Top-10 Finish Slips Away From Kraus At Richmond

• Cut Tire Derails Performance In Camping World Truck Series

RICHMOND, Va. (April 17, 2021) – A top-10 finish for Derek Kraus slipped away due to a cut tire in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway on Saturday.

His eventual 15th-place finish was a disappointment for the 19-year-old driver and his McAnally-Hilgemann Racing team because it did not reflect his performance and the speed of their No. 19 IncredibleBank Toyota Tundra.

Kraus, who started 29th on the grid, had charged his way through the field and was up to eighth near the midway point of the race – when he spun out with a cut left rear tire just after a restart. Although he recovered to get back on the lead lap and battle his way back into the top 10, he had nothing for his competition in the final laps – because his team had to put on their fresh tires when he spun earlier.

On a positive note, the early charge by Kraus put him in position to gain some stage points, with him finishing ninth in each of the two stages. He had battled his way up to 16th in the first 15 laps and made his way into the top 10 by Lap 58.

Derek Kraus – Thoughts about the race
It looked like you had a fast Toyota and were going to the front.
“Our Tundra had a lot of long-run speed and we made a lot of gains with the truck throughout the day. We definitely had better speed than where we finished. We had to put one of our sets of tires on early, so we were behind on the tire strategy. Overall, we were able to get stage points in both stages. We just needed some luck.”

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Event:
Race: Toyota AutoCare 250 (250 Laps) (Race 6 of 22) April 17, 2021
Location: Richmond Raceway, Richmond, Va. (3/4-mile oval)
Format: Three Stages; Lap 70 / Lap 140 / Lap 250

Derek Kraus
No. 19 IncredibleBank Toyota Tundra
Age: 19
Hometown: Stratford, Wis.
Started: 29th
Stage 1: 9th
Stage 2: 9th
Finished: 15th (Running, completed 250 of 250 laps)
Race Winner: John Hunter Nemechek

2021 Series Stats:
Races: 6 starts, 1 top 10
Laps completed: 661/816
Series standings: 17th

Next Race:
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event, May 1, 2021, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan. (1.5-mile oval).