HBCU Racer Rajah Caruth Secures Celebrity Sponsor

Last Updated on April 4, 2026 8:38 AM CDT

NASCAR driver Rajah Caruth has never been shy about putting the pedal to the metal when it comes to blazing a unique trail.

In late March, one of music’s most popular artists decided to get behind the wheel of Caruth’s vision.

“I am thoroughly enjoying Rajah Caruth racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Darlington Raceway,” Charlamagne Tha God posted on social media. “We truly thank God for it all!!!”

Rajah Caruth teams up with Charlamagne Tha God’s @BlackEffectPods Network ⚫️

Darlington | 5:30PM ET | The CW 📺 pic.twitter.com/wmhdW6KrUI

— Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport (@JARnascar) March 19, 2026

Charlamagne Tha God’s media venture, The Black Effect Podcast Network, sponsored Caruth.

“This is what Black Effect is all about,” Charlamagne Tha God said. “Creating space for our stories, our voices, and our culture to show up everywhere.”

“The platform Charlamagne and the entire Black Effect team have built represents culture, conversation and opportunity,” Caruth stated.

The 23-year-old’s rise to prominence has been intriguing to monitor. As a teenager, he prepared for a possible racing career by honing his skills virtually.

“I wanted to change what was possible,” Caruth said. “So, I focused on what was ahead and kept building. Eventually, the world had to catch up to me.”

The Atlanta, Georgia native had dreamt about his current reality as a NASCAR driver when he was a small child.

“From the Cars movies, I’ve seen them when I was younger, to collecting diecast toys, really as I grew older, and then going to my first race when I turned 12, playing video games, you know, PlayStation and then getting my start racing virtually in 2018 when I was 16 years old,” Caruth recounted.

The driver is a graduate of Winston-Salem State University, where he fittingly earned a degree in motorsports management. The school is the only HBCU in the United States to offer the program, and the only public institution to offer the major in North Carolina.

Caruth was thankful for his time at Winston-Salem State.

“It’s important for a program like this to have tangible and legitimate pathways for a student to get involved in the sport,” he noted. “The school has provided me a lot, not only on the professional side but personally—helping me grow as a Black man in this country and learning how to carry myself in professional environments.”

Not surprisingly, Caruth’s success has helped build the profile of the program and of the school as a whole.

“I have seen a significant increase of interest in our program as well as the university at large. Rajah’s success has played a major role in that,” said motorsports management program coordinator Dr. Clay Harshaw.

Rajah Caruth on his race and being in the No. 88 — the car that won 10 races last year and whether that impacts his outlook/pressure. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/r7x5FPqc2L

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 15, 2026

Caruth accomplished a lot professionally while he was still a fulltime student. He won the 2021 Wendell Scott Trailblazer award for his “performance on the track, as well as sportsmanship and community service off of it.”

The young racer was well aware of the impact Wendell Scott made historically.

“That family is who I did history projects about when I was in elementary school,” Caruth said after winning the award. “To receive that recognition, meet the family, it means the world. I’m going to work really hard to make my legacy part of the Scott’s in NASCAR.”