Kraus Keen On Martinsville Short-Track Action

• Rookie Looks To Extend String Of Top-10 Finishes In Trucks

ROSEVILLE, Calif. (Oct. 27, 2020) – Derek Kraus has spent much of his rookie season in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series learning the fine points of racing on 1.5-mile intermediate speedways – where aerodynamics plays a major role.

The driver of the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing No. 19 Shockwave Toyota Tundra turns his attention to competing on a short-track this week, however, as the truck series rolls into Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway for the NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 on Friday.

Kraus is looking forward to competing on the historic half-mile oval, which is similar to tracks where he learned to race. Although the 19-year-old Wisconsin native has performed well on the bigger speedways this year, he’s eager to get back to race on a short track – where the aero package is not as critical.

Kraus has one previous truck series start at Martinsville, in one of four truck races he ran last year. He qualified 11th and finished 18th, after getting shuffled back in a late-race restart.

He is aiming for a strong run in returning to Martinsville and wants to extend his string of three consecutive top-10 finishes. Overall this season, Kraus has three top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 21 starts. He scored a runner-up finish at Darlington and finished fourth in the season opener at Daytona.

Derek Kraus – Thoughts this week
What are you looking forward to getting back to Martinsville?
“Just going back to a short track. Really looking forward to going back to a short track. That’s what I grew up racing, so being able to go back to a short track with the truck – it’s pretty much all driver. So if your truck is handling well there is no air to deal with. I really enjoy going to the short tracks.”

NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Event:
Race: NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 (200 Laps) (Race 22 of 23) Oct. 30, 2020
Location: Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va. (.526-mile oval)
Television: FS1 on Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. ET

Derek Kraus
No. 19 Shockwave Toyota Tundra
Age: 19
Hometown: Stratford, Wis.
Career series starts: 26
Most recent series finish: 9th – Texas (10/25/20)
Best career series finish: 2nd – Darlington (9/6/20)
2020 Series stats:
Races: 21 starts, 3 top fives, 12 top 10s
Average finish: 12.6
Laps completed: 2,821/2,844
Laps led: 31
Series standings: 11th