for the round.
The V8 SuperUte Series heads west, joining the Perth Super440 for Round 3 on July 3 – August 2.
Ruggier described his desire and drive to rebound in the west.
“I want to win races, I want to get more pole positions, so Perth, we’re coming,” Ruggier added.
“I am extremely sore, but I’m going to get back to the gym as soon as I can and get fitter than ever before, and more determined to get back up the front.”
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