JR Motorsports confirmed this Tuesday that Rajah Caruth will join the organization in 2026 to run a partial schedule in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series with the Chevrolet No. 88.
Caruth currently holds second place in the Truck Series playoff grid with Spire Motorsports. This weekend he will face the elimination race of the Round of 8 at Martinsville Speedway seeking his first qualification to the Championship 4.
Photo By Carlos CastilloPossible Car Shared Between Three Drivers
Caruth's arrival in the No. 88 could be part of a broader scheme. JR Motorsports previously announced that Carson Kvapil will move from full-time in the current No. 1 to a partial schedule in 2026, sharing a car with Connor Zilisch under the direction of crew chief Rodney Childers.
Although the team did not specify which number Kvapil and Zilisch will drive, the coincidence of three drivers on partial schedules suggests they could alternate in the same No. 88 during 2026.
"I don't bring anything financially and any races we put together next year will be JR Motorsports being on my side," stated Kvapil at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Photo By Carlos CastilloCaruth won at Las Vegas (2024) and Nashville (2025) with Spire Motorsports in the Truck Series. He finished seventh in the 2024 championship with support from HendrickCars.com.
In the Xfinity Series, he has accumulated 22 starts since 2022 between Alpha Prime Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and Jordan Anderson Racing. His best finishes were two 12th places at Martinsville (2022 and 2023). He records three top 15s, nine top 20s, and an average finish of 23.1.
His ARCA experience includes a third place in the 2022 championship with nine top 5s and 18 top 10s in 25 appearances.
"I understand the financial aspects and it's difficult to put together a full season when a good part of the money is missing," acknowledged Kvapil about the budget realities that lead to partial schedules.
About working with Childers, a future Hall of Famer: "Being with Rodney, we should be able to win races, and these JRM cars are very fast."
JR Motorsports did not specify how many races each driver will run nor the exact division of the 2026 schedule.
Upcoming Races
Drivers Standings 2026
| POS | PILOTO | PTS | ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin Hill | 154 | |
| 2 | Jesse Love | 126 | arrow_up2 |
| 3 | Justin Allgaier | 115 | arrow_up3 |
| 4 | Sheldon Creed | 106 | arrow_down1 |
| 5 | Carson Kvapil | 95 | arrow_up2 |
| 6 | Rajah Caruth | 90 | arrow_down4 |
| 7 | Sammy Smith | 86 | arrow_up2 |
| 8 | Corey Day | 86 |
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