Stephen A. Smith heaps praise on Rajah Caruth for Nashville win on 'First Take'

How about a little bit of NASCAR talk from Stephen A. Smith on ESPN this morning? The First Take host loved what he saw from Rajah Caruth. Both Smith and Caruth are proud alumni of Winston-Salem State University, and Rams gotta stick together.

Any time we see ESPN pick up a NASCAR story, it is worth mentioning. Which is honestly sad. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is. This morning on First Take, Stephen A. had nothing but good things to say about Rajah Caruth and his big win at Nashville.

Now, Smith isn’t an expert on NASCAR and definitely not the Truck Series. However, young stars like Rajah being shown on ESPN is going to do nothing but help grow the sport, and hopefully, grow it with a younger audience.

“I mean, I gotta wipe my tears, Molly. Listen, I don’t wanna get emotional, but I’m proud of the young fella, I’m proud of the young fella handling his business the way that he did,” Stephen A. Smith said of Rajah Caruth’s win. “Those last 15 laps, he had to go. He had some champions on his heels, but he handled his business. Held it down and ended up winning for the first time in Nashville, second time overall he’s won one of these races.

“I’m very, very proud of this young man and what he’s doing, the way he’s representing the Rams. I love it, I love it, I love it. Any time I see great things from Winston-Salem State, I’m incredibly happy. Because I tell people all the time, don’t judge a book by its cover, there’s a whole bunch of talent at HBCUs throughout this country. Make no mistake about it, I’m just one of many, okay? But this obviously somebody special, and to come from my alma mater, I’m always going to big up Winston-Salem State. I’m so proud. Way to go, my brother, way to go. Very proud, very proud.”

Now, Corey Heim and Layne Riggs aren’t champions in a literal sense. Well, Riggs is a NASCAR Weekly Series champion. But both are championship-caliber drivers in the Craftsman Truck Series. It wouldn’t be a shock to see either one of them hoist the trophy at the end of the year at Phoenix.

After Rajah Caruth put on a show to end the Truck Series race at Nashville, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him win a championship either, if he makes the Championship 4. That will be his most difficult challenge. The Truck Series season is short, and Caruth needed this win to lock him into the playoffs after missing out on points earlier this year.

As long as Rajah is winning, Stephen A. is going to talk about it. That Winston-Salem State connection runs deep, and we are very happy about it over here. Big win for Caruth and this only goes to show how big of a win.