Most NASCAR drivers didn’t grow up watching races from a dorm room at an HBCU—but Rajah Caruth isn’t like most drivers.
At just 22 years old, Caruth is blazing a trail in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports. On May 2, he turned heads at Texas Motor Speedway with a thrilling third-place finish at the SpeedyCash.com 250, a race that stretched into double overtime. It marked his second top-five of the season and a defining moment in a breakout year.
HBCU Roots with Racing Ambitions
Caruth graduated from Winston-Salem State University in December 2024 with a degree in Motorsports Management. That alone makes history—WSSU is the only HBCU in the country offering such a program. Balancing a NASCAR schedule with academics? That’s next-level discipline. His journey reflects a powerful fusion of culture and competition, reminding fans that Black excellence belongs in every lane.