NASCAR rolled out the red carpet earlier this month for the year-end Awards Banquet, celebrating champions from the three nationwide series, along with honorees in several contingency award categories. Among the most anticipated recognitions was the National Motorsports Press Association’s Most Popular Driver Award, and the 2025 results came with no surprises.
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All three Most Popular Drivers from 2024 successfully defended their titles. Chase Elliott extended his streak to eight straight Cup Series MPD wins, 2024 Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier earned his third Xfinity MPD honor, and Rajah Caruth secured his second consecutive Craftsman Truck Series award.
Elliott immediately acknowledged his supporters with a post-ceremony video thanking fans for their loyalty. Caruth recently followed with his own message, sharing a video on his X account to express gratitude for the swelling support he felt throughout the season, both online and at racetracks across the country.
Caruth said, “I’m making this quick video just to say thank you, everybody, for voting me for Most Popular Driver. Obviously, we had a lot of support this year across not just social media but at the racetrack. I definitely felt it at driver intros and going to different things, whether it’s diecast tents or running the dirt car or going to late model races or anything like that.”
THANK YOU to all of our friends, family, and supporters for voting me as the @NASCAR_Trucks Most Popular Driver! Definitely felt the love all year and appreciate the entire village 💙 Hopefully everyone can enjoy some time with their loved ones this fall and winter. Can’t wait… pic.twitter.com/nUxqiQbZ8n
— Rajah Kirby Caruth (@rajahcaruth_) November 26, 2025
He continued by thanking every fan individually, adding that he hoped those celebrating Thanksgiving would enjoy the holiday and that everyone could have a meaningful season ahead. “Sending all love from the Caruth family, and myself included,” he added.
Caruth also used the moment to share news about his 2026 plans. He confirmed he will join Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports to run the part-time No. 88 Chevrolet entry next year in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, continuing with backing from HendrickCars.com.
Since he has only made three starts in the O’Reilly (formerly Xfinity) Series this season, the collaboration with JRM marks a big step for the rising talent as he expands his schedule and deepens his ties to Chevrolet’s developmental structure.
In the Craftsman Truck Series this season, Caruth drove the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado and delivered one of the strongest campaigns of his young career. He picked up his second career Truck Series victory at Nashville Superspeedway, bagged five top-five finishes, and recorded 13 top-10s. His consistency carried him to sixth in the final championship standings.
So, not only has he delivered strong performances on the track, but the 23-year-old has also managed to connect with the fans, which should bode well for him in the future.
