Rajah Caruth, On The Road To Learn, Aims To Gain Experience In Nascar

Rajah Caruth is studying constantly. His days are made up of learning, either in Nascar or in the classroom at Winston-Salem State University.

Caruth, 20, is one of several Nascar drivers to be studying at a university while pursuing a career in the top form of American motor sports. The grind is intense, but his work ethic is leading him to becoming one of Nascar’s top prospects.

“It’s crazy because when I first moved out here in 2020, I was not only racing professionally and my job, but at the same time, I was starting college and living by myself,” Caruth said. “It’s a whole bunch of things that I had to learn to navigate down here.”

Caruth is studying motor sports management, which will enable him to have a competitive advantage over his peers while pursuing partners and teams in the future.

Currently, the 20-year-old is a member of the Nascar Drive for Diversity program, sitting third in the ARCA Menards Series standings, only 16 points behind Rev Racing teammate Nick Sanchez for championship lead.

At the same time, Caruth is also competing part-time in the Xfinity Series for Alpha Prime Racing and in the Camping World Truck Series for Spire Motorsports. Yes, he’s doing all of this while in college.

“This year has been testing, learning and going through a lot of personal growth with the challenging schedule and with school,” Caruth said. “It’s been testing and it’ll make me better for years to come.

“It’s such a balancing act, trying to be a professional racecar driver. It’s pretty hard. If I had to pick one thing, I’d say time management. I’m managing to be as leveled as possible with the ebbs and flows of the season.”

In Caruth’s three Xfinity Series starts, he’s had issues in each of them, including a hard wreck at Pocono Raceway with Alex Labbe. Nonetheless, the tough luck and mistakes are not getting in the way of the fact that he’s showing speed in mid-pack equipment.

Besides learning the different vehicles, Caruth explained how he’s become a different person because of these opportunities.

“I’ve learned so much,” he said. “Mainly, it’s how to be a professional on and off the racetrack. It’s hard to say just one thing, but I’ve gained a lot of experience.”

Someone Caruth is leaning on for advice is Bubba Wallace. Caruth admires Wallace for his courageousness in standing up for injustices against the Black community. The two have created a special bond.

“Bubba’s been awesome,” Caruth said. “He’s become a close friend and he’s helped me develop so much. He’s been a big help to me. I’m very thankful to have him as a big brother. I first met him in 2018 at Charlotte at the All-Star Race. We raced legend cars together but in different divisions.”

To close out the year, Caruth is focused on winning the ARCA Menards Series championship, as well as obtaining a 3.0 GPA this fall. He will be back in the Xfinity Series at Kansas Speedway on Sept. 10.