A rising NASCAR driver has landed a new opportunity with a championship-winning team. Rajah Caruth will drive full-time for GMS Racing during the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series season.
GMS Racing held a special event on December 6 to announce the news. The team set up at the Chevrolet Performance Technical Center in Concord, N.C., and revealed that Caruth will take over the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado in what will be his rookie season. He will replace Jack Wood, who left to join Kyle Busch Motorsports.
SIGNED. We are proud to welcome @rajahcaruth_ to drive the No. 24 @WendellScott_34 Chevrolet full-time in the @NASCAR_Trucks Series for 2023!
“We are truly excited to welcome Rajah to our team next year,” said GMS Racing President Mike Beam in a press release. “I’ve studied up on him ever since I saw him racing in ARCA, but I know that he’s been on the radar for many people in the industry for quite some time now. It was fun to watch him and Daniel [Dye] fight for the championship last year, and I think having both of them make the jump up to the Truck Series will be a benefit because they will both be able to learn together.
Caruth was the final driver to join the fold, and he completed a three-man lineup for the 2023 season. He will join returning veteran Grant Enfinger (No. 23) and fellow rookie Daniel Dye (No. 43).
GMS Racing Revealed Caruth’s Primary Partner
GettyRajah Caruth waves to fans at Richmond Raceway.
As part of the reveal event, GMS Racing also provided some details about Caruth’s primary partner. He will have support from the Wendell Scott Foundation, which ” aims to provide resources and services to underprivileged African-American youth communities.”
Caruth has his own ties to the Wendell Scott Foundation. In 2021, he was named the recipient of the Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award after being an ambassador for the sport.
Caruth will now continue to work with Wendell Scott Trailblazer as he takes on the Truck Series on a full-time basis. He will pursue strong finishes, wins, and a spot in the playoffs while driving for a team that has 42 career wins.
The Virginia native will pursue these finishes while working with crew chief Chad Walter, who previously joined forces with Jack Wood in 2021. Walter spent the 2022 season as the crew chief for Jeb Burton in the Xfinity Series. Meanwhile, Jeff Hensley will return to Enfinger’s pit box while Travis Sharpe will work with Dye.
Caruth Changed His 2022 Plans
Prior to the 2022 season, the expectation was that Caruth would move full-time to the Xfinity Series. The reason is that he was the driver Alpha Prime Racing identified as its future during an August 2021 announcement.
The situation has since changed. Caruth will now move full-time to the Craftsman Truck Series, but he will still potentially make starts in the Xfinity Series. He acknowledged during his introductory press conference that this was a possibility, provided he remained in a Chevrolet.
Caruth ran full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, but he also made starts in both the Truck Series and Xfinity Series during the 2022 season. He made seven starts for Alpha Prime Racing and secured a season-best finish of 12th a Martinsville Speedway.
Caruth also joined Spire Motorsports for four Truck Series starts. He kicked off his schedule by turning in a season-best 11th-place finish at World Wide Technology Raceway.
“Rajah’s a sharp kid; I’ve seen his work ethic and attention to detail he brings to the racetrack, and I can tell that he’s hungry,” Beam added. “He just started driving a few years ago, so to see how far he’s been able to grow in such a short amount of time has been pretty remarkable. He’s built himself a good name in the garage area and is someone that people like to be around, so he’ll be able to soak up some mentorship lessons from experienced drivers, which should go a long way. I’m excited for him.”
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Rajah Caruth Lands Opportunity With Championship-Winning Team