The impending NASCAR debut of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is rapidly approaching. This just goes to show how much NASCAR is willing to flex its muscles and push the boundaries. This is indeed the new era of NASCAR racing, where the thunderous sounds of V8 machines aren’t just restricted to the ovals. Apart from the big leap going international, NSACAR has raced at the L.A. Coliseum and has been navigating the tight corners around the City of Chicago.

Given that the Windy City is in the final year of the contract, which city will become NASCAR’s new playground for street racing? Fresh from his win at Nashville Superspeedway, Rajah Caruth had a unique proposition for the governing body. And just like the Mexico City race, his proposal was equally adventurous.

The Spire Motorsports driver expressed his desire to be back at Chicagoland in case the street race is going to run its course this year, but he couldn’t hold back the idea of NASCAR racing in the Capital city where he grew up and graduated high school.

 “As far as DC, I don’t know, I feel like I’d have a leg up just because of being from that area and kind of knowing what the streets look like. I’ve ran on a lot of them, I biked on a lot of them, so definitely would have a little advantage for sure. I don’t know, DC is hard because you have downtown, government building, so that will make things a little bit more annoying to get through. You could also have something like on the outskirts of the city, or Maryland, Virginia, and then still say DC or DMV Grand Prix,” Caruth shared this on Rubbin is Racing podcast.

The nearest racetrack that hosts a NASCAR event close to DC is Dominion Raceway in Virginia. There is also an option of 3/8 mile clay oval raceway located in Budds Creek, Maryland, near Charlotte Hall. Back in the day, Benning Raceway was the track which was within the proximity of the city and used to host motorsport events. But before NASCAR stepped into the picture, this racetrack became history in 1910, which marked the last year when racing events took place at the track. Even Caruth understands the challenge of hosting a NASCAR event in his hometown, but he’s not against the idea.

“I don’t know how 36 haulers would be with the pit road timing lines and all the little things. Don’t know how that would work, but it’ll be cool to see in different cities for sure. I think it’s essential that NASCAR keeps doing that, I know it’s expensive, but I think the long-term return on it is worth it,” Caruth added.

Although the Spire Motorsports driver is having a good season in the Truck Series, locking himself in the playoffs, he has bigger ambitions. Like any aspiring young driver, Caruth is looking to get experience running in the Cup Series and make the next leap to the Xfinity Series soon.

Rajah Caruth opens up on his long-term goals

After running in his rookie year, 2023, Rajah Caruth found himself in deep waters. His team, GMS Racing, decided to shut down their racing operations, and the young driver found himself stranded. Fortunately, Rick Hendrick took Caruth under his wings and fueled his second year at Spire Motorsports, a decision that has fared well for both parties. With two wins and playoff appearances, Rajah Caruth is turning out to be one of the most talented drivers of his generation. But this early success isn’t his last mile.

“I would love to be back in the Xfinity Series, Hopefully, I get another race or two in the Xfinity car. That’s certainly the goal for next season, right? To go to the next level. It will be great to race a Cup car, whether it’s next year, later this year, or further in the future. I know, I can’t get to that point if I don’t perform where I’m at. So that’s really where my focus is. To do as well as I can here in the Truck Series with Spire Motorsports, Hendrickcars.com and Chevy. But overall, I’d love to move up, whether it’s Xfinity next year, hopefully Cup at some point, I feel like I’m good enough,” the young driver explained.

The Chevy partner teams in Xfinity are JRM and RCR. If there is a silly season move after the end of 2025, who knows, we might see Rajah Caruth moving up the ranks. Seeing his fellow drivers like Corey Heim sign a development driver deal at the Cup level, Caruth feels he is also ready to make that switch and test himself against the best racers in the country.