Derek Kraus drove the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing No. 19 ENEOS / NAPA Toyota Tundra to a 15th-place finish in the Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, as he continued his solid season as a rookie in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.
Kraus ran in the top 10 for most of the race, but had to battle back after problems during a pit stop.
The 18-year-old from Stratford, Wis., started seventh on the grid – his best starting spot in the five races this year. His crew opted to have him pit during a caution just before the end of the first stage – which set him up to restart fifth on Lap 35.
Kraus finished the second stage in eighth. He continued to race in the top 10 until problems on a Lap 98 pit stop in which the jack dropped. The long stop dropped him off the lead lap in 21st. He gained the lap back during a subsequent caution and despite struggling with handling issues late in the race, he was able to battle back to come home 15th.
McAnally-Hilgemann Racing had the name of frontline health care worker Adam Martin on the No. 19 ENEOS / NAPA Tundra at Homestead. Martin – an American Medical Response paramedic from Buffalo, N.Y. – is being honored as a Star of Life for his heroic action in saving a cardiac arrest patient on the roof of a mid-rise building.
Martin was credited with directing life-saving interventions, performing numerous invasive procedures and coordinating medical direction on the patient near the edge of the hot-tar roof. He and his AMR Western New York crew worked in coordination with the local fire department and were able to use the department’s ladder-truck bucket to lower the patient to safety and eventual recovery.
Derek Kraus – Thoughts about Homestead
What was your biggest challenge?
“Our Tundra wasn’t turning in the center of the corner as well as I needed. So then it was tough to get going on the restarts.”
How would you sum up your race?
“Overall, we had an okay night. We will move on to Pocono.”
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Event:
Race: Baptist Health 200 (134 Laps) (Race 5) June 13, 2020
Location: Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla. (1.5-mile oval)
Format: Three Stages; Lap 30 / Lap 60 / Lap 134
Derek Kraus
No. 19 NAPA AutoCare Toyota Tundra
Age: 18
Hometown: Stratford, Wisc.
Stage 1: 24th
Stage 2: 8th
Finished: 15th (Running, completed 134 of 134 laps)
Race Winner: Kyle Busch
2020 Series Stats:
Races: 5 starts, 1 top five, 2 top 10
Laps completed: 641/644
Series standings: 11th
Next Race:
Pocono Organics 150 to benefit Farm Aid, June 27, 2020, Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Penn. (2.5-mile oval)
McAnally-Hilgemann Racing
