Rajah Caruth got a huge boost this week when HendrickCars.com announced that it would be the primary sponsor of his No. 71 Chevrolet for the remainder of the season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Hendrick had previously agreed to sponsor the truck for just 10 of the 23 races this season.
“It’s pretty special to have HendrickCars.com on my chest,” said Caruth. “I think about Phoenix last year when I drove the Xfinity car for Hendrick Motorsports that, within itself, was an incredible moment. Knowing that HendrickCars.com has extended their relationship with Spire Motorsports and my No. 71 team kind of leaves me speechless,” Caruth said in a news release.
Even before the expansion of the sponsorship, Hendrick Motorsports was high on the potential of Caruth. Jeff Gordon, the NASCAR Hall of Famer and vice chairman at Hendrick, spoke to reporters about Caruth earlier this year at Daytona Speedweeks.
Jeff Gordon speaks on Rajah Caruth
“It was an opportunity at the end of last year to put him in a car, it was a collaboration between Chevrolet and Rick (Hendrick). It was a Hendrick Motorsports effort but it’s really Rick, Rajah’s dad and Chevrolet that had the initial conversations. But what has evolved since then it’s just how impressed we are with him. Rick and I talked about it the other day, we’ve seen him several times and whether it’s at the banquet or at the Hall of Fame, and just every time he’s coming up, shaking our hands, he’s well put together, well spoken, and very driven, very passionate about it. When you see that in a young driver, that’s what you are looking for,” said Gordon.
Rajah Caruth will be back on the track this weekend in Las Vegas for the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 presented by Westgate Resorts race in Las Vegas on Friday, March 1. The race will be televised on FS1 at 9:00 pm EST. Rajah is currently fifth in the points standings after a top five and a top ten finish in the opening two races of the season.