Kraus Knocked Out Of Contention At Texas
• Great Run Ended By Contact From Another Truck
FORT WORTH, Texas (May 20, 2022) – McAnally-Hilgemann Racing driver Derek Kraus had his No. 19 NAPA AutoCare Chevrolet Silverado in contention Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway and appeared headed for his best finish of the season, but contact from another truck put him into the wall and out of the running in the SpeedyCash.com 220 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.
Kraus, who started ninth on the grid, demonstrated the speed of his Chevy early on. He finished the first stage of the race in ninth and was sixth at the end of the second stage – picking up key bonus points.
He was on the move in the final segment of the race, on the hunt for his first top-five finish of the year. He was running the middle line through Turn 2 on Lap 86, when the truck to his inside slid up the track and knocked him into the wall. The damage ended his night and relegated him to finish 36th.
His MHR teammate, Colby Howard in the No. 91 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet Silverado, had similar luck. He started 33rd in a backup, after wrecking in qualifying. He worked his way up to 24th, before pitting with damage to the right side of his Chevy. His crew got him back in action and he went on to finish 34th.
Kraus and Howard were anticipating a strong run at Texas, after being fast in practice earlier in the day – with Kraus fifth quickest and Howard eighth fastest.
The MHR teams now turn their focus to next week and another 1.5-mile track where they expect to be fast, with the Camping World Series competing at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Event:
Race: SpeedyCash.com 220 (149 Laps) (Race 9 of 23) May 20, 2022
Location: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas (1.5-mile oval)
Format: Three Stages; Lap 35 / Lap 70 / Lap 147
Derek Kraus
No. 19 NAPA AutoCare Chevrolet Silverado RST
Age: 20
Hometown: Stratford, Wis.
Practice: 5th
Qualified: 9th
Stage 1: 9th
Stage 2: 6th
Finished: 36th (Running, completed 88 of 149 laps)
Career series stats:
59 starts, 2 poles, 4 top fives, 21 top 10s
2022 series stats:
Races: 9 starts, 2 top 10s
Laps completed: 1,136/1,203
Laps led: 1
Series standings: 12th
Colby Howard
No. 91 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet Silverado RST
Age: 20
Hometown: Simpsonville, S.C.
Practice: 8th
Qualified: 33rd
Stage 1: 28th
Stage 2: 26th
Finished: 34th (Running, completed 139 of 149 laps)
Career series stats:
14 starts
2022 series stats:
Races: 9 starts
Laps completed: 1,080/1,203
Laps led: 9
Series standings: 20th
Next Race:
North Carolina Education Lottery 200, May 27, 2022, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C. (1.5-mile oval)