Dale Earnhardt Jr. delivers a strong verdict on HMS Prodigy's onboard footage

Former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently delivered a strong verdict on NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Rajah Kirby Caruth's footage of his latest run at the Rockingham Speedway. The Hendrick Motorsports prodigy shared the onboard clip on his X account, making his goals clear for the 2025 season.

Rajah Kirby Caruth began his racing career in the ARCA Menards Series in 2021, and after gaining adequate experience in the series, he got a part-time ride in the Truck Series. Noticing the potential in Kirby Caruth, Spire Motorsports gave him a full-time seat last season while Hendrickcars.com sponsored his ride.

The HMS prodigy showcased his talent, winning his first-ever NASCAR race at Las Vegas in March. In the process, he became the third African American driver to win a race in stock car racing after Wendell Scott and Bubba Wallace.

Caruth recently shared an onboard clip of his run at the 1.017-mile asphalt track, Rockingham Speedway, and shared his excitment to compete on the track in the 2025 season. He wrote:

"A few laps at @Rockingham1965. Excited to come back in April!"

This tweet got Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s attention, and he was impressed by Kirby Caruth's maneuverability skills on the track.

"Worth a watch. Rockingham is fast as lightning! 😱, "wrote Dale Jr.

NASCAR is returning to the Rockingham Speedway for the first time since 2013 and will host the Black's Tire 200 Truck Series race on April 18, 2025 followed by the Xfinity Series NC Education Lottery 250 on the next day.

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"Some traditions, what's wrong with them?": Dale Earnhardt Jr. on NASCAR's decision to remove the mandatory rookie stripes

Earlier this month NASCAR decided to remove the mandatory yellow stripes on the rookie cars. According to the Stock Car Racing Association, rookie stripes are 'unnecessary' as the drivers are competing at the 'highest level of stock car racing.'

The yellow stripes placed on the bumpers of the rookie drivers were introduced to help seasoned drivers identify the drivers who are in their first year in the series. Reflecting upon the same, Earnhardt Jr. expressed his views on the big decision on his podcast and claimed that the stripes were helpful for the viewers. Junior stated:

"There's some that kind of come and go. And I get why it's not as necessary as it used to be. Am I noticing the yellow stripe on the back of the car as I used to? No. But in 1980 for example, when you went to the Daytona 500, there were probably 70-80 cars trying to qualify for the Daytona 500, multiple 20-25 rookies, lots of rookies, dozens or more. That was when it was necessary," he said.

"Some traditions, what's wrong with them? That was just a thing that didn't have to go away. It was kind of a neat tradition that was kind of a rite of passage," he added.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. mentioned that after a few laps in the Daytona 500, he would stop caring about the yellow stripes altogether.