Rajah Caruth is not leaving JR Motorsports after all, even though the team faced real cash challenges to keep him. The 24-year-old driver will pilot the No. 88 Chevrolet full-time in the 2027 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Kelley Earnhardt Miller, the team’s co-owner and CEO, broke the news on Tuesday during a radio appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. She called the move “Super exciting. He deserves to be here another year,” as quoted by Jayski, according to Yahoo Sports.
The ride is confirmed even though the driver said sponsorship sales are tough. Caruth has spent the 2026 season split between two teams, driving 23 races for JR Motorsports and 10 for Jordan Anderson Racing. He currently sits 12th in the Chase standings with 2,205 points. His season includes two top-five finishes and nine top-10s, plus a career-best runner-up spot at Iowa Speedway. Yet money remains the biggest hurdle for his future. The team has not released the financial terms of the new deal.
The Battle for Diversity
Caruth is one of only three active Black drivers competing in NASCAR’s national series. His presence matters as the sport tries to grow its fan base beyond its traditional roots. Lavar Scott, another O’Reilly Series driver, sees the shared struggle of breaking barriers. “I think me and Rajah go through so many things and we kind of battle it together,” Scott said, as quoted by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Caruth already holds the Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award and two Truck Series wins.
A Full-Time Shot at Glory
For 2027, Caruth finally gets the car all to himself. He will drive the No. 88 entry for every race, a chance he missed this year due to his split schedule. The goal is clear: win races and chase his first championship. “With JRM, we expect to win and run up front ,” Caruth said, as quoted by NASCAR.com. The team plans to run five full-time cars next season, adding drivers from Trackhouse and Spire to the mix. He will cap off his 2026 campaign this Saturday, November 7, at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
