Rajah Caruth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rajah Caruth
Caruth at Martinsville Speedway in 2024
Born	Rajah Kirby Caruth (2002-06-11) June 11, 2002 (age 23) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Achievements	First Caribbean-American driver to win at Tri-County Motor Speedway
Awards	2021 Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award Winner 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Most Popular Driver
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
19 races run over 2 years
2023 position	90th
Best finish	90th (2023)
First race	2022 ToyotaCare 250 (Richmond)
Last race	2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race (Phoenix)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
50 races run over 3 years
Truck no., team	No. 71 (Spire Motorsports)
2024 position	7th
Best finish	7th (2024)
First race	2022 Toyota 200 (Gateway)
Last race	2018 Stratosphere 200 (Las Vegas)
First win	2024 Victoria's Voice Foundation 200 (Las Vegas)
Wins Top tens Poles 1 16 2
Statistics current as of November 8, 2024.

Rajah Kirby Caruth (born June 11, 2002) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He drives the No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. On March 1, 2024, Rajah made history by winning the 2024 Victoria's Voice Foundation 200 race. He became the third Black driver to win in one of NASCAR's top three national series. The other two drivers are Wendell Scott and Bubba Wallace.

Rajah's Racing Journey

How Rajah Started Racing

Rajah Caruth began his racing journey at age 16. He started in a virtual racing series called the 2018 eNASCAR Ignite Series on iRacing. His skills caught the eye of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program. This program helps talented young drivers from different backgrounds get into racing.

In 2019, Rajah got to race real legend cars at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He finished his first year with two top 10 finishes. In 2020, he moved up to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. He won his first late model race at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. He ended that season with 3 top 5s and 9 top 10s. In 2021, Rajah won two more late model races at Hickory Motor Speedway. He also won at Tri-County Motor Speedway, becoming the first African-American driver to win there.

Racing in ARCA Series

The ARCA Menards Series is a racing series that helps young drivers get ready for NASCAR's bigger races. In 2021, Rajah raced full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East. He finished third in the standings, which was a great achievement. He also made his first start in the main ARCA Menards Series at Iowa Speedway.

In 2022, Rajah raced full-time in the main ARCA Menards Series with Rev Racing. He had a fantastic season, finishing second in one race and getting eight top-five finishes. He ended up third in the overall standings for the year.

Racing in the Xfinity Series

Caruth at Auto Club Speedway in 2023

The Xfinity Series is one of NASCAR's national series, a step below the top Cup Series. Rajah made his Xfinity Series debut in 2022 at Richmond Raceway. He raced for Alpha Prime Racing. He faced some challenges, including a few crashes. However, he kept improving and earned his best finish of 12th at Martinsville.

In 2023, Rajah continued to race part-time in the Xfinity Series. He again achieved a 12th-place finish at Martinsville. Later that year, he got a special chance to drive for Hendrick Motorsports in the final race at Phoenix Raceway. He ran well, staying near the top ten, and finished 14th.

Racing in the Craftsman Truck Series

Caruth's race winning truck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024.

The Craftsman Truck Series is another one of NASCAR's national racing series. Rajah made his debut in this series in 2022 for Spire Motorsports. In 2023, he raced full-time for GMS Racing. He had a tough start but improved a lot during the season. He finished with four top-ten results and ended the year 16th in points.

In 2024, Rajah joined Spire Motorsports full-time. He started the season strong with a 3rd place finish at Daytona. The very next week, he finished 8th at Atlanta. On February 28, it was announced that HendrickCars.com would sponsor him for all 23 races. Then, on March 1, 2024, Rajah achieved his first career win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway! This was a huge moment, making him only the third African-American driver to win a NASCAR national series race. He will return to the team in 2025.

About Rajah's Life

Rajah Caruth was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents are from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and Washington, D.C..

In 2020, a NASCAR documentary called "Through the Fences" was made about him. It showed his racing career and how he joined the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program. He also appeared in an episode of "The Family Business" on BET+.

Rajah graduated from the School Without Walls High School in 2020. In 2023, he joined racing legend Richard Petty on NASCAR's float in the famous 2023 Rose Parade. He is good friends with fellow NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, who helps him with advice during races.

Another documentary about Rajah, called Outside Line, came out in 2023. In 2024, he earned a degree in Motorsports Management from Winston-Salem State University. Rajah is currently in a relationship with actress and producer, Marsai Martin.

Motorsports Career Summary

^† As Caruth was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.