“I Couldn’t Imagine What Wendell [Scott] Went Through”- NASCAR Fan Breaks Down in Literal Tears as Third African-American Star Rewrites History

The 2024 season continues to deliver record-breaking races one after another. Just when we thought the Daniel Suarez photo finish couldn’t be topped anytime soon, Rajah Caruth and Spire Motorsports delivered another performance for the ages, sealing a historic win at the 2024 Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200.

While it seemed like Ty Majeski would go on to win the race, speeding penalties for Majeski, Nick Sanchez, and a safety violation by Kyle Busch, played all the cards right into Caruth’s hands. Thus, making him the third African-American driver to win a race in NASCAR. Reflecting on Caruth’s iconic achievement, an emotional fan shared the importance of this win for the future of diversity in the sport.

Recalling the challenging times for African-American drivers, a passionate fan highlights the importance of Caruth’s Vegas win

Heading into the first intermediate track on the calendar, Raja Caruth was beaming with confidence after bagging two top tens at the superspeedways, including a podium at Daytona. So when Caruth secured pole position after qualifying, fans were certain that the Georgia native would give his competitions a run for their money. As the race unfolded, Ty Majeski was caught up in a speeding penalty along with season-opening winner Nick Sanchez, and Kyle Busch was also told off for a tire violation.

Hence, it was up to Rajah Caruth to take Spire Motorsports to the top once more, and that’s precisely what he did, as he pulled off into the distance with Ankrum in second. While this was a major achievement for Caruth’s career, it had a greater meaning for the African-American community that has been supporting the sport for decades. Adding his name to the list of African-American NASCAR winners as its third member, Caruth showed that African-American drivers are here to stay and shine.

With such a win making even the veterans commend Caruth, one of NASCAR’s fans shared his thoughts on the significance of this win. He stated, “I grew up a Dale Earnhardt fan and I don’t know, I’ve been a NASCAR fan for over thirty years, and you know, I just never thought I’d see the day where you know we’d have African Americans be successful in this sport.” While the fan held no grudges against any of the stakeholders of the sport, he explained how the barriers to entry for African Americans had made things far more difficult.

Sharing that though there were some good drivers like Richard Petty ‘The King’ and Ned Jarett who supported the sport’s first black winner, the fan said, “With it being so prevalent in the South, you know it’s just crazy that, you know, more of us just weren’t a part of the sport. I get it you know, we weren’t welcome, and really you know, what Wendell Scott went through, I can’t imagine.”

However, feeling nothing but gratitude for how things have turned today, with help from all sides, he concluded, “I couldn’t imagine what, you know, Wendell went through. And to see the opportunities that, you know, guys like Willy T. Ribbs and Bill Lester, Bubba and Rajah have gotten, it’s just gratifying. You know, I just never thought that I would see the day when I would see not just one African American, black driver win, but now a second in NASCAR’s premier series. And you’ll know me, I would love to be at a racetrack right now. I would have loved to been there.”

READ MORE: Rajah Caruth Sends Boss Rick Hendrick an Emotional Message Amidst “Surreal” Las Vegas Victory Lane Takeover

While passionate fans like Wagner left no stone unturned in commending how things had progressed in the sport in a few decades, some of our favorite stars also took to X to share their reactions to the historic win.

NASCAR stars react to Rajah Caruth’s historic win

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Of all the colleagues who reached out to Caruth to commend his achievement at the Vegas race, Bubba Wallace was perhaps the one looking forward to this day the most. He shared his excitement on X, “What a massive win for the little bro! What a monumental win for our sport! Proud is an understatement! LFG!!!!!!! @rajahcaruth_”

Dale Earnhardt Jr also congratulated Rick Hendrick and Spire Motorsports for the contribution they had made towards Rajah’s win. He stated, “Incredible. Good job @rajahcaruth_ @SpireMotorsport @HendrickCars”

On the other hand, HMS stars Kyle Larson and William Byron also chimed in, with Larson sharing; “LFG!! So deserving! @rajahcaruth_” while the Daytona winner stated, “That’s big!! @rajahcaruth_ 🏁 enjoy it.”

Caruth’s Cup Series Spire counterpart, Carson Hocevar, was also ecstatic at the team’s performances throughout the three races; “3/3 wins for team spire!!! LFG RAJAH!!”

Trackhouse team owner, Justin Marks, was equally delighted. Marks stated, “Pumped for @rajahcaruth_ and @TeamChevy – what a night and what a start to the season for the bowtie….”

READ MORE: Heartbreak for Kyle Busch as Rajah Caruth Claims First-Ever Truck Series Career Win at Las Vegas

After taking a look at the overwhelming support that Rajah Caruth received after becoming the third African-American to win a NASCAR race, it’s safe to say the sport is truly heading toward a more diverse and inclusive future.