Derek Kraus saw a possible top-10 finish slip away in the final two laps of competition in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series United Rentals 200 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday.
Kraus, driving the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing No. 19 IncredibleBank Toyota Tundra, had battled his way from 25th to 10th in a 50-lap span during the final stage of the race.
He got caught up in an incident as the race went into overtime for a final restart, however, and ended up finishing 24th in the rough-and tumble event that had 14 cautions – a record for a playoff event at Martinsville.
The race started well for Kraus, who rolled off 17th and quickly moved up to 14th – where he ran at the end of Stage 1. He finished Stage 2 in 17th, after opting to pit early for tires and fuel during a caution. The MHR team chose to have him pit, again, at the end of Stage 2 – setting up a run to the finish. He subsequently got mired back in traffic and was 25th on a Lap 140 restart.
He started his charge back through the pack, taking advantage of the multiple cautions. He made it up to 20th by Lap 148, 15th by Lap 157 and 10th by Lap 192. That all went away after the final restart, when a multi-truck accident among the leaders slowed Kraus and left him to finish 24th.
Prior to heading to the track on Saturday, Kraus and team owner Bill McAnally stopped by the NAPA AUTO & TRUCK PARTS store of Flowers Auto Parts in Martinsville to greet customers and staff.
Derek Kraus – Thoughts about the race
What battles did you face in the event?
“We struggled all day. It just wasn’t good from the beginning and at the end, we just were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Event:
Race: United Rentals 200 (200 Laps) (Race 21 of 22) Oct. 30, 2021
Location: Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va. (.526-mile oval)
Format: Three Stages; Lap 50 / Lap 100 / Lap 200
Derek Kraus
No. 19 IncredibleBank Toyota Tundra
Age: 20
Hometown: Stratford, Wis.
Started: 17th
Stage 1: 14th
Stage 2: 17th
Finished: 24th (Running, completed 204 of 204 laps)
Race Winner: Zane Smith
2021 Series Stats:
Races: 21 starts, 2 poles, 1 top five, 4 top 10s
Laps completed: 2,574/2,822
Laps led: 58
Series standings: 13th
Next Race:
Lucas Oil 150, Nov. 5, 2021, Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Ariz. (1-mile oval).
McAnally-Hilgemann Racing PR
