Bubba Wallace’s NASCAR prodigy relies on three emojis in reacting to Cars parallel

Bubba Wallace’s mentee and close friend Rajah Caruth recently took to X and shared a screenshot from the NASCAR Heat mobile game. The image showed Caruth’s No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevy Silverado flying past the roof of the No. 17 truck.

Caruth was blown away by how similar the crash was to the one that happened between Lightning McQueen and Cruz Ramirez in one of the Cars movie saga. He had no words but three emojis to caption his post.

“😢😢😢”

Just recently, the 22-year-old driver graduated from Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina with a Bachelor of Science degree in motorsport management. An elated Caruth exclaimed:

“It’s really special to join the illustrious list of alumni here at the university and I can’t wait to give back in that capacity but today was a great experience but I just wanted to be in the crowd with all the normal kids so it was cool.”

Just like Wallace, Caruth is also a product of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program. He drives full-time for Spire Motorsports. Previously, Caruth used to drive for Alpha Prime Racing on a part-time basis.

Rajah Caruth’s first career victory came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which also made him the third black driver after Wendell Scott and Bubba Wallace, to win a national series race. Caruth closed the 2024 season seventh on points with five top-5s and 12 top-10s.

“It is great to have a home”- Rajah Caruth reflects on his return to Spire Motorsports

Rajah Caruth will return behind the wheel of the No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado next year. His ride will be sponsored primarily by HendrickCars.com, also known for backing 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson in the Cup Series.

That, by itself, is great news for Caruth. However, what’s even better news is that for the first time in his career, the Georgia native will not compete under the banner of a new team to kick off the season.

“It is great to have a home and stability heading into next year,” Rajah Caruth said (via Spire Motorsports). “I believe this is the first time in my career I won’t be with a new team or competing in a different series at the start of the season.

“Our organization has really grown over the past year, and we have shown what we are capable of. We have set the bar high for the season and the expectation is to win more races and compete for a championship,” Caruth added.

Rajah Caruth’s next race is the Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway on February 14. The 100-lap event will stream live on FS1 from 7:30 pm ET. Fans can also listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.