When Rajah Caruth says he needs a new ride, he sounds like many HBCU students making their way through school. But unlike his peers at Winston-Salem State, Caruth routinely tops 100 mph and makes news when he gets a replacement vehicle.
He was a rookie full-time racer in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series last year, but his team ceased operations after the season. Caruth’s prospects for 2024 were unsure until last week when Spire Motorsports picked him to drive the No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado this season.
“It was pretty special because of all the uncertainty this winter and trying to figure out the best situation,” Caruth told theGrio. “I felt really thankful to have things get close and then come together pretty quickly. I have a lot of gratitude, and I’m just ready for the season to get started.”
He’s a senior at North Carolina’s Winston-Salem State, the only HBCU with a motorsport management program, where he carries a full load of courses and remains on pace to graduate this year. Managing time and juggling schedules are normal for any student, especially one who frequents tracks across the country virtually every weekend from February to September.
“It honestly gets harder every year because of the demands on the racing side of things,” Caruth said. “Weekly routines, meetings, and making sure I’m in the best mental and physical condition to drive gets more heightened every season. It’s hard to balance for sure, but this is my second year racing full-time, and this is going to be my reality, hopefully, for a good while. I’m just trying to close this chapter and be done with it.”
The first chapters have been amazing for the 21-year-old from Washington, D.C. Caruth was just a tyke when he discovered a passion for racing, inspired by the movie “Cars”. He stands out in NASCAR for his physical characteristics (one of few Black drivers) as much as his unique path (an iRacing champion) and rapid…
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