It’s not the start Bubba Wallace would have wanted. With the Truck Series officially underway and two races over, the season is shaping up to be an entertaining one, delivering all the highs and lows that the world of NASCAR has to offer. While Kyle Busch is elated at the result at Atlanta Motor Speedway, not every racer is happy at the outcome of the 2025 Fr8 208. After a disappointing result at Fresh From Florida 250, Bubba Wallace’s mentee was hoping to turn his season around at the 1.5-mile oval but was forced to retire early once again.

Despite the heartbreak, Rajah Caruth isn’t letting the outcome in Atlanta weigh him down too much. The Spire Motorsports driver expressed his disappointment at another DNF but is already setting his sights on Las Vegas to turn his fortunes around.

Rajah Caruth’s season goes from bad to worse

Disappointed. That’s what Rajah Caruth will be feeling after being forced to retire early once again in the Truck Series. It’s almost like history was repeating itself as the Georgia native was involved in a multi-car wreck at Daytona International Speedway with just 20 laps to go when Corey Heim tried to switch to the third lane and checked up. This caused a domino effect, as Jack Wood slid into the wall, collecting Caruth with him in the chaos. Unfortunately for the 22-year-old, his No. 71 Chevy was caught in the crossfire and incurred significant damage, forcing himself out of the race.

This time around, Rajah Caruth had nobody to blame for the unfortunate circumstance. The racer got loose while running in second place during Stage 3, and went on to collide with several trucks during an uncontrollable spin. Reflecting on the incident, the racer told Frontstretch, “I felt like I had a tire go down but I saw the video and I guess it just pulled me around. I wasn’t expecting it at all. Bummer to do that in front of the field, we had some really good, really fast Chevrolets, and pretty bummed about that for sure cause you know, I pride myself on not tearing up stuff.” 

Caruth’s on-track spin had significant repercussions for other drivers as well. Tyler Ankrum, Daniel Hemric, and Andres Perez were caught up in the Lap 78 incident, while William Sawalich, who desperately tried to avoid being caught in the chaos was forced to retire early because of the Spire Motorsports’ racer getting loose. The multi-car wreck resulted in a brief red flag to allow the debris to be cleaned up from the track before the action resumed at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Trying to determine the reason for the unprovoked spin, Kevin Harvick, who was in the broadcasting booth for FOX NASCAR, told fellow broadcaster Joey Logano, “It looks like the tires are up, though, Joey. I don’t see one flat.” Ultimately, it was determined that an oil spill on the racetrack was the culprit for the multi-car wreck, resulting in disastrous consequences for the Spire Motorsports driver. With results in the opening two races leaving much to be desired, the driver will now shift his attention to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to turn his fortunes around.

Caruth overlooked by Hendrick Motorsports for the Xfinity Series

It’s no secret that Rajah Caruth is widely regarded as a promising talent in the NASCAR world. The youngster has competed in two full seasons in the Truck Series and has received significant investment from Hendrick Motorsports who are closely following his progress in the sport’s third tier. Results at Spire Motorsports in 2024 surpassed expectations, as the Georgia native won the third race of the season in Las Vegas and finished the year seventh in the driver’s standings, along with securing the Most Popular Driver award. A drastic improvement from his 16th-place result in 2023.

Considering the improvement, one would think that Rick Hendrick will give the 22-year-old a few opportunities in the Xfinity Series to help his development. However, while the team will be competing in 16 races with the No. 17 Chevy in NASCAR’s second tier, Caruth has been omitted from the plans while William Byron, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, and Corey Day have been named in the driver’s lineup. The decision was met with plenty of criticism, with many failing to understand the reason for Bubba Wallace’s protégé’s omission.

However, considering Rajah Caruth’s early season struggles in the Truck Series, not competing in the Xfinity Series may be a blessing in disguise. As things stand, the driver hasn’t finished higher than 29th in either of the two races, but the upcoming race in Las Vegas presents a good opportunity to turn his luck around. After all, it’s a track Caruth triumphed in last year, his only win in 52 appearances in the Truck Series. The racer will need to let his results do the talking, to climb up the NASCAR ladder and earn his place in the sport.