In May 2023, during the Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway (Heart of America 200), rookie driver Rajah Caruth made a bold aggressive block on Ty Majeski, attempting to protect his position late in the race. On lap 72, Caruth squeezed low, Majeski swung high and clipped him, sending Caruth’s No. 24 Chevrolet from GMS Racing into the wall and ending his night with heavy front-end damage and a 34th-place finish. Up until then, Caruth had run solidly, averaging around 18.5 finish, with 4 top‑10s in 22 starts and comfortably in the middle of the field—despite minimal breakthrough in results.

Earlier in the same season at Darlington Raceway, Caruth had earned his first career top‑10 finish, coming home sixth and briefly challenging at the front — an indication he was learning and improving amid a rocky rookie campaign. But statistics don’t lie: zero wins, zero top‑5s, just four top‑10s and a final ranking of 16th in points. The Kansas crash served as a microcosm of the year: promise unfulfilled, potential unfulfilled, questions swirling about his future when GMS announced mid-season they were switching to Toyota and closing the Truck program.

Rick Hendrick stepped in just in time

In his interview with Jeff Gluck, Caruth recalled that moment: “I thought I had my one shot and blew it… I wrecked myself trying to block Ty Majeski at Kansas, and we broke while leading at Nashville.” That candid reflection captured a rookie at his breaking point, unsure if he had another chance. But Rick Hendrick and HendrickCars.com intervened, extending their sponsorship from just the Xfinity race at Phoenix into a 10-race Truck Series deal, and eventually backing him for the full 2024 schedule with Spire Motorsports driving the No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado. That Spire support was also extended till 2025.

“I kept going, trusted Chevy and the people in my circle. And I came out of it,” Caruth reflected. His perseverance and his belief in Chevy came full circle when HendrickCars.com invested in his talent. His performance in early 2024 vindicated that trust: starting the season with a third-place at Daytona and an eighth at Atlanta convinced Hendrick’s team to go all in.

That journey, however, hadn’t been without bruises. “Grant won a race early, so all the eggs were in that basket,” Caruth admitted, recalling his 2023 season at GMS Racing. As teammate Grant Enfinger surged forward, Rajah was left navigating a team preparing to shut down its Truck program and shift from Chevrolet to Toyota factors that only deepened his uncertainty. “I didn’t win (that year), didn’t even get a top five. I had two real chances to win,” he admitted. Yet instead of spiraling, he locked in, leaned on Chevy, and eventually found a new home under Rick Hendrick’s banner.

Caruth’s new win at Nashville

Rajah Caruth claimed his second NASCAR Truck Series win at Nashville’s Rackley Roofing 200 on May 30, 2025, driving the No. 71 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports. He led a race-high 61 laps and held off a late charge from Corey Heim and Layne Riggs to win by just 0.518 seconds, one of the tightest Truck finishes this season. That win didn’t just boost his playoff hopes; it underscored his consistency with one win, three top‑five, and nine top‑ten finishes in his first 16 races in 2025, and 189 laps led overall, Caruth has leapt up the standings to 11th place.

Just last December, Spire Motorsports confirmed Caruth would return as driver of the No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado for the full 2025 Truck Series season, with HendrickCars.com continuing as his primary sponsor. Rick Hendrick himself praised Caruth’s character and work ethic, saying the team was proud to support him and looked forward to his championship pursuit in 2025. “Rajah is a young man of tremendous character and has proven to be a great representative of HendrickCars.com and our nearly 11,000 teammates across the country,” Hendrick said.

With Rick Hendrick and his powerhouse organization offering not just a seat but a second chance, Caruth has transformed every opportunity into momentum. Whether it’s emotional admissions about his darkest days or his on-track consistency in 2025, Caruth’s evolution proves he’s not just surviving he’s building a legacy, with HendrickCars.com riding shotgun all the way.