Talladega delivered its trademark chaos on Friday as the 19-year-old rookie Gio Ruggiero outlasted the pack in a wild overtime finish to bag his first-ever Truck Series win. The playoff drivers generally performed well, with Corey Heim finishing runner-up and most of the rest in the top 10. But for Bubba Wallace’s protégé Rajah Caruth, a day that looked full of promise ended in seething disappointment.

Entering the 2.66-mile tri-oval, Caruth knew the ‘big picture’ stakes of this race. And he also drove like it when he won Stage 1, his season’s first, while the rest of the playoff pack suffered. But lady luck wasn’t with him that day, as the tables were turned exactly on the final lap.

Caruth is frustrated

Things looked good until the final overtime run as the pack was running tight, rushing towards the finish. Caruth, along with others, was sitting tight on the outside in fourth position. But somehow, the final laps have this ability to always draw some drama. And that’s exactly what happened.

Just before the final turn, something happened to Caruth’s truck, which even he is yet “to review”, but he got a bit squirrely and shifted a little outside the pack, letting a bunch of drivers pass by him at the final turn till the finish line.

“I was pretty frustrated there with how it ended, for sure. Didn’t want to split Corey, it’s just like I kind of got popped at the wrong time, I feel like. Still a great points day, like you said. Thank you to Mr. H and everybody at Spire Chevrolet, GM for all that they do for not just myself, but all our teammates. Frustrated with the end, but still a good points day.”

Though he’s not sure, and it’s not much clear from the footage either, but there might have been a possibility that he would’ve received a slight nudge from Tanner Gray’s No. 15, which was right behind him when he lost control. Nonetheless, even in that vulnerable state, he didn’t forget to thank the bosses, especially Team Hendrick, which provides all kinds of support and resources to all the Spire Chevy drivers like him.

But on a pressure-filled race like this, does he also think of the big picture while chasing for the win? “I don’t know, I think it’s kind of a little bit of both. Try to race smart and maybe at the end you take the intensity down a little bit. Can’t say it’s much different, just try not to be stupid and hopefully it works out,” he said.

Caruth knows how to keep long-run thoughts in the background without letting them affect his present, which helps him to live in the moment. His “try not to be stupid” explains how he balances aggression with caution.

Though luck left him on the final lap, it was seen in the playoff table as he sits second to Heim, 14 above the cutline. Heading into Martinsville, this gives him some breathing space as it’s “better than being third, that’s for sure.”

Meanwhile, as Caruth continues to draw inspiration from his mentor Wallace, it is Wallace himself who is now being uplifted by his son to face life’s challenges.

A son helps his father

Bubba Wallace lately has had reasons to be distressed. At Kansas, he went head-on with his 23XI owner, Denny Hamlin, which cost him a potential shot at a win. At Charlotte, he couldn’t deliver any better and ultimately ended his playoff dreams. And add to this his infamous foul mood. Despite all these setbacks and mental struggles, his spotter, Freddie Kraft, mentioned how his 1-year-old son, Becks Hayden, is keeping his attention off it.

According to Kraft, “That little boy has done so much for him that it’s an incredible turnaround for Bubba.” Wallace can handle his emotional swings much better now.

Kraft added, “Now it seems like the highs are even higher and the lows are never as low as they’ve been before…I can text him and we’re joking around afterward, and I think it’s strictly because he’s either going back to the bus and seeing Becks, or he’s on the phone with Becks before we get on the airplane.”

It’s known how Wallace has worked on his mental struggles, and Becks just helps him fight them even better. Wallace himself emphasized the importance of Becks’ presence, “You latch onto when you’re with him or Amanda, and nothing else matters. I could be sitting here talking to you, but thinking about practice and qualifying. You’re consumed by it. You can’t be changing a diaper and thinking about qualifying. It doesn’t work. It’s nice to have that now.”

It goes without saying that Becks’ presence has ultimately given Wallace a renewed perspective, helping him navigate racing and life with a lighter heart.