Rajah Caruth set to drive for HMS in the Xfinity Series finale at Phoenix

Rajah Caruth is one of the four only African-American drivers in NASCAR.

Rajah Caruth set to drive for HMS in the Xfinity Series finale at Phoenix

Rajah Caruth (Via IMAGO)

Hendrick Motorsports recently announced Rajah Caruth as their driver for the NASCAR Xfinity Series season final race at Phoenix. Caruth currently competes full-time in the Truck Series for GMS Racing, where he drives the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado. He’ll drive the No.17 Chevrolet Camaro for HMS at Phoenix this November.

Caruth took to Twitter to express his gratitude as he thanked Rick Hendrick, saying it is an honor for him to race for them. Apart from HMS, Caruth also races in the Xfinity Series part-time for Alpha Prime Racing. Out of his 15 Xfinity starts, his career-best finish came at Martinsville last year, where he finished P12.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTqvhp59SmI&pp=ygUMcmFqYWggY2FydXRo

The 21-year-old is 17th in the Truck Series standings with three top-ten finishes. The rookie also managed to get his career-best finish of P6 at Darlington this season in May. Caruth will aim to make the most of this one-off opportunity with HMS, which could prove to be a defining point in his career.

FS Video

Along with him, Boris Said will also be returning to the Xfinity Series with HMS. The 61-year-old veteran will probably make his last professional racing appearance at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in October, driving the No.17 Camaro.

In case you missed it: Ryan Preece confirms his stay at SHR for 2024

HMS’ performance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2023

HMS returned to the Xfinity Series in a partial capacity in 2022, 13 years after their exit in 2009. They raced in four races in 2022, their best finish being P2 on two occasions. They have now decided to extend the number to seven races in 2023. Drivers like William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson have all commandeered the No.17 at some point this season.

HMS' No.17 Chevrolet Camaro
HMS’ No.17 Chevrolet Camaro (Credits: Jayski)

The team has gotten a combined three top-five finishes and one pole position this season. Larson is above all the other HMS drivers in the series as he stands on P73 in the standings. His teammates Byron and Elliott are at P76 and P77 respectively.

HMS holds the No.17 in high regard. NASCAR icon Darrell Waltrip has driven it to nine wins from 1987 to 1990, which includes the 1989 Daytona 500. Ricky Hendrick has also driven the car on various occasions. As they increase their number of races this year, it is clear that HMS is slowly working towards re-establishing its hold in the Xfinity Series.

Discover more: