MHR Turns In Strong Performance At IRP
• Howard, Kraus Battle Among Top-10 Contenders
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (July 29, 2022) – McAnally-Hilgemann Racing had a strong showing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday night, with Derek Kraus and Colby Howard battling for top-10 finishes.
Their performance was not reflected in the final rundown of the TSport 200, however.
The exciting event, which ended in overtime, marked a return to the .686-mile Indiana oval that had hosted annual races for the first 17 years the series existed – 1995-2011.
Kraus, who started 10th on the grid in the No. 19 Adaptive One Chevrolet Silverado, battled among the lead pack and was up to seventh just before the midway point of the race. He continued to challenge for a top-10 spot through most of the race – but during a later stretch of green-flag laps he was slowed, as the setup of his truck became very tight. He took advantage of a late-race caution, however, to pit for fresh tires and charged back to finish 14th.
Howard, who started 12th in MHR’s No. 91 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet Silverado, ran solid through the first half of the race – finishing 11th at the end of Stage 1 on Lap 60 and 10th at the end of Stage 2 on Lap 120. He charged ahead in the final segment of the race, challenging those in the lead pack. He appeared headed for a career-best finish late in the event when the driver he was challenging for seventh turned into him and spun him into the wall – ending his race. Howard was listed in 32nd in the final rundown.
Jake Garcia, driving MHR’s No. 35 Quanta Chevrolet Silverado, was making his second career series start. After he contacted the wall in the early laps, he and his crew worked hard to make repairs and get back in contention. They continued to battle throughout the race and managed to come away with a 28th-place finish.
A large group of special guests out of NAPA’s Distribution Center in Mount Vernon, Illinois were welcomed to the track. QADCO NAPA AUTO PARTS stores also had a group attending as VIP garage guests, through a promotion with BBB Industries. Guests received a VIP Experience, with access to be the starting grid with the MHR drivers and teams. They were on hand for driver introductions and got a tour of the NAPA transporter and had a meet-and-greet with the drivers. VIP guest crewmembers got to be part of the team, with a special view of the crew chiefs and team engineers.
Quote – Derek Kraus
“We were on okay on short runs, but anything over 15 laps we just weren’t good. We will regroup and move on to Richmond in a couple of weeks.”
Quote – Colby Howard
“We had a fast Chevy Silverado all night long. We called a great race and the pit crew was awesome. We just got absolutely wrecked at the end. We’ll be ready for Richmond.”
Quote – Jake Garcia
“I appreciate the perseverance of everyone at MHR. I was proud that we were able to fight back as a team and salvage a finish. I hope to apply what I learned tonight to Richmond in a couple of weeks.”
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Event:
Race: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race (200 Laps) (Race 17 of 23) July 29, 2022
Location: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Brownsburg, Ind. (.686-mile oval)
Format: Three Stages; Lap 60 / Lap 120 / Lap 200
Derek Kraus
No. 19 Adaptive One Chevrolet Silverado RST
Age: 20
Hometown: Stratford, Wis.
Practice: 15th
Qualified: 10th
Stage 1: 14th
Stage 2: 15th
Finished: 14th (Running, completed 207 of 207 laps)
Career series stats:
67 starts, 3 poles, 4 top fives, 25 top 10s
2022 series stats:
Races: 17 starts, 1 pole, 6 top 10s
Laps completed: 2,152/2,220
Laps led: 15
Series standings: 11th
Colby Howard
No. 91 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet Silverado RST
Age: 20
Hometown: Simpsonville, S.C.
Practice: 19th
Qualified: 12th
Stage 1: 11th
Stage 2: 10th
Finished: 32nd (Accident, completed 190 of 207 laps)
Career series stats:
22 starts, 1 top 10
2022 series stats:
Races: 17 starts, 1 top 10
Laps completed: 2,078/2,013
Laps led: 10
Series standings: 17th
Jake Garcia
No. 35 Quanta Chevrolet Silverado RST
Age: 17
Hometown: Monroe, Ga.
Practice: 23rd
Qualified: 24th
Stage 1: 31st
Stage 2: 28th
Finished: 28th (Running, completed 206 of 207 laps)
Laps led:
Career stats:
2 starts
Next Race:
Worldwide Express 250, Aug. 13, 2022, Richmond Raceway, Richmond, Va. (3/4-mile oval)