Rajah Caruth’s name has been lighting up the racing world lately, and his story feels like something you’d hear over coffee with a friend who can’t stop gushing about their favorite underdog. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Caruth caught the racing bug early on, all thanks to a certain red race car from Pixar’s Cars. That’s right—Lightning McQueen wasn’t just a cartoon character for young Rajah; he was a hero who sparked a dream that would one day carry him to NASCAR’s biggest stages.
Having made it to the Truck Series and backed by Rick Hendrick’s Hendrick Cars.com, he was finally inching closer to his dream of breaking into the big leagues. His first NASCAR win in Las Vegas last year was a step in the right direction and a historic achievement. He became only the third African-American to win in one of three national series. But, as the 2025 season started, that achievement from the Vegas win began to wear off, and many started questioning if Rick Hendrick and Spire Motorsports made the right call in backing him for another year.
Heading into the Nashville race weekend, the winless streak for Rajah Caruth stood at 31 races. And this fact was brought to light by his staunch critic when Caruth reacted to a social media post which showcased a Lightning McQueen-inspired Chevy Camaro. He replied, “As soon as i make cup money its over.” And taking a dig at the driver, his critique wrote, “Gotta start running better first…” Well, this was enough to light a fire in Caruth’s heart, and he channeled this energy towards the race on Friday.
With a lightning-quick pit crew and a resilient drive in the second stage, fending off the likes of Corey Heim and Layne Riggs, Caruth snagged his first win of the season. He entered the Nashville race below the playoff cut line, but now that is no longer a concern. The target from here on will be to bag more playoff points and stage a strong run for the championship. Although in the post-race conversation, Caruth was emotional and full of gratitude, he filled in the script while responding to the online troll. He didn’t write anything, just posed with the Gibson Les Paul guitar and a thumbs up.
https://t.co/9DYMiVr72k pic.twitter.com/TAdiY3CQO9
— Rajah Kirby Caruth (@rajahcaruth_) May 31, 2025
Well, this was the best possible response to shut down the online racing expert. And what followed next was a wave of comments rallying behind the young driver.
Rajah Caruth knows how to silence his critics
One fan summed it up perfectly, saying, “Success is the best revenge.” And it was! Caruth knew he was against the odds. His rivals, like Heim, would go on to stack multiple wins, but the best he could come up with until Nashville was two top 5 finishes. This win was also huge for Spire Motorsports, marking their ninth win in the Truck Series, and Caruth would join the likes of Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch to earn multiple wins for the organization.
However, a few fans were concerned for the limited edition guitar after Caruth won the race, and they did bring up Kyle Busch’s antics. “Please don’t smash it like KB!” referencing a famous moment in NASCAR history. Back in 2009, Kyle Busch won at Nashville Superspeedway and smashed the Les Paul guitar he received as a trophy, later donating the pieces to his crew. The move stirred some controversy, but Busch made amends by having another guitar made for the Nashville School of Arts. In 2021, he playfully faked smashing another guitar at the same track, nodding to the 2009 incident but keeping it intact. Fans were relieved to see Caruth cradling his guitar trophy with care, a sign of respect for the Nashville tradition.
Another fan got creative, saying, “Instant you hit a tune you’ll cook on the haters, congrats Rajah!” Most tracks hand out a standard trophy, but in Nashville. Where music and motorsports collide, and a traditional cup just wouldn’t cut it. Instead, winners get a one-of-a-kind Gibson guitar, custom-painted with bold designs. It’s a trophy that screams Nashville in the best way possible. Caruth’s win and his guitar trophy were a perfect fit for the city’s musical legacy, and fans loved the idea of him “playing a tune” on his haters with his success, especially after such a dominant performance in the race.
Caruth’s story is something a lot of race fans resonate with. But, apart from racing, what defines a race car driver is how they deal with the outside noise. So far in Caruth’s work, he hasn’t allowed negativity to sway his focus, rather, he’s used it as motivation to come back stronger. “Epic response!!! Keep proving them wrong!” another fan wrote. With a good chunk of racing left in the season and playoffs lined up ahead, the focus for Caruth and his team will be to finish better than last year.
It is tough to find a fan favorite driver in the Truck Series. But Carson Hocevar connected with the fans who now cheer for him in the Cup Series. And going by the next comments, it seems now many of them are rallying behind Caruth. “Great job last night rajah!! Can’t anyone say nothing about that win!! You raced the top guy in the final laps, held him off with no mistakes!!! Carson was my guy in truck. When he left you became my guy. Keep digging and make jrm sign you in xfinity.. you got this.”
The #71 Spire Motorsports team have dug deep and worked their way to this breakthrough win. Momentum is key for any driver or a team, and now that Caruth and his team have that, they need to build on it.
The post Fans Have a Field Day as Rick Hendrick’s Protege Has the Last Laugh Against Online Troll appeared first on EssentiallySports.