Spire Motorsports has lots of talent across NASCAR, and it added to it this week by signing Rajah Caruth to run the full Craftsman Truck Series season behind the wheel of the No. 71 Chevy.
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𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞, @rajahcaruth_ 👋
Rajah will pilot our No. 71 Silverado in the 2024 @NASCAR_Trucks season! @HendrickCars will be the primary sponsor on the truck for 10 races.
Learn more: https://t.co/bP5FBRnZ05 pic.twitter.com/RPkf4mdkqA
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) February 7, 2024
Caruth joins new teammate Chase Purdy, who drives the No. 77, and the team also has the No. 7 truck that will see several drivers behind the wheel, including Kyle Busch.
The 21-year-old graduate of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program enters his second full-time Craftsman Truck Series season.
He spent the 2023 season driving full-time for the now-defunct GMS Racing team where he had four top-10 finishes and a 16th-place finish in the point standings.
Caruth also had the chance of a lifetime as he jumped aboard Hendrick Motorsports No. 17 Xfinity Series car in the season finale at Phoenix in 2023. That relationship with Rick Hendrick will carry on in 2024, as Caruth will have HendrickCars.com aboard his No. 71 truck for 10 races this season.
Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson was ecstatic to have Caruth join the fold at the team while speaking with motorsport.com's Jim Utter.
"We've talked about seminal moments for Spire Motorsports in the past, and I think this is another one of those moments," Dickerson said. "Rajah Caruth is an exceptional young man. He's a very talented driver with a bright future. He's obviously young in his career but he's mature beyond his years. You hear people talk about an 'it' factor and when you talk to him and get to know him, it's pretty obvious he has 'it.' We're exceptionally fortunate to be able to bring Rajah into the mix and pair him with Chad Walter [Caruth's crew chief]."
Caruth was named the 2021 Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award recipient due to his strong performance in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, along with his sportsmanship and work in the community.
Caruth was quite emotional about his new opportunity while speaking with Utter.
"I'm usually a pretty stoic guy, emotionally, but it's hard not to tear up a little bit thinking about this opportunity," Caruth said. "There was a lot of uncertainty over the winter in almost every sense of the word.
This opportunity not only sets him up for a bright future with Spire but also deepens his relationship with the whole Hendrick family with sponsorship with HendrickCars.com.
"I just feel really blessed to be able to drive for Spire Motorsports and to be able to have Chad come with me. I'm flattered to have the support of HendrickCars.com and, of course, Mr. (Rick Hendrick) and the whole Hendrick family," Caruth said. " It's a dream to be here and to have a full season and to have a place where I can grow is pretty special."
Caruth's future is bright, and he's got the kind of backing he needs to succeed.
