Kraus Weathers the Storm in Kentucky With Top 10 Finish

ENEOS-sponsored driver, Derek Kraus, driving the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing #19 ENEOS / NAPA Toyota Tundra, scored an impressive eighth-place finish on July 11, 2020 in the Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 race for the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Event at Kentucky Speedway, in Sparta, Kentucky. The race ended early due to rain but Derek showed great form throughout the competitive sessions.

Starting from the rear of the 40-truck field due to a problem during the pre-race inspection, 18 year-old Kraus saw his charge through the field cut short when the race was declared due to lightning and heavy rain that came down with only 71 laps of the scheduled 150 complete.

Even with multiple cautions during the first stage, Kraus squeezed into the top 10 in the first 30 laps, finishing Stage 1 in eighth place on Lap 35. After being shuffled back for the restart as the field cycled through pit stops, he quickly rebounded into the top 10 and was ninth by Lap 60. He gained an additional spot before the end of Stage 2 on Lap 70, and the red flag was shown a lap later because of the lightning storm.

“The ENEOS Tundra was really good this weekend,” said Kraus. “We started in the back and were able to make it to eighth in the first stage, then again at the end of the second. I really wish we could’ve got going again but finishing in eighth isn’t bad!”

Kraus comes away with his fourth top-10 finish from seven starts this season. He remains 11th in the championship standings with 772 laps completed of 775. His next race is the Vankor 350, taking place July 18, 2020 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, TX.