The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will wrap up its 2021 season under the lights on Friday night with the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway.
Derek Kraus – who is set to make his 50th series start, driving the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing No. 19 NAPA AutoCare Toyota Tundra – is aiming for a great qualifying run and a great finish in the championship race at the one-mile track.
With practice and qualifying included on the event schedule, Kraus will be shooting for his third pole award of the year. He turned the fast time in two of the four series events this season that included a qualifying session.
The 20-year-old from Stratford, Wisconsin, knows his way around Phoenix Raceway – a track he considers one of his favorites. He made his Camping World Truck Series debut there with an eight-place finish in 2018. He also ran strong at Phoenix the past two years, but did not get the finish to show for it. He was running 11th, with about 50 laps remaining, when he encountered a mechanical issue last year. In 2019, he was sidelined after getting caught up in an incident.
Kraus has also competed at Phoenix Raceway in NASCAR’s regional level of racing – the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West/ARCA Menards Series West. He finished fifth there earlier this season in an ARCA/ARCA West combination race. In 2019, he clinched the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship at Phoenix with a third-place finish in the season finale.
In advance of this week’s race, Kraus and team owner Bill McAnally will visit NAPA AUTO PARTS stores and NAPA AutoCare shops in the Phoenix area on Thursday. A group of special guests from NAPA Phoenix and a VIP Group from NAPA Power Premium Plus will be welcomed by the race team at the track for the event.
Derek Kraus – About this week
What are your thoughts as you prepare to wrap up the 2021 season at Phoenix?
“I’m looking forward to Phoenix, the last race of the year. We’re going to do our best to have a great run with the NAPA AutoCare Toyota and end the season on a high note. Phoenix is one of my favorite tracks. So I’m looking forward to it.”
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Event:
Race: Lucas Oil 150 (150 Laps) (Race 22 of 22) Nov. 5, 2021
Location: Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Ariz. (1-mile oval)
Television: FS1 on Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ET
Derek Kraus
No. 19 NAPA AutoCare Toyota Tundra
Age: 20
Hometown: Stratford, Wis.
Career series stats: 49 starts, 2 poles, 4 top fives, 19 top 10s
Most recent series finish: 24th – Martinsville (10/30/21)
Best career series finish: 2nd – Darlington (9/6/20)
Last series finish at Phoenix: 24th (11/6/20)
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
McAnally-Hilgemann Racing PR
