Derek Kraus

Derek Kraus
Kraus signing autographs in 2016
Nationality  American
Born (2001-09-01) September 1, 2001
Stratford, Wisconsin
NASCAR K&N Pro Series West career
Debut season 2017
Current team Bill McAnally Racing
Years active 2017–present
Car no. 16
Engine Toyota
Crew chief Ty Joiner
Starts 27
Championships 0
Wins 4
Poles 3
Best finish 3rd in 2017
Finished last season 3rd
Championship titles
2015 Midwest Truck Series
Awards
2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Rookie of the Year
Last updated on: October 13, 2018.

Derek Kraus (born September 1, 2001) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, driving the No. 16 Toyota Camry for Bill McAnally Racing. The Stratford, Wisconsin native is also a current NASCAR Next member.

Racing career

Kraus started racing in go-karts and bandoleros. He won the GSR Kartway championship in 2012 and 2013.[1] Kraus also competed in bandoleros at State Park Speedway in 2013 and won the track championship.[1] In 2014, he won the State Park and state bandeleros championship.[1] He moved up to Midwest trucks and super late models before he turned fourteen.[1] He began the 2015 season by traveling far across the United States to compete in seven Super Late Model races in Florida's New Smyrna Speedway.[2] He began racing in the American Ethanol SuperTruck Series in 2015; he became the youngest driver to win a full-bodied vehicle feature at Rockford Speedway at age 13.[3] He also competed full-time in the Midwest Truck Series, he won that series' 2015 championship.[1] In 2016, he competed full-time in the ARCA Midwest Tour, finishing fourth in the standings and surpassing Matt Kenseth as the youngest driver to win a race in the series.[4]

In January 2017, it was announced that Kraus would drive full-time in the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season for Bill McAnally Racing, driving the team's No. 19 Toyota.[5] The announcement came after Kraus tried out for the ride at Kern County Raceway Park over the winter.[6] He won the pole at Iowa midway through the season[7] and thanked his team for good equipment to keep him ahead of the learning curve.[8] Kraus first led for an extended period at Meridian[9] and won the season's final race at Kern County for his first win, beating teammate and series champion Todd Gilliland.[10] Kraus credited his spotter for telling him to save tires on the final run to clinch the victory.[11] He also won the KNPSW Rookie of the Year award in 2017.[12]

Kraus began the 2018 season by transporting his Super Late Model 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from Wisconsin with Ty Majeski to California to compete in the Winter Showdown at Kern County.[13] Kraus entered the 2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season considered by some as the favorite to win the championship.[14] He won the season-opening race at Kern County after making contact with dominant driver Kevin Harvick on the final restart, moving both drivers back and ceding the lead to Cole Rouse in the process. Kraus eventually caught Rouse and passed the fellow Bill McAnally Racing driver while both were running in lapped traffic, taking the win.[15][16][17] In May 2018, Kraus was named to the 2018 NASCAR Next class.[18] At Douglas County Speedway, Kraus won his third career race, leading teammate Hailie Deegan to a 1-2 finish for BMR.[19]

Personal life

Kraus' father, Mark, raced Super Late Models with NASCAR driver Paul Menard in the early 2000s. That connection led to Menard becoming a fan of Derek's racing career.[9]

Images

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

K&N Pro Series East

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 NKNPSEC Pts Ref
2017 Bill McAnally Racing 99 Toyota NSM
3		 GRE BRI SBO SBO MEM BLN TMP NHA IOW GLN LGY NJE DOV 40th 41 [20]
2018 16 NSM
4		 BRI
24		 LGY SBO SBO MEM
14		 NJM THO NHA
5		 IOW
20		 GLN GTW
1*		 12th 287 [21]
DGR-Crosley 1 Toyota NHA
2		 DOV
3

K&N Pro Series West

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 NKNPSWC Pts Ref
2017 Bill McAnally Racing 19 Toyota TUS
6		 KCR
2		 IRW
18		 IRW
4		 SPO
2		 OSS
16		 CNS
2		 SON
5		 IOW
11		 EVG
11		 DCS
3		 MER
5		 AAS
4		 KCR
1		 3rd 533 [22]
2018 16 KCR
1		 TUS
4		 TUS
11		 OSS
5		 CNS
4		 SON
10		 DCS
1*		 IOW
20		 EVG
9		 GTW
1*		 LVS
17*		 MER
3*		 AAS
15		 KCR 4th* 495* [23]

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Derek Kraus". ARCA Midwest Tour. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  2. ↑ "Derek Kraus racing at just 13-years-old". KWWL (TV). July 2, 2015. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  3. ↑ "13-Year-Old Kraus Scores First Career Win at Rockford". speed51.com. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  4. ↑ Southers, Tim (2017-01-24). "Derek Kraus named to drive for BMR In NASCAR K&N Pro Series". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  5. ↑ Johnson, Tim (2017-01-30). "Stratford teen in NASCAR development series". Wausau Daily Herald. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  6. ↑ "Derek Kraus Finds a Mentor in the Late Joe Shear". midwesttour.racing. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  7. ↑ "Driver Derek Kraus 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Results - Racing-Reference.info". racing-reference.info. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  8. ↑ "Derek Kraus continues impressive rookie season with Bill McAnally Racing". Catchfence. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  9. 1 2 Catanzareti, Zach (2017-10-06). "K&N Racer Derek Kraus Has Paul Menard's Support in NASCAR Career". www.frontstretch.com. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  10. ↑ McFadin, Daniel (2017-11-06). "Todd Gilliland wins second straight K&N Pro Series West title". NBC Sports NASCAR Talk. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  11. ↑ "Kraus has first career win, clinches Rookie of the Year". Hub City Times. 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  12. ↑ "Derek Kraus Wins K&N Pro Series West Sunoco Rookie of the Year". www.knfilters.com. K&N Engineering, Inc. 2017-11-15. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  13. ↑ "Wisconsin Duo Majeski & Kraus Enter Winter Showdown | Speed 51 | 100% Short Track Racing". speed51.com.
  14. ↑ Smith, David (2018-02-16). "David Smith's Top NASCAR Cup Series Prospects of 2018 – NASCAR Home Tracks". NASCAR Home Tracks. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  15. ↑ "Derek Kraus spoils Kevin Harvick's California homecoming". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  16. ↑ Humphrey, Matt (2018-03-16). "Video: Derek Kraus bumps and runs his way to NASCAR K&N West victory over Kevin Harvick". Autoweek. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  17. ↑ Kallman, Dave (2018-03-16). "16-year-old Wisconsin driver Derek Kraus roughs up NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick to win". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  18. ↑ Segal, Davey (15 May 2018). "2018 NASCAR Next Class Announced". www.frontstretch.com. Retrieved 2018-05-15.
  19. ↑ Eggers, Tom (June 30, 2018). "Derek Kraus triumphs in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race in Roseburg". The News-Review. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  20. ↑ "NASCAR K&N Pro Series standings for 2017". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  21. ↑ "Driver Derek Kraus 2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  22. ↑ "Driver Derek Kraus 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  23. ↑ "Driver Derek Kraus 2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.