Caruth and Love to race as teammates in trucks for Spire despite past run ins

Jesse Love and Rajah Caruth, both NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series regulars are set to also race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this week at Nashville for Spire Motorsports.

The catch is that they both have a history of run ins this season as recent as Dover.

Caruth is scheduled to drive the #7 truck in place of the late Kyle Busch who was supposed to run this race. Caruth is also the defending winner of this race having won in the #71 truck last year.

Caruth will have a different name on the pitbox though as he’ll have Brian Pattie to work with on the #7 truck, instead of Kevin Manion who guided him last year.

The additional track time will give Caruth a chance to also prepare for his first O’Reilly start at Nashville in the #32 car for Jordan Anderson Racing.

Love will be making his first start in the truck series since 2023 driving the #77 truck. Carson Hocevar was scheduled to drive the truck in 13 races, but starting skipping races at Charlotte to focus on the NASCAR Cup Series.

Love has three starts in the trucks, all for Tricon Garage. His best finish was a fourth place in the #1 truck at Phoenix in 2023, his last start in the series.

This year, both Love and Caruth have had at least three run ins at Martinsville, Rockingham and Dover.

In the closing laps at Martinsville, Caruth would make contact with Love twice which cost both positions. Caruth then was spun on the final lap by Brent Crews. Love and his crew chief, Danny Stockman then confronted Caruth.

Caruth and Love then handled it peacefully among themselves in which Caruth took accountability.

Early on at Rockingham, Caruth then sent Love into the wall after coming down thinking Love was clear. Caruth again took accountability after speaking with Richard Childress Racing.

Then at Dover at the start of stage three on a restart, Caruth would get loose underneath Love in turns three and four. Love would get into the wall and Caruth would slide before saving it. Caruth took responsibility again.

Now at Nashville, they will race as teammates for the first time in their careers.