CONCORD, N.C. — Try to run every lap. Be the solution, not the problem. And do not miss out on the opportunity in front of you.
Those are the words of wisdom that GMS Racing President Mike Beam has bestowed on the team’s rookie NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers — Daniel Dye and Rajah Caruth.
While it was announced in October that Dye would be graduating from the ARCA Menards Series and moving on to compete in NASCAR with GMS Racing, Caruth’s addition to the team was announced on Tuesday afternoon at the Chevrolet Technology Center here. While the 20-year-old is grateful for the chance he’s been given by Beam, Chevrolet and his primary sponsor — the Wendell Scott Foundation — Caruth is cautious about stating goals for next year.
“I used to think expectations, I could set that off like a finishing result, but I learned that there’s so much out of my control,” Caruth said. “I expect to do my best and work hard every day and I know that will hopefully parlay into being a consistent threat to win.”
Rajah Caruth.
After holding the points lead in the ARCA series early in the year, Caruth experienced a disappointing stretch of mid-season races and fell out of the top spot. Meanwhile, his Rev Racing teammate, Nick Sanchez, rose through the ranks and went on to claim the championship.
Dye finished second in the standings, while Caruth ended his year in third.
“I used to think you could do superhuman things in a race car and make things happen that were surreal, but in reality, that’s not the case. I made some mistakes trying to will something out of nothing,” Caruth said, reflecting on his first full season in ARCA.
The Washington, D.C., native also made select starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Truck Series this past year.
He will pilot the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing.
Dye, on the other hand, will strap into the No. 43 for his rookie season in the Truck Series without any previous NASCAR experience to lean on.
The 18-year-old has driven under the GMS Racing banner in the ARCA series, but has yet to take on a track behind the wheel of a truck. Dye will have several challenges to overcome in 2023 as he adapts to the aerodynamics of the truck body and keeps his eye on the other drivers in the class.
“The competition level is way higher in the Truck Series than the ARCA series, so I’m going to have to be more aggressive and spend a lot of time learning as much as I can,” Dye said. “To have a guy like Grant (Enfinger) is going to help both of us.”
Enfinger is returning to GMS Racing as the team’s senior driver — he recently completed his 10th season in the Truck Series — and will be back behind the wheel of the No. 23 Chevrolet Silverado. Crew chief Jeff Hensley has signed on for a sixth season with Enfinger.
Beam is looking to Enfinger to step into a mentorship role this season with Caruth and Dye, though his main goal for the 37-year-old is to contend for the championship.
“With Grant, it’s all flat out to go win. That’s it,” Beam said. “Daniel and Rajah, they should be at a point to compete the last 15 races. I set a target date for Charlotte and we should be well on our way by then.”
Beam has faith that the resources GMS Racing is able to offer the three drivers will also considerably support their efforts — whether it be their simulators at the technology center, the wisdom of experienced crew chiefs or the deep bench of personnel in the race shop. He has paired the two rookies with crew chiefs he believes will aid their success. Chad Walter will call the shots for Caruth, while Dye will work with Travis Sharpe.
“Rajah, he’s had some experience, but Daniel, he’s never really pitted. It’s a lot of work involved in a rookie that we all take for granted,” Beam said.
After eight years of Truck Series competition, GMS Racing is chasing its third Truck Series title.
The most recent was won by Sheldon Creed in 2020.
But even in the face of the outside expectation, Caruth maintains an optimistic mindset.
“This is not pressure,” Caruth said. “Pressure is having to pay rent, or put food on the table. This is a privilege to be in this situation. I don’t see this as pressure, I see it as opportunity.”
Keyword: Caruth And Dye Capitalize On NASCAR Opportunity