Rajah Caruth is a shining product of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, and he couldn’t be more grateful. His remarkable journey from virtual racing to competing in the NASCAR national series is largely credited to the development and support offered by the program.
Last year, the 23-year-old celebrated victory in the Truck Series at Las Vegas, becoming only the third black Driver in NASCAR history to win a national series race, joining the legendary Wendell Scott and Bubba Wallace.

That milestone was a direct result of the diversity program’s commitment to nurturing talent. Now, as the Truck Series ace prepares to leap to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports Xfinity team next year, Caruth takes a moment to reflect on the journey that brought him to this point in his career.

Rajah Caruth recalls his early applications to the diversity program

Speaking on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Rajah Caruth remembers it all too well. He said, “I met the folks at REV in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program. I applied, and for starters, I didn’t even think I did good enough to get it. And I submitted the application online, and I had zero real-life experience. I just said, ‘Hey, I raced rental go-karts at an indoor place in Maryland, and just sim-raced’, and that was it. And that was good enough to get a tryout, you know, at the Combine in March of 2019.”

It is no secret that the Washington, DC native began his racing career in iRacing. With no prior knowledge of racing in person, but hours spent on the sim, that’s when his skills caught the attention of NASCAR’s diversity initiatives. In 2019, at just 17 years old, he was selected for the Drive for Diversity program and made his debut in a legend car at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The joy on Caruth’s face was unmatched when he knew he had gotten the opportunity. He added, ” We drove straight back from there, the six hours back to D.C., and, you know, was going back to start applying to colleges and finish out my junior year of high school. But got the message a couple of weeks later that they had picked me to run a legend car that summer.”

In fact, Caruth has gone as far as to call the Drive For Diversity his Hail Mary. Last year, he said, ” For me, it was my saving grace, it was my only opportunity, my only shot to race.” The program has helped many drivers in the past as well, including NASCAR veterans like Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, and Bubba Wallace.

But as of now, the 23-year-old is more focused on something bigger at hand. Despite his run-in with his teammate Corey LaJoie last weekend, he still sits 14 points above the bubble and aims to increase the gap at Martinsville. This would be the first-ever shot at a title, and Caruth isn’t going to let that slide by.

Amid his Truck Series playoff hunt, Caruth fell a bit short at Talladega but is still in contention. And now with his new ride confirmed in the Xfinity Series, there is no room for error for Caruth. But before he makes that jump, the Spire Motorsports driver remembers who exactly inspired him to even consider a racing career.

Rajah Caruth reveals his model that pushed him to race

From a young age, Rajah Caruth was determined to climb NASCAR’s top ranks, dreaming of becoming a driver capable of competing in the Cup Series on race day. He points to examples like William Byron, who rose through a similar simulated racing background, as a major source of motivation while trying to convince his parents that racing was more than just a pastime. That ambition came from Byron’s 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Championship, which guaranteed his spot in the No. 24 Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports car in Cup racing.

He said, “I wanted to be a Sunday guy, and at the point, William (Byron) had won his championship over here… He was the example… That was the selling point to my parents. I know I gotta go to school and go to college, but I want to race, and this is what I’m passionate about.” 

But now, with a confirmed seat at JR Motorsports for next year, where he’ll be replacing Connor Zilisch, it’s safe to assume that Caruth will be using the Saturday opportunities to the best of his abilities. But will he be able to convert those chances into a Cup Series ride in the foreseeable future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!