NASCAR
New Winners in the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Season
2024 had a lot of new in the Craftsman Truck Series. Longtime stalwart teams Kyle Busch Motorsports and GMS Racing both shut down heading into the year, opening the door for a new crop of star power. Three drivers earned a maiden victory across the 23-race campaign, making their presence known in the title hunt. Here’s a look back at each of these young contenders’ breakout wins and what the future may hold for each of them.
Nick Sanchez
2023 saw Nick Sanchez and Rev Racing do everything short of find victory lane. The Playoff team from a year ago started 2024 off perfectly, earning their maiden win at Daytona. That night saw the No. 2 pace the field for the final 10 laps, and be out front with help from teammate Rajah Caruth.
Sanchez took another checkered flag at Charlotte in May, and would enter the postseason as the fourth seed. An early wreck at Talladega ultimately ended Sanchez’s Playoff hopes. This team was among the best in Trucks all year long, however, and have a lot to be proud of.
Sanchez has graduated onto the Xfinity Series, taking over the Big Machine Racing No. 48. In six past starts with this team from 2022, the Florida driver has four top-15s. This team made the last two Playoffs with Parker Kligerman, and hope to take the next step up with Sanchez.
Rajah Caruth
Two weeks after being Daytona runner-up, Rajah Caruth was the man to beat late at Las Vegas. Starting that night from pole, Caruth’s No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet was among the fastest in town, even with Kyle Busch in the field. Thanks to this win, Caruth became NASCAR’s third Black race winner, and secured a Playoff berth in March.
Caruth never quite found winning success again, but did make some noise once the postseason began. Four of the last six races in 2024 saw Caruth in the top-10, highlighted with a third-place result at Bristol. Now with a year of Playoff experience under his belt, Rajah Caruth will only be more dangerous in 2025.
Layne Riggs
No Playoffs? No problem for Layne Riggs. The opening two postseason races were upset by the Front Row Motorsports rookie, picking up wins at Milwaukee and Bristol. Despite falling just short of the 10-man postseason cut, Riggs’ team came to life in 2024’s final stretch. A five race stretch including his two wins saw the No. 38 never place outside the top-five. This late season surge propelled Riggs to Rookie of the Year honors.
Riggs’ maiden win will live on for an unusual moment; he dislocated his shoulder while celebrating. He was no worse for the wear though after getting it popped back into place. Since the season ended, Riggs has undergone corrective surgery to fix his shoulder. He plans to be back to better than normal by the time Daytona rolls around. Thanks to a few drivers leaving Trucks, Riggs should be seen as a title-level threat in 2025.
At the time of this writing, only one of these drivers is assuredly back in Trucks for 2025. Sanchez moves upward to Xfinity, while Layne Riggs will run it back with the FRM No. 38. Rajah Caruth is currently unaccounted for regarding his future plans, but he does hope to remain with Spire and chase another championship with team 71. 2025 will be a treat to watch all three of these drivers flourish as NASCAR winners, and to see who joins this elite list in the Truck Series.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credits to Chris Graythen, Johnathan Bachman, and Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
