Rajah Caruth began his 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season with a calm and steady run at Daytona International Speedway. The 23-year-old finished 10th in the United Rentals 300 on February 14, giving JR Motorsports a solid start to the year.
Rajah Caruth started seventh and stayed in the lead draft for much of the race. He led one lap and earned stage points, including a fifth-place finish in Stage 2. A late incident affected his track position, but he still secured a top-10 result.
Rajah Caruth shows early speed and learns the draft
Caruth settled into the pack early and focused on understanding how the front group moved in the draft. He said the first stage helped him adjust to racing near the leaders at Daytona.
“I spent the first stage just getting my bearings,” Caruth explained. “I ran the fall race here before, but I was mostly mid-pack and hadn’t really spent much time up front. So in that first stage, I was learning how to keep my gaps closed and how much the cars move when you push.”
He showed progress as the race went on. Caruth stayed competitive in the Hendrick-powered car and moved forward in Stage 2, where he finished fifth and added valuable points for the standings.
JR Motorsports’ driver adjusts to the tighter racing style
Caruth also spoke about the difference between Truck Series racing and the tighter style required in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Daytona. He explained that pushing requires more precision and timing in this field.
“In the Trucks, you can kind of just hit the guy and be fine, but here you really have to square them up to push and move forward,” Caruth said. “By the second stage, I got more comfortable and started trying to be aggressive. The No. 2 and the 21 read what I was doing, though, so I’ve got to study that and see how I can do better next time.”
His comments reflected the learning process during the race as he worked to stay with the front pack while avoiding mistakes in the closing laps.
Late tire issue, but top-10 finish secured
Caruth’s run faced trouble with six laps remaining when he suffered a cut tire on the backstretch. The issue caused a spin and brought out a late caution, dropping him down the order. Despite the setback, he kept the car running and finished 10th.
“It got a bit hectic when I got caught up in that wreck and cut a tire, but we still got good stage points and finished. That’s really all you can ask for. It’s a good way to start the year and not be in a hole heading to Atlanta.”
Caruth said he did not feel extra pressure driving the No. 88 car, which combined for 10 wins in 2025.
“Not at all. I’m just treating it like another race,” Caruth said. “The thing I haven’t always had in my career is the reassurance that what I’m driving is capable, so now I can just focus on driving. I’ve been looking for that feeling for a while. There’s no pressure. I know I’m capable, I’ve done the work to build the résumé to get this opportunity, and I know the team is capable too.”
Austin Hill won the race after leading 75 laps and earned his third straight victory in the event. Caruth left Daytona with a strong points start and will head next to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the following race of the season.
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