By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Rajah Caruth was looking to become the second HendrickCars.com driver to score their first O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win in 2026 Saturday at Dover Motor Speedway.
But mistakes cost the rookie driver his shot at Victory Lane. The first of which occurred at the head of the field, as the No. 88 Chevrolet drifted high entering Turn 3 shortly following a restart at the halfway point.
He was running underneath Jesse Love, who Caruth led up the track and into the outside wall, damaging Love’s No. 2 and sending himself outside the top 10.
“There is a lot I needed to do different there,” Caruth admitted. “I wasn’t the cleanest on my execution there. I took a race-winning car and finished outside the top 10 and damaged it.”
Love and Caruth also made contact in the closing laps at Martinsville in March, which led to a lengthy postrace conversation between the two.
“It was up to me to control the car,” he said. “We are all racing hard. It’s up to me to control the car and obviously sorry to those guys. I just didn’t think I’d get that loose into the corner. I should have had the hindsight in the moment to live for another corner. It was a really good car and I made my day way harder than it needed to be.
“I’ve said sorry a lot [to Love] and I don’t know how to handle that. I’ve been in the wrong the last two times.
“And it hasn’t been anything on purpose, I’m just racing for my life out here. Nothing is guaranteed, I don’t know what my future holds. I feel like I need to make the most of the opportunities I have. I’ve crossed over and gotten too aggressive with it this year. I’m just trying to make the most of it.”
Caruth’s issues weren’t finished there, as he was involved in another spin on lap 112, causing further light damage. It sparked after JR Motorsports teammate Sammy Smith darted left to make it three wide before backing out on entry.
“A late dive there,” he said of Smith’s move. “Still, it’s my responsibility to control the car. But I definitely wasn’t expecting to get put three wide there that late in the straightaway for sure. But we should have not been back there in the first place.”
Caruth only managed 14th at the line, which maintained his Chase contention. He leaves Dover only six points below the cutline.
“I’m really thankful for the opportunities in these cars, I just have to put the last third of the race together, man,” he said. “That’s where I have not executed this year. I’ve had great first parts of the race, just haven’t finished it out like I need to.”