LAS VEGAS – Following his first victory in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Rajah Caruth thanked Rick Hendrick for his support. Caruth drove the No. 71 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado scored a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday night for Spire Motorsports.
“It's surreal. Many thanks to HendrickCars.com and Mr. H for putting me through this all year,” Caruth told FS1's Josh Sims after the race. “I'm glad to get the win for Team Chevy. I can't thank my family enough. Many people have helped me get to this point. I can't believe it”.
The victory came in his 30th start in the Truck Series and his third race with HendrickCars.com in the truck. He joins Wendell Scott and Bubba Wallace as the only black drivers to win a NASCAR national series race. Caruth started the event from his first Truck Series pole position and led 38 laps, including the final 21 circuits, to win the race. The 21-year-old driver and Winston Salem State University senior (who will graduate this fall) is off to a strong start in the 2024 season with one win, two top-five finishes and three top-10 finishes. Coming out of Las Vegas, the NASCAR Drive for Diversity alum sits in fourth place in the points standings and the win positions him as one of 10 drivers to make the Truck Series playoffs.
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Caruth's pit crew made a strong pit stop under green in the final stage that helped propel him into the lead for good on lap 114. That pit crew is comprised of five Hendrick Motorsports athletes: Daniel Bach (front shifter) , Cody French (jackman), Jarius Morehead (tire carrier), Mike Moss (rear tire changer) and Anthony Pasut (fuel filler). French, Morehead and Moss were part of the Garage 56 pit crew that won the GTE class portion of the Pit Stop Challenge at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last June.
“Building that relationship with Mr. H, Miss Linda (Hendrick) and not only the Hendrick family and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports but also the Hendrick Automotive Group has been very special,” Caruth said.
