Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Latest NASCAR Recruit Not Feeling Any Pressure Running for the Legendary Driver

Rajah Caruth is the next man up at the Xfinity Series level, filling the vacancy left behind as Connor Zilisch advances to the NASCAR Cup Series after a near-perfect rookie season and a runner-up points finish. He will take over the No. 88 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports. While not all of his starts will come with JRM, he is also set to drive for Jordan Anderson Racing in select events during the 2026 season.

In total, he will run 23 of the 33 races with JR Motorsports, with the remainder coming for JAR, making it a significant opportunity for him. And if Caruth manages to qualify for the 12-driver playoff field, he will remain in the No. 88 car for the entirety of the Chase.

With JR Motorsports carrying weight across the Xfinity garage, he will have access to frontline resources throughout the campaign. But that will bring expectation along with opportunity. Yet Caruth does not frame it as a weight on his shoulders, nor does he internalize the scenario as pressure, or treat it as a burden that alters his approach.

During his recent chat with Speed Freaks, Caruth said, “It’s really not pressure because this is where I want to be, and I’ve worked to get here for a very long time.

“So, I don’t think about it as pressure because the opportunities here, the chances here, the resources, the people, the time, all the things intangible and tangible are here for me to perform and kind of push all all my my cards in or chips in.”

Caruth added, “It’s all here. So, I don’t feel any pressure at all. I’m just really excited for this chance because it’s been a long road to get here, and I’m excited that it’s here, this opportunity, and I’m going to do my best.

“I’m going to have fun, and I know the results will be there, and I’m not worried about that. So, yeah, I don’t feel any pressure at all… Just a great opportunity to.. be a fan of racing, which I think all of us are, and racing is a easy thing to be a fan of.”

Caruthalso shared that he has known Dale Earnhardt Jr. for quite some time, and he enjoys working with him because their conversations go far beyond racing. Whether it is sim racing, memorabilia, late model racing, or even football, he appreciates continuing to build that relationship, along with the connections he is forming with everyone else in the building.

The 2026 season will mark Caruth’s first full-time campaign in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. While he has made several appearances at NASCAR’s Tier 2 level, his experience in the division remains limited. He logged three starts in 2025, split between Jordan Anderson Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.

That same year, Caruth completed his third full-time season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Spire Motorsports. He recorded one win, five top-five finishes, and 13 top-10 results, finishing sixth in the standings after placing seventh in 2024.

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