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NASCAR Truck Series driver Rajah Caruth etched his name into the history books as he secured the first ever NASCAR win of his career in Las Vegas on Friday.
Rajah Caruth, 21, piloting the No. 71 Chevy for Spire Motorsports, clinched the first pole position of his career before successfully converting his strong start to an electrifying finish in the Victoria's Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Atlanta native secured a total of 17 stage points and led a career-best 38 laps before emerging victorious ahead of Tyler Ankru and Corey Heim.
With his victory, Caruth also secured a historic feat as he became the third African-American driver to secure a NASCAR victory after the late great Wendell Scott and 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace.
Wendell Scott, the first Black driver to win a NASCAR national series race, made history with his victory in the 1964 Jacksonville 200, paving the way for future generations of African-American drivers. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace, a six-time Craftsman Truck Series winner and a two-time Cup Series race winner, last won the Hollywood Casino 400 race at Kansas Speedway in 2022.
Rajah Caruth delivered his third straight strong outing of the 2024 campaign in Las Vegas. The Spire Motorsports driver secured an impressive third-place finish in Daytona, which was followed by an eighth-place finish in his home race in Atlanta. In his second full-time season, Caruth is fourth in the Truck Series standings after three races.
Bubba Wallace congratulates Rajah Caruth following the latter's historic win
Wallace took to X (formerly Twitter) to pen an enthusiastic note for Rajah Caruth as the 21-year-old raced to victory in Vegas. Bubba Wallace wrote:
"What a massive win for the little bro! What a monumental win for our sport! Proud is an understatement! LFG!!!!!!!"
Meanwhile, reflecting on his momentous achievement, Caruth expressed gratitude to his team, family and supporters who have played a role in his journey to success. He stated (via CNN):
"It’s surreal. Glad to get the win for team Chevy, can’t thank my family enough. So many people helped me to get to this point. I can’t believe it.
"I stayed cool. We lost track position in little portions of the race and we stayed in the game … My guys got me a great stop and we just executed. There’s more to come for sure."
