“When you win your first race, I’ll be the first one to Victory Lane. When you f— up, I’m going to be the first one to get your a–.” That’s what Bubba Wallace told the 23-year-old under his wing. Wallace has mentored him through programs like Black & Positively Golden, and later provided more hands-on, somewhat tough-love guidance on the track. That kind of blunt approach has led the young driver to race full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Spire Motorsports, with backing from HendrickCars.com and increasing ties to the legend Rick Hendrick himself. And this support from the Hendrick team is not lost on the No. 71 Chevrolet driver.

Sitting seventh in the Truck Series standings and five points below the cut-off line, Rajah Caruth was under pressure to deliver in what had quickly become a do-or-die weekend at Loudon. By grinding out a 10th-place finish and banking crucial points along the way, he managed to cling to that seventh spot, narrowly advancing to the Round of 8. It wasn’t flashy, but it was enough to keep his championship dreams alive, and he couldn’t be more grateful for Hendrick Motorsports.

Speaking to Frontstretch, Caruth was extremely grateful for the opportunity to move on to the Round of 8, and he tipped his hat to Rick Hendrick and his clan: “But, I’m just thankful for Mr. H, Miss Linda, everybody at HendrickMotorsports.com, Spire, GM, and Chevrolet just for putting me in the spot and believing in me to go and race for wins and compete for a championship. So definitely a little bit of relief because I think both the 38 and 13 were better than us a lot this round, and, unfortunately, they had troubles their way, whether it was self-induced or power steering or stuff like that. So, live to fight another day for sure.”

Rajah Caruth’s day at New Hampshire was all about execution and survival, and he did just that. He opened strong by banking valuable stage points with a fourth-place finish in stage one, ultimately boosting his playoff chances. After pitting under caution on lap 57, Caruth stayed in the mix inside the top 10 before a bold pit call on lap 103 saw him pace forward while others ducked to the pit road.

That move briefly handed him the spotlight as he restarted from the front row and even grabbed the lead on lap 108 before being shuffled back by Andres Perez De Lara and Corey Heim, who tied with Greg Biffle after claiming his ninth win. From there, Caruth settled into a steady rhythm, holding a position in the top 10 while avoiding the chaos that claimed several contenders.

He added, “Yeah, definitely some relief. I think overall this year, myself and we as a group haven’t been as fast as I’ve wanted to be, but we’ve had spurts of flashes of greatness, flashes of good speed. And today was, I think, one of those days with, you know, running in the front part of the top 10 and kind of playing some strategy … especially after last night, expecting the 38 (Chandler Smith) to either be really good and or win. So, I knew that we had to get points on the 52. So, we were able to do that today and, you know, the 38 didn’t win. So, it was kind of best case scenario there.” 

Though there wasn’t a factor for the win, his smart strategy and consistency for exactly what he needed punched his ticket into the Round of 8 on points and kept his Truck Series championship hopes alive. And some credit goes to Corey Heim for stealing the win from Chandler Smith. Smith faced a disheartening playoff exit despite a runner-up finish and a bid for the win. But without this, Caruth would’ve been knocked out of the championship hunt altogether.

But amid all the high pressure, Hendrick Motorsports is gearing up to fulfill Rajah’s dream of running a race in the Xfinity Series.

Rajah Caruth gears up for Xfinity action at Kansas with Hendrick Motorsports

Rajah Caruth is trading Trucks for a taste of Hendrick Motorsport magic in the Xfinity Series, and Kansas Speedway better be ready. The Washington native hops into the No. 17 Chevrolet on September 27 with HendrickCars.com riding shotgun for his second stint with the powerhouse team and his first since the 2023 season finale at Phoenix. Think of it as Rajah’s comeback tour, and he is not here to make up the numbers.

Practically vibrating with excitement, he said, “I feel extremely excited and thankful for the opportunity, and for me, I think about how much I’ve grown since the last time I was fortunate enough to drive a race car out of this building. I believe my experience I’ve accumulated the last few years in the [CRAFTSMAN] Truck Series, and my partial Xfinity stuff will put me right where I need to be to run up front and hopefully have a good race.”

At 23, Caruth’s resume is already impressive, with two Truck Series wins — one at Las Vegas in 2024 and another at Nashville in 2025 — along with eight top-five finishes in 70 starts. Not bad for someone still climbing the ranks. And then there is Kansas, which Rajah knows like the back of his hand.

He added, “Kansas is a track I’ve loved since the first time I was there in ARCA. I’ve had pace there in ARCA and probably should’ve won a race or two, and same with the Truck Series… The creativity you can have will show at a track like that. So, I’m excited for what it will be like… I’m excited to plan and prepare like any other race.”

With the 2025 Truck Series championship still in play, he is one of the 10 drivers in the hunt thanks to his Nashville win. Moreover, with rumors about him driving for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series next year, Caruth is ready to turn his Xfinity weekend into a statement: fast, fearless, and fun.