Hendrick Motorsports new driver announcement was leaked by Dale Earnhardt Jr
Dale Earnhardt Jr. leaked weeks in advance that two NASCAR prospects linked to Hendrick Motorsports would be getting races in Xfinity.
NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. leaked Rajah Caruth getting behind the wheel of an Xfinity charter, sevral weeks before he was announced for this weekend's BetRivers 200 at Dover International Speedway for Jordan Anderson Racing.
Caruth, a full-time Spire Motorsports driver in the Truck Series, made history in Las Vegas last year by becoming the third African-American driver to win a national race, and followed it up with a win in Nashville in 2025.
The 23-year-old will now get another shot in Xfinity and has strong ties to Hendrick Motorsports, which is sponsored full-time by HendrickCars.com. Caruth's announcement for Dover comes as little to no surprise, with Earnhardt Jr. name-dropping the NASCAR driver when discussing Hendrick Motorsports' young talent.
- Danica Patrick explains meaning of unique tattoo on lower back
- Katherine Legge tweaks NASCAR schedule as she makes major announcement
Despite not driving one of Hendrick Motorsports' charters for the race, which will be piloted by Jake Finch, Caruth is held in high regard. Earnhardt Jr. referred to the two drivers having potential starts coming this year after Kyle Larson's "embarrass" comments after Bristol.
"Hey, he'll [Larson] tell us, 'Well, the Hendrick car's full – they got Day, Rajah, Finch, they got a season full.' Well, there's other Chevrolets out there," Earnhardt Jr. explained. "He won't be in that sweet, sweet Hendrick equipment carrying him around that racetrack, but hey, he's the difference maker, right?
"And the CARS Tour would love for him – that's one box he ain't checked. He went to the CARS Tour and raced our car, a good car, at Caraway and finished 7th. So, there's some mountains he ain't climbed yet."
Sign up to our NASCAR newsletter here.
Caruth is pleased about his latest opportunity in NASCAR's second-string competition. "I'm excited to return to the Xfinity Series this weekend at one of my home tracks with EventsDC, Team Chevy, and Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport," Caruth said in an official statement.
"EventsDC has been a part of my village since my early career in late models and ARCA, and to bring them to the national series stage of NASCAR at the Monster Mile is a full circle moment.
"I've known Jordan since 2020 and witnessed his group's rise into being a contending Xfinity team — I am thankful Chevy made the connection for us to compete in this event. I'm looking forward to having fun and putting on a good show for the DMV-faithful."
DON'T MISS
"Having a driver of Rajah's caliber join our team at Dover is a huge opportunity," team owner Jordan Anderson said. "He's already proven himself as a winner at one of the highest levels of our sport, and having watched him grow from a determined young racer into a two-time Truck Series winner has been incredible.
"We're proud to field a Chevrolet for him this weekend and to work alongside Events DC to showcase what Rajah can do. It continues to speaks volumes about how far this team has come that we have had the depth of drivers, like Rajah, compete for us this season."
