While most professional drivers began their careers in go-karts before they could even read, Rajah Caruth took a different road to the track. The Atlanta-born, Washington, D.C.-raised driver didn't get behind the wheel of a real race car until he was 17 years old, a "late bloomer" by industry standards. Now, as a standout in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series, he is proving that there’s more than one grade of fuel to build a career on.

The passion began with a movie. Like many children of the early 2000s, he was captivated by Disney-Pixar’s Cars. But while others moved on to different hobbies, his interest turned into a deep obsession with the technicalities of racing. A childhood devotee of Washington Wizards basketball and D.C. United soccer, Caruth’s heart remained with the speedway.

"I had such a deep appreciation and fandom and love for this sport," he said during an exclusive interview for BET’s NextUp. "It was more about just chasing my number one passion."

That passion led him to the first race he watched live at Richmond Raceway when he was 12. The experience was so transformative that he has the date tattooed on his chest. He described the sensory overload of the track—the vibrations, the smell of fuel and rubber—as something that "cannot be replicated" through a television screen.

Lacking the multi-million dollar funding typically required for youth racing circuits, he turned to technology. He honed his skills on a simulator, developing a foundation that eventually caught the eye of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, which seeks to grow the sport by attracting a diverse pool of potential drivers and pit crew members. By the time he transitioned to physical cars during his senior year of high school, he used his maturity and life skills to close the experience gap between him and his peers.

When it came time for higher education, the choice was clear. Despite his racing ambitions, his parents, both educators, made college a non-negotiable. He chose Winston-Salem State University, a North Carolina HBCU prestigious specifically for its motorsports management program.

"To pick Winston-Salem State was really pretty much a no-brainer," he noted. "Being in North Carolina, and then also being an HBCU, was kind of a match made in heaven."

Balancing the life of a college student with the demands of a professional athlete wasn't always "smooth sailing." He recalled failing or dropping classes during his first semester as he learned to set boundaries and prioritize his schedule. However, he credits those challenges with arming him with the "handle business" mentality he carries today.

The sport itself has shifted since he started watching as a boy. While he acknowledges there is still work to be done regarding representation, he finds encouragement in seeing more Black professionals on pit road, on the pit box, and in corporate leadership roles. His own presence has already influenced his inner circle; friends from his HBCU days and family members who previously had no exposure to racing are now organic fans of the sport.

As he embarks on a full-time 33-race schedule this season, competing for JR Motorsports and Jordan Anderson Racing, his routine remains disciplined but calm. To prepare for the high-intensity environment of the cockpit, he juggles to focus his mind and listens to a mix of J. Cole, Tems, and "soft grunge" music to find a nostalgic, steady headspace.

Off the track, he enjoys basketball, sketching in his travel notebook, and hiking. When asked to sum up his journey from a kid watching YouTube highlights in D.C. to a professional driver on the national stage, he chose one word: "Destiny."

"I know everything that's happened so far is supposed to," he said. "I hope that what's ahead of me is along the lines of a great destiny."