After winning his first career Late Model Stock race last year at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Rajah Caruth entered 2021 determined to carry over the momentum.
Caruth showcased his development on Saturday evening at Hickory Motor Speedway by sweeping both 40-lap Late Model Stock features, becoming the first African-American driver to win at the track since Chris Bristol in 2005.
An exhausted Caruth admitted that the second victory was more challenging than the first, as he was tasked with keeping Gracie Trotter in his rearview mirror during the final green flag run.
“I’m more mentally tired than I am physically,” Caruth said. “I was swatting flies those last 15 laps. I didn’t have anything left. [Gracie] and I raced hard and clean and I’m glad this worked out for us.”
Caruth started his career competing in iRacing events before earning an opportunity to race Late Model Stocks in 2020 as part of the Drive for Diversity program.
Rev Racing elected to move Caruth up to the ARCA Menards Series East in 2021 while also having him compete in a handful of Late Model Stock races so he could gain more experience.
Hickory has provided Caruth plenty of lessons during his transition into Late Model Stocks but he believes that he is finally understanding how to race at the facility.
“This is the hardest place I’ve been to,” Caruth said. “I’ve only been racing for three years but you get better with more laps. I felt like I learned something new with every lap.”
Saturday presented no shortage of challenges for Caruth, as he had to start from fifth for the first race while an invert relegated him to eighth for the second feature.
Caruth effectively utilized his equipment and charged to the front of the field on both occasions to give Rev Racing owner Max Siegel two reasons to celebrate.
Trotter followed closely behind for a second-place run while Caruth’s teammate in Isabella Robusto overcame an accident in the first race to round out the podium.
With his victory, Caruth joins a diverse group of drivers that have visited victory lane at Hickory that includes three female winners in Annabeth Barnes-Crum, Kate Dallenbach and Chrissy Wallace.
Caruth took time in victory lane to praise the performance of the entire four-car armada Rev Racing brought to Hickory and is confident that Saturday will not be the last time the team celebrates a win in 2021.
“We had some really fast Rev Racing Chevrolets today,” Caruth said. “We’re going to keep bringing this on. This is the start of what’s going to be coming with this team.”
Caruth intends to return to Hickory in a Late Model Stock soon so he can gain more experience and keep building momentum through the rest of the year.
Race No. 1 Results:
1. Rajah Caruth
2. Zack Clifton
3. Josh Kossek
4. Hayden Woods
5. Gracie Trotter
6. Levar Scott
7. Bob Saville
8. Chase Dixon
9. Regina Sirvent
10. Mitch Walker
11. Isabella Robusto
12. Paul Owens III
13. Ryan Millington (DNS)
Race No. 2 Results:
1. Rajah Caruth
2. Gracie Trotter
3. Isabella Robusto
4. Levar Scott
5. Bob Saville
6. Paul Owens III
7. Hayden Woods
8. Zack Clifton
9. Regina Sirvent
10. Josh Kossek
11. Chase Dixon
12. Mitch Walker
13. Ryan Millington (DNS)
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