Caruth Hopes Mental Strength Propels Him In Truck Playoff
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a diverse class of drivers entering the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoffs, one could argue the most enticing talent to keep an eye on is 22-year-old Rajah Caruth.
In the midst of his sophomore Truck Series season, the Winston Salem State University senior has successfully balanced life as a college student with that of a professional racing driver, studying sports management while living out his dream of chasing a championship in NASCAR’s national series ranks.
Caruth qualified for the Round of 10 all the way back in March, following his breakthrough victory at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. In fact, he’s one of only five drivers with a win going into the seven-race postseason stretch.
Through 16 starts this year, Caruth has finished inside the top 10 in half of them. He’s also earned two poles (tied for second-most in the series) and posted the fourth-best average finish among Truck Series regulars at 11.4.
The Truck Series postseason kicks off this weekend with the LiUNA 175 at the Milwaukee (Wis.) Mile, and entering Milwaukee as the fifth seed, the intuitive Spire Motorsports driver is bringing more than just his “playoff beard and braids” into his first playoff appearance.
Caruth will also be carrying in what he considers to be his biggest racing strength, strong mental fortitude, as well as a new ideology he feels can propel his No. 71 team all the way to the championship-deciding finale at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway in November.
“I think it's literally just to do my job,” Caruth said during Truck Series Playoff Media Day Tuesday. “That's the biggest thing. As simple as it may seem, it is not easy to do, because there are so many different things that are kind of thrown at drivers that may change your process through your week … test your priorities, test your mental fortitude, and albeit, you still have to go to the racetrack.
“So, with that said, I think that’s been my main focus,” he added. “It's just to keep my process the same and use my time during the week wisely, so that way, (when) I get to the racetrack, I’m prepared. And no matter what is thrown my way, no matter what flusters the day, I can still execute to the highest level.
“Going into the playoffs, I’m excited to have the opportunity to do so.”
While Caruth has posted commendable numbers in his second full-time campaign, there’s a reason why he’s only seven points to the good. A 50-percent top-10 rate would be enough to qualify anyone for the postseason without a win (i.e. Grant Enfinger and Tyler Ankrum), it speaks to an area the Spire bunch hopes to improve on – running up front and winning races consistently.
In only leading 45 laps this season – 38 of which came in his Las Vegas victory – Caruth failed to earn any bonus points via stage wins, racking up a total of just 78 stage points in 10 starts.
Additionally, the Washington D.C., native only posted an average-running position inside the top-10 on three occasions. However, the silver lining is that two of those instances occurred in his last four starts, where Caruth finished in the top 10 three times.
Coming off a 17th-place finish in the regular-season finale at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, Caruth will need to be better than that – as well as improve on his 14th-place day at Milwaukee from a year ago – in order to gain ground on the competition in the Round of 10.
But with a strong team behind him and an inherent fundamental awareness, the sky’s the limit for the No. 71 team, and Caruth knows it.
“There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to perform against these other [playoff] guys and advance our way all the way to Phoenix,” he noted. “That’s our goal going in and we hope to accomplish just that.”
Coverage of the Truck Series playoff opener at Milwaukee is slated for Sunday afternoon, Aug. 25 at 4 p.m. ET, live on FS1, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
