Over the last two decades, Black race car drivers like Bubba Wallace, Wendell Scott, and Rajah Caruth have been accelerating into the spotlight and reshaping the landscape of NASCAR, one of America’s most traditionally white sports. What was once a tightly shut door is now cracking open, thanks to trailblazers who defied odds and broke barriers at unimaginable speeds.
Bubba Wallace: Carrying the Torch.
Wallace etched his name into racing history with a powerful victory at the Brickyard 400 on July 27. Battling through a late-race rain delay, multiple overtimes, and intense pressure from defending champion Kyle Larson, Wallace claimed the win at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, becoming the first Black driver ever to win a major race at the track.
“This one’s really cool,” Wallace told The Associated Press (AP) after his historic win Sunday. “Coming off Turn 4, I knew I was going to get there — unless we ran out of gas. I was surprised I wasn’t crying like a little baby.”
The win was his third career NASCAR Cup Series victory and his first in one of the sport’s four crown jewel races, which also include the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Southern 500. With it, Wallace snapped a 100-race winless streak and locked in a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs, reaffirming his place as one of the sport’s top competitors, AP noted.
Wendell Scott: The Pioneer.
Wallace’s win was everything on Sunday, demonstrating the strides made since the legendary Wendell Scott became the first Black driver to compete full-time in NASCAR and the first to win at the sport’s highest level. A former mechanic and World War II veteran, Scott began racing in local circuits before earning his NASCAR license around 1953, according to his website. On March 4, 1961, he debuted in the Grand National Series in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Two years later, on Dec. 1, 1963, Scott made history at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida, by winning a Grand National Series race, making him the first African American to win in NASCAR’s premier division. The victory was a landmark moment, though officials initially overlooked it due to racial bias. His name was added to the record books only after protest and review.
As noted by NASCAR Hall, despite facing discrimination, exclusion from hotels and restaurants, and hostility on the track, Scott persevered with determination and dignity. His underdog spirit won him the respect of fans and fellow racers alike. In recognition of his trailblazing legacy, Scott was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015, years after he died in 1990.
Rajah Caruth: The Next Generation.
As Wallace continues to make waves in the Cup Series, and with Scott’s legendary entrance paving the way for many, a new star is rising in NASCAR’s ranks—Rajah Caruth. At just 22 years old, Caruth represents the next generation of Black drivers charting a path forward.
Raised between Washington, D.C., and Brooklyn, New York, Caruth’s entry into racing was unconventional. At 16, he began racing virtually on iRacing, thanks to a simulator his family helped fund through grassroots fundraising efforts, according to MadameNoire. He was committed to the craft that he once gave up his real driver’s license to focus entirely on sim racing, his website notes.
Caruth’s digital success led to a spot in NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, where he quickly began making headlines. In 2020, he became the first Black driver to win a late-model race at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. He finished third in the ARCA Menards Series East standings in 2021, moved up to the Truck Series in 2022, and all the while pursued a college education, graduating with a degree in Motorsports Management from Winston-Salem State University in December 2024.
His breakthrough came in March 2024, when he won his first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 in Las Vegas. That win placed him in elite company, making Caruth just the third Black driver to win in NASCAR’s National Touring Series alongside Wendell Scott and Bubba Wallace. As of mid-2025, Caruth has amassed one win, two pole awards, and five top-five finishes in the Truck Series—all career highs.
The achievements of Wendell Scott, Bubba Wallace, and Rajah Caruth represent more than individual victories; they signify a broader shift in NASCAR culture, ushering in a new beginning of diversity and opportunity for Black drivers.
SEE MORE:
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Bubba Wallace NASCAR Noose Isn’t New, FBI Says
Bubba Wallace And The Legacy Of Black NASCAR Drivers
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