The rising star under Bubba Wallace’s guidance showed flashes of potential in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, like getting a Nashville win in May, but his latest outing at Bristol left room for growth. As a product of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, just like his mentor, the 23-year-old has leaned on Wallace’s tough-love approach to navigate the Series. Wallace once shared how he pushed this prodigy from the start, saying, “I’ve been hard on him since Day 1.” And it is not like it has not paid off.

This season, driving the No. 71 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports, Rajah Caruth notched 9 Top-10s, 3 Top-5s with 189 laps led across 20 races with 2,058 points, and currently, sits eighth in the playoffs. Caruth’s bond with Wallace, forged through shared program roots, has fueled his climb, including a 15th-place finish at Bristol that bumped him to +14 above the cutline. Yet, with New Hampshire as the cutoff race, every position carries weight. That Bristol run, boosted by rivals’ misfortunes, has him hungry for a cleaner effort ahead.

Raja Caruth seeks a cleaner run after Bristol boost

In the post-race chat with Frontstretch after the UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 11, 2025, Rajah Caruth opened up about his playoff hopes that remain alive but underscored the need for redemption. Starting 10th on the grid, Caruth ran strong early, grabbing sixth in Stage 1 for five points. But as the night wore on, he admitted the result hinged on others’ troubles rather than pure speed: “So it’ll be cool to go to that racetrack and have a little bit of experience there. But man, we got fortunate with this guy’s having issues.”

What kept him in contention wasn’t raw pace but the field’s breakdowns, like pole-sitter Jake Garcia’s power steering failure on lap 84, right after dominating Stage 1, dropping him to 33rd, and Chandler Smith‘s electrical woes that cost him 12 laps early. Caruth’s steady run amid the chaos reportedly earned 27 points, but he knew it fell short of his potential. Heading into New Hampshire, he finds himself just above the cutline.

His prior Bristol trip in 2025 yielded a ninth-place run from a 12th-place start, showing capability, yet this time, the lack of speed meant relying on attrition. “You don’t want to rely on guys having issues, but as part of it sometimes… We hate to rely on that, but I’m excited for an opportunity next week to run well, run better than we have the first two; that’s for sure. We’re definitely looking for some better speed, for sure,” he noted, reflecting on the playoff openers where his team struggled for grip.

It’s a story echoing his early career, starting with iRacing simulations before real tracks via the Drive for Diversity program in 2021, where Bubba Wallace‘s guidance helped turn raw talent into wins like his historic 2024 Las Vegas triumph as the third Black driver to claim a national series victory.

However, at Bristol, the field’s chaos, including Garcia’s early exit that handed positions to mid-pack runners like Caruth, saved a potential disaster, but he wants no part of handouts. That drive forward ties into whispers about what’s next, as rumors swirl around Caruth’s bigger steps in the sport.

Rajah Caruth’s future ride rumors spark debate

Caruth has made 21 starts in Xfinity since 2022. But when he resumed his journey in NASCAR’s second tier in 2025, it was not under Rick Hendrick. His 2024 and 2025 seasons have been sponsored by HendrickCars.com. In post-race interviews, Caruth makes sure to thank “Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick” whenever he can. Despite this visual bond and a one-off Xfinity start under Hendrick in 2023, the Spire Motorsports Truck driver drove a Jordan Anderson Racing car at Indianapolis. This gave off an air of uncertainty about Caruth’s ambitions in the Xfinity Series. But rumors suggest otherwise.

Talk of Rajah Caruth stepping up to JR Motorsports for a part-time Xfinity Series schedule in 2026 has fans buzzing, even as he sticks full-time in the Truck Series No. 71. The chatter kicked off from a post by parody account The Daily Downfords, claiming, “Rajah Caruth is expected to join @JRMotorsports in 2026 on a part-time O’Reilly’s schedule. Caruth is expected to maintain his full-time truck ride in the No. 71 in 2026 as well. An official announcement has not yet been made.” While it’s unconfirmed, the idea of pairing with JRM’s powerhouse equipment has some seeing it as a smart gauge of his talent.

Fans split on the buzz, with excitement mixing with caution over the parody source. One supporter noted, “I like Rajah, but he needs to find a little bit more. Running a JRM car will give a good gauge on where he is,” highlighting how the move could test Caruth against elite competition. Others speculated on logistics, like one saying, “Interesting. I thought there was a rumor he’d be full-time in a Spire Xfinity car. I hope they find a way to run him full-time in the 9, and the 88 becomes the split driver car.”

Corey Heim’s praise after racing Caruth underscores his clean style that could fit a higher series. “Big congrats to Rajah. He did an awesome job managing from the lead and I was really free behind him, and he made pretty much the right choice every time as for where I was gonna go. It’s nice racing against people that aren’t going to wreck you, racing for the race lead,” Heim said post-Nashville. As Caruth eyes the playoffs, these rumors add intrigue to a career already breaking ground.