Mission 200 qualifying cancelled: Rajah Caruth on pole, lineup set for NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Watkins Glen

Mother Nature forced NASCAR’s hand on Saturday morning. Rain cancelled qualifying for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ Mission 200 at Watkins Glen. That meant metric scores sets the lineup.

Who led the way? None other than Rajah Caruth, wheeling the No. 88 Chevrolet on Saturday. Justin Allgaier joined him on the front row, and that duo will lead the field to green in New York when this race gets going. Check out the full starting grid below.

1. Rajah Caruth
2. Justin Allgaier
3. Sheldon Creed
4. Brent Crews
5. Sam Mayer
6. Parker Retzlaff
7. Brandon Jones
8. Jesse Love
9. Austin Hill
10. Sammy Smith
11. Jeremy Clements
12. Shane van Gisbergen
13. Ryan Sieg
14. William Sawalich
15. Anthony Alfredo
16. Dean Thompson
17. Connor Zilisch
18. Brennan Poole
19. Patrick Staropoli
20. Lavar Scott
21. Alex Guenette
22. Harrison Burton
23. Jeb Burton
24. Blaine Perkins
25. Taylor Gray
26. Josh Bilicki
27. Corey Day
28. Ryan Ellis
29. Ross Chastain
30. Alex Labbe
31. Derek White
32. Joey Gase
33. Kyle Sieg
34. Carson Kvapil
35. Austin Green
36. TBA
37. TBA
38. Preston Pardus

Alas, Caruth’s path through NASCAR hasn’t exactly been conventional, but the rising star continues to make the most of every opportunity thrown his way. On Saturday afternoon at Watkins Glen International, Caruth will now lead the field to green after getting the pole, another major step forward for one of the sport’s most versatile young drivers.

At just 23 years old, Caruth is balancing one of the most unique schedules in stock-car racing. Some weeks, he suits up for JR Motorsports in the No. 88 Chevrolet with backing from HendrickCars.com and engines from Hendrick Motorsports. Other weeks, he’s behind the wheel for Jordan Anderson Racing in the No. 32 Chevrolet, working with a completely different group and package. 

The constant adjustment between teams, shops and equipment has created a demanding week-to-week routine, but Caruth believes the long-term benefits could shape him into a stronger driver down the road: “It presents difficulties in the week-to-week logistics whenever I go back and forth,” Caruth said during a previous teleconference. “But honestly, at the race track, it’s not too complicated. I try to get each car driving to where I feel like I need it to go fastest.”

That mentality has helped Caruth remain competitive despite the unusual circumstances. More importantly, he continues to prove he can adapt quickly in vastly different situations, something he believes will ultimately help him reach his ultimate goal of racing on Sundays in the NASCAR Cup Series.

“I feel like at the end of day, my goal is to race on Sundays,” Caruth added. “I think the race-craft that I’ve learned through that in my years, not only in the O’Reilly Series, but truck racing, will just help for hopefully when I have the chance to race on Sundays in the future.”

Now, Caruth heads into Watkins Glen with momentum and track position on his side. Road courses demand precision and adaptability, traits Caruth has sharpened through his unusual 2026 campaign. Starting on the pole, Saturday presents another opportunity for him to show why many around the garage believe his future in NASCAR remains incredibly bright.