Rajah Caruth sees bigger picture after Roy Wood Jr.'s shoutout: "It's important for me to bring the sport to my culture"

Comedian and NASCAR enthusiast Roy Wood Jr. gave a shoutout to Rajah Caruth recently. Speaking after an evenful race in the 2025 Craftsman Series at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Caruth acknowledged the message and was excited to receive praise from the comedian.

Caruth has been making waves in NASCAR since his debut. Apart from his feats in racing, he has always given back to the community and tried to bridge the cultural gaps in the sport. Wood Jr. had talked about Caruth's impact and recognized his efforts.

After Caruth finished competing in the Victoria's Voice Foundation 200, he was asked about Wood's recognition. Caruth responded during the press conference posted (via NASCAR reporter Peter Stratta):

"Yeah, that was cool. I think for me, it's really important for me to bring the sport to my culture. Whether it's sports, music, acting, really the whole nine and just create an understanding of how the sport is more welcoming than the perception of it is. To have that shout-out from Roy (Wood Jr.) was pretty cool, and hopefully it's not the last." (14:34 onwards)

Caruth wants to have a diverse audience for his sport. He is only the third black driver, after Bubba Wallace and Wendell Scott, to win a NASCAR race. Caruth wants to change this and serve as an ambassador of the sport to his community.

NASCAR Truck Series driver Rajah Caruth (71) qualifying for Fresh from Florida 250 - Source: Imagn

Caruth remains focused on his on performance on the track as well. He has not had a good start to the season, starting with two DNFs in his first two races of the season. The #71 of Spire Motorsports was hoping for a better outcome at the Las Vegas Motorway, where he won last year. He finished the race in seventh place, which puts him in 18th place in the overall standings.

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Rajah Caruth wants to be consistent over immediate victories

Rajah Caruth has finally found a decent result in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, but wants to remain consistent.

"For me it's not a question about winning a race this year. It's just a matter of when and hopefully it's more than once but until that comes we just have to finish races and get stage points. We'll be in a good spot tonight starting inside the top 10 and being on the top. I feel good about that," Rajah Caruth added. (03:50 onwards)

He hopes to continue this momentum even if he doesn't win a race and stay in the hunt for the playoffs. Caruth also added that this finish doesn't change his process as he focuses on lap-by-lap progress and minute details instead of looking for bigger rewards. He believes the next few races being on speedways will help him since they depend more on 'driver skill' rather than the initial races.

He will next race in the Baptist Health 200 on Friday, March 21, at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.