Rick Hendrick Backed Truck Series Sensation Bows in Gratitude for iRacing’s Impact on his NASCAR Career

At the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Rajah Caruth practically became an overnight star. This was because he managed to romp to his first-ever Truck Series race win, making him the third Black driver to do so. Caruth is best-known for being the protege of 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace and he is part of the Rick Hendrick stable. The 21-year-old also comes from a new generation of racing drivers who didn’t follow a traditional path towards racing.

As it turns out, Rajah Caruth grew up playing the iRacing simulator game. The African-American driver might not be the first to head down this path, but is definitely the latest. With this win under his belt, the youngster is officially locked into the 2024 Truck Series Playoffs. In a recent conversation, he credited his love for iRacing and its contribution to his career.

Rajah Caruth was grateful for his iRacing prowess

The Atlanta native got his first taste of NASCAR when he attended his first race in 2014. A decade later, things have come full circle with his maiden Truck Series race win. Caruth is actual proof that the iRacer to real life driver transition can actually work. Another example of this is William Byron, the latest Daytona 500 winner.

Crediting iRacing, Caruth told AP News, “Man, there was a lot of days, especially in high school, that I did not think I could get here. I can’t tell you how many times I was at internship, working like at the basketball court, whatever, in the box office. Just working on my website when I was just iRacing. A lot of those days I didn’t think this would be at all possible. If you think you’re just going to wake up and be in front of you, it’s not. You just got to put in the work and listen. Emphasis on ‘listen’ because I think about my first years racing on iRacing, learning how to be fast on there, making a lot of mistakes. Honestly it was kind of the same when I started in real life”

What lies ahead for the Hendrick-backed driver?

Currently, Spire Motorsports has been pretty impressive, especially in the Truck Series. Caruth’s win was their second consecutive win in 2024 after Kyle Busch at Atlanta. Truthfully, one would have thought that the maiden win was a long time coming. Rajah was third at the season-opener at Daytona, followed by 8th at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This win at Las Vegas pretty much paints a picture of consistency.

One thing is for sure, mentor Bubba Wallace will be extremely proud. Additionally, it has also been now proved that NASCAR Drive for Diversity programme has officially delivered on its promise. Other recent winners who were part of this program are Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez at Daytona and Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez at Atlanta in the Cup Series. Of course, the season is long and there is plenty of time for Rajah Caruth to add more wins under his belt.

READ MORE: How Bubba Wallace’s Tough Love Shaped NASCAR’s Newest African American Star