Rajah Caruth – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado
Rajah Caruth heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday’s Weather Guard Truck Race with momentum on his side after picking up his first NCTS victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. HendrickCars.com will serve as the primary sponsor for Caruth and Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado throughout the 2024 season.
Caruth earned his first pole position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and went on to lead 38 of 134 laps, securing the win by 0.851 seconds.
After 30 NCTS starts, Caruth joins NASCAR Hall of Famer, Wendell Scott and current NASCAR Cup Series regular Bubba Wallace as the third African American to win a NASCAR National Touring Series race. Caruth currently sits fourth in the NCTS driver standings, three races into the 2024 campaign.
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The Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University senior has finished all 370 laps contested this season and boasts three consecutive top-10 finishes. His current average finish in 2024 is fourth place.
Fans can meet Caruth on Saturday, March 16 at 1 p.m. for a question-and-answer session at the Food City Fan Zone Stage.
The Washington, D.C., native has two previous NCTS starts at the famed half-mile oval and one start in the NXS. He also secured an 11th-place finish in the 2023 NCTS race on the dirt track at Bristol. Caruth looks to improve on his best track finish of sixth place in Saturday night’s 250-lap race.
Rajah Caruth Quotes
Coming off your first ever NCTS win at Vegas, what’s your outlook heading into Friday night’s race at Bristol?
“Going into Bristol, there’s not any different of an outlook than before. I feel excited because I truly enjoy racing at that place – after all, it’s the opening track from Cars. Overall though no different prep. It’s just any other race.”
What did it mean to you to win on the 50th anniversary of Wendell Scott’s first NASCAR start?
“It’s pretty special because of the relationship I’ve developed with the Scott family. It’s great to add to their legacy but in that same vein, I’m ready to start my own.”
You’ve had a fantastic start to the year. How do you keep momentum high and not lose focus?
“I think it just comes down to doing the same thing each and every week, with minor adjustments as necessary. The success I feel comes in the process and consistency, not in big swings or big moments. One step, one punch, one round at a time.”
In four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS), including both pavement and dirt surfaces, Spire Motorsports has notched one top-10 and three top-15 finishes. Chase Elliott drove the team’s No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado to a seventh-place finish in the 2022 Truck Race on Dirt at BMS. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NCTS. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Rajah Caruth will drive the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Chevrolets in the No. 77.
The Weather Guard Truck Race from Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Saturday, March 16, beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The fourth of 23 NCTS races on the 2024 schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Chad Walter – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado
Chad Walter has over two decades of experience and began his career with Hendrick Motorsports in 1996.
He comes to Spire Motorsports with Caruth after spending last season in the same role with GMS Racing.
Some of his most notable accomplishments include a pair of Daytona 500 victories (2001 & 2003) with Michael Waltrip, along with Cup Series wins with Steve Park and Terry Labonte.
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
