Laps Leader Kraus Wins Talladega Stage

ENEOS-sponsored Derek Kraus, driver of the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing #19 Shockwave Seats / ENEOS Toyota Tundra, had a super performance in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoor Truck Series on October 3, 2020, leading 19 of 94 laps to score a stage win and completing a top-10 finish at Talladega Superspeedway.

Taking advantage of a caution and restart with two laps remaining to charge ahead, Kraus finished 10th as the race ended under caution due to a multi-truck crash on the final lap.

Starting 17th on the grid, Kraus worked his way forward strategically, finishing 10th in the first stage of the race on Lap 20. By not opting to pit, he took the lead under caution and paced the field to restart. He won the second stage, remaining in front after leading 19 laps before making a pit stop for fuel and fresh tires, then rejoined in fourth.

Kraus held position in the top five through Lap 64, when he returned to the pits under green. The shuffle caused him to fall out of the draft, which placed him 22nd as the field cycled through green-flag stops. He worked back up to 16th under green, but needed a caution to get back up front—he saw his chance when the yellow came out on Lap 88. Kraus then took charge in the outside lane on the restart and started to make his way to the front when trucks began to spin and crash into one another going down the backstretch on the final lap. A caution came out, holding the field and determining the final rundown.

“Getting a stage win was really good for our team,” Kraus says. “We were getting close to the front until everything got congested and we ended up 10th, but overall it was a good day. We brought home a clean truck and that’s as good as it gets in such a dramatic race.”

Kraus is currently 11th in the overall Series standings with three top-5s and ten top-10s from 19 starts.

NEXT RACE

Kraus and McAnally-Hilgemann Racing take on the 1.5-mile oval Clean Harbors 200, taking place October 17, 2020 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, KS.