Derek Kenneth Kraus (born September 1, 2001) is an American professionalstock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in theNASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 16Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 forKaulig Racing. He has also previously competed in theNASCAR Xfinity Series,NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series,ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards SeriesEast andWest. He won the2019 West Series championship (when the series was known as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West) and is also a formerNASCAR Next member. He is also Kaulig'ssimulator driver.[1]
Kraus started racing ingo-karts andbandoleros. He won the GSR Kartway championship in 2012 and 2013.[2] Kraus also competed in bandoleros at State Park Speedway in 2013 and won the track championship.[2] In 2014, he won the State Park and state bandeleros championships.[2] He later moved up toMidwest trucks andsuper late models (SLMs).[2] He began the 2015 season by competing in seven Super Late Model races inFlorida'sNew Smyrna Speedway.[3] He began racing in the American Ethanol SuperTruck Series in 2015; he became the youngest driver to win a feature atRockford Speedway at age 13.[4] Additionally, Kraus won his first SLM race a few days before he turned fourteen.[2] He also competed full-time in the Midwest Truck Series, he won that series' 2015 championship.[2][4] In 2016, he competed in theARCA Midwest Tour, finishing fourth in the standings and surpassingMatt Kenseth as the youngest driver to win a race in the series.[5]
In January 2017, it was announced that Kraus would drive full-time in the2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West forBill McAnally Racing (BMR), driving the team's No. 19Toyota Camry.[6] The announcement came after Kraus tested for the team atKern County Raceway Park earlier that year.[7]
Kraus made his debut for BMR in aNASCAR K&N Pro Series East race atNew Smyrna Speedway in February, where he finished third.[8] He set career-best finishes in the West Series of second at Kern County,[9]Spokane County Raceway,[10] andColorado National Speedway.[11] He won the pole atIowa Speedway, his first combination race between the K&N Pro Series East and West.[12] Kraus led for an extended period at Meridian Speedway in Idaho[13] and won the season's final race at Kern County for his first win, beating teammate and series championTodd Gilliland.[14] He also won the K&N West Rookie of the Year award in 2017.[15]
Kraus began 2018 by competing in the Winter Showdownlate model race at Kern County.[16] He won the season-opening2018 K&N Pro Series West race at Kern County after making contact with race leaderKevin Harvick on the final restart, giving the lead to teammateCole Rouse in the process. Kraus later passed the fellow BMR driver while both were running in lapped traffic, taking the win.[17] Kraus then won the pole in both races at the series' doubleheader atTucson Speedway, finishing fourth and eleventh in the first and second races respectively.[18] In May 2018, Kraus was named to the 2018 NASCAR Next class.[19] At Douglas County Speedway, Kraus won his third career race, leading teammateHailie Deegan to a 1-2 finish for BMR.[20] At Evergreen Speedway, Kraus won the pole and led a majority of the race but ran out of fuel in the closing stages of the race, losing toDerek Thorn.[21] In the series' next race, a combination race with theNASCAR K&N Pro Series East atGateway Motorsports Park, Kraus passed Rouse on the final restart to secure his third victory of the season.[22] At theLas Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track, he led 31 laps but spun in the later stages and retired from the race, dropping to 17th in the classification order.[23][24] AtMeridian Speedway, Kraus led the first 189 laps before slowing to avoid a spinning lapped car in a late caution, leading to a third-place finish.[25] For the final West race of the season, the tour returned to Kern County Raceway, and Kraus won after a late-race restart.[26] He finished the season-long points tally in fourth, behind Thorn,Ryan Partridge and Rouse.[27]
Kraus' racing schedule with BMR expanded in 2018 to include a foray into theNASCAR K&N Pro Series East. After finishing fourth in the season opener atNew Smyrna Speedway,[28] Kraus finished 24th in the next race atBristol Motor Speedway.[29] He then won the pole atNew Hampshire Motor Speedway in July.[30] It was later announced that Kraus would joinDGR-Crosley for the last two East races on the calendar.[31] In his first race with DGR, he again claimed the pole at New Hampshire.[32] Kraus raced againstBrandon McReynolds for the lead on the final restart, finishing in second.[33] He would end the season with a third-place finish in the season finale at Dover.[34]
On November 6, 2018, Kraus announced that he would make hisNASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut atISM Raceway that Friday,[35] driving the No. 19Toyota Tundra for Bill McAnally Racing.[36] He both qualified for and finished the race in the eighth position.[37]
Kraus returned to BMR for a third West season in 2019.[38] He also planned to run some K&N East races.[39] Kraus began 2019 by winning theNew Smyrna 175 K&N East race.[40] After finishing sixth at Bristol, Kraus was three points out of the championship points lead.[41] Addressing his unclear K&N East schedule, Kraus commented, "If we're leading, we're going to race three."[41] Kraus competed in the third and fourth races in South Boston, winning the second race in the doubleheader.[42] Kraus was leading the East Series championship in July, and team owner Bill McAnally reaffirmed the team's commitment to run full-time in the East as long as Kraus was at the top of the standings.[43] After a ninth-place finish atWatkins Glen International,[44] Kraus and BMR were more than ten points out of the lead and subsequently withdrew from the second race at Bristol, conceding the East Series championship.[45]
In the West Series, Kraus began the season at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas with a sixth-place finish. He qualified second and was leading the field until getting shuffled back with around 30 laps remaining.[46] He later won both races atTucson Speedway's doubleheader event, leading all 100 laps in the first race.[47] At Colorado, Kraus ran up front until a broken sway bar hindered his car's performance, dropping him down to the back of the top-five.[48] After returning to the lead,[48] Deegan collided with him on the final lap, resulting in Kraus finishing eighth after having spun out.[49][50] Before the next K&N West race at Sonoma, Kraus ran a one-offTrans-Am Series race at the California road course, a race in which he would go on to win the pole and score the overall victory.[51] AtDouglas County Speedway, Kraus won the pole and led every lap en route to the win.[52] His next win of the season was at Meridian Speedway, where he led 100 laps after racingJagger Jones for the victory throughout the event and colliding with him late in the race, spinning Jones out.[53] Kraus won again by leading every lap from the pole at Kern County, his fourth straight victory at the track.[54] Kraus' position in points enabled him to clinch the K&N West championship simply by starting the final race at ISM Raceway, where he finished third and was crowned champion of the series.[55]
Kraus and BMR also re-upped for four Truck Series events in 2019, atMartinsville andDover in the early portion of the season andLas Vegas and ISM in the latter portion of the season.[56][57] After finishing 18th at Martinsville, he equalled his best finish for the series with an eighth at Dover.[58] At Las Vegas, Kraus's truck had transmission problems, relegating him to a 27th-place finish.[59] After winning the K&N West championship, BMR added a fifth Truck Series race for Kraus atHomestead-Miami Speedway.[60]
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On January 13, 2020, Bill McAnally Racing announced the formation ofMcAnally-Hilgemann Racing, a partnership with businessman and fellow Stratford native Bill Hilgemann, to field the No. 19 Tundra full-time in the Truck Series for Kraus.[61] He began the season atDaytona International Speedway with a career-best fourth-place finish.[62] At Darlington, Kraus nearly scored his first career win, finishing second toBen Rhodes in an overtime finish.[63] Kraus returned to the team in2021, but had a new crew chief in Matt Noyce, who moved over fromThorSport Racing No. 99 truck ofBen Rhodes.[64] His previous crew chief, Kevin Bellicourt, left McAnally to crew chief the No. 77Spire Motorsports car in the Cup Series.[65]
On December 6, 2022,McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announced that Kraus would be replaced in the No. 19 truck by formerThorSport Racing driverChristian Eckes for 2023.[66] On February 1, 2023, it was announced that Kraus would drive theYoung's Motorsports No. 20 truck in the season-opener at Daytona with the possibility of running more races for the team if sponsorship is found.[67] On March 21, it was announced that Kraus would make his Xfinity Series debut inthe Xfinity Series race atRichmond in the No. 10 car forKaulig Racing and would run a part-time schedule for the rest of the year in that car.[68] On July 26, Kaulig announced that Kraus would drive their No. 16 Cup Series car in practice and qualifying at Richmond in place ofA. J. Allmendinger who would compete in the Xfinity Series race atRoad America on the same day. He was chosen to fill in for Allmendinger as he is the team'ssimulator driver.[69] Kraus also did some simulator driving forLegacy Motor Club in 2023.[1]
On February 22, 2024, it was announced that Kraus will drive the No. 16 forKaulig Racing part-time in theNASCAR Cup Series, with his first start being atLas Vegas Motor Speedway.[70]
Kraus is a simulator testing driver forKaulig Racing.
Kraus attendedStratford High School and was on the school's wrestling team[39] and also played football his freshman year. He graduated high school in 2020 and missed his graduation ceremony, which was rescheduled to July due to COVID-19, to race in the truck race atKansas on the same day. After that, he moved from Wisconsin to Charlotte, North Carolina, where most NASCAR teams are based.[71]
His father, Mark, raced super late models in the 2000s.[13]
| Season | Series | Team | Car No. | Races | Wins | Top fives | Top tens | Poles | Laps led | Position | Points | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | NASCAR K&N Pro Series East | Bill McAnally Racing | 99 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 40th | 41 | [72] |
| NASCAR K&N Pro Series West | 19 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 109 | 3rd | 534 | [73] | ||
| 2018 | NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | Bill McAnally Racing | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 62nd | 30 | [74] |
| NASCAR K&N Pro Series East | 16 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 39 | 12th | 287 | [34] | ||
| DGR-Crosley | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 51 | |||||
| NASCAR K&N Pro Series West | Bill McAnally Racing | 16 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 717 | 4th | 543 | [75] | |
| 2019 | NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series | Bill McAnally Racing | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 43rd | 64 | [76] |
| NASCAR K&N Pro Series East | 16 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 102 | 7th | 366 | [77] | ||
| NASCAR K&N Pro Series West | 16 | 14 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 812 | 1st | 591 | [78] | ||
| 2020 | NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | 19 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 31 | 11th | 645 | [79] |
| 2021 | NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | 19 | 22 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 58 | 13th | 457 | [80] |
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| NASCAR Cup Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | NCSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2023 | Kaulig Racing | 16 | Chevy | DAY | CAL | LVS | PHO | ATL | COA | RCH | BRD | MAR | TAL | DOV | KAN | DAR | CLT | GTW | SON | NSH | CSC | ATL | NHA | POC | RCH QL† | MCH | IRC | GLN | DAY | DAR | KAN | BRI | TEX | TAL | ROV | LVS | HOM | MAR | PHO | N/A | – | [81] |
| 2024 | DAY | ATL | LVS 28 | PHO 35 | BRI | COA | RCH | MAR | TEX | TAL | DOV | KAN 31 | DAR 29 | CLT | GTW 30 | SON | IOW | NHA | NSH | CSC | POC | IND | RCH | MCH | DAY | DAR | ATL | GLN | BRI | KAN | TAL | ROV | LVS | HOM | MAR | PHO 25 | 38th | 44 | [82] | |||
| † – Qualified forA. J. Allmendinger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NASCAR Xfinity Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | NXSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2023 | Kaulig Racing | 10 | Chevy | DAY | CAL | LVS | PHO | ATL | COA | RCH 10 | MAR 8 | TAL 27 | DOV 20 | DAR | CLT | POR | SON | NSH | CSC | ATL | NHA | POC | ROA | MCH | IND | GLN | DAY | DAR | 85th | 01 | [83] | ||||||||
| 11 | KAN 8 | BRI 12 | TEX | CLT | LVS | HOM 11 | MAR | PHO 37 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | NCTC | Pts | Ref |
| 2018 | Bill McAnally Racing | 19 | Toyota | DAY | ATL | LVS | MAR | DOV | KAN | CLT | TEX | IOW | GTW | CHI | KEN | ELD | POC | MCH | BRI | MSP | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO 8 | HOM | 62nd | 30 | [74] |
| 2019 | DAY | ATL | LVS | MAR 18 | TEX | DOV 8 | KAN | CLT | TEX | IOW | GTW | CHI | KEN | POC | ELD | MCH | BRI | MSP | LVS 27 | TAL | MAR | PHO 31 | HOM DNQ | 43rd | 64 | [76] | |||
| 2020 | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | DAY 4 | LVS 22 | CLT 16 | ATL 7 | HOM 15 | POC 10 | KEN 8 | TEX 11 | KAN 5 | KAN 7 | MCH 8 | DRC 30 | DOV 10 | GTW 13 | DAR 2 | RCH 23 | BRI 15 | LVS 30 | TAL 10* | KAN 9 | TEX 9 | MAR 10 | PHO 24 | 11th | 645 | [79] | ||
| 2021 | DAY 33 | DRC 7 | LVS 32 | ATL 13 | BRD 38 | RCH 15 | KAN 28 | DAR 35 | COA 21 | CLT 8 | TEX 13 | NSH 35* | POC 10 | KNX 5 | GLN 21 | GTW 20 | DAR 16 | BRI 13 | LVS 12 | TAL 20 | MAR 24 | PHO 15 | 13th | 480 | [80] | ||||
| 2022 | Chevy | DAY 26 | LVS 24 | ATL 9 | COA 12 | MAR 14 | BRD 29 | DAR 19 | KAN 8 | TEX 36 | CLT 12 | GTW 7 | SON 27 | KNX 6 | NSH 11 | MOH 8 | POC 9 | IRP 14 | RCH 12 | KAN 21 | BRI 6 | TAL 13 | HOM 15 | PHO 11 | 11th | 595 | [84] | ||
| 2023 | Young's Motorsports | 20 | Chevy | DAY 18 | LVS | ATL | COA | TEX | BRI | MAR | KAN | DAR | NWS | CLT | GTW | NSH | MOH | POC | RCH | IRP | 72nd | 9 | [85] | ||||||
| Spire Motorsports | 7 | Chevy | MLW 8 | KAN | BRI | TAL | HOM | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 77 | PHO 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points
| 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 | NJM | DOV | 40th | 41 | [72] |
| 2018 | 16 | NSM 4 | BRI 24 | LGY | SBO | SBO | MEM 14 | NJM | TMP | NHA 5 | IOW 20 | GLN | GTW 1* | 12th | 287 | [34] | ||||
| DGR-Crosley | 1 | Toyota | NHA 2 | DOV 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Bill McAnally Racing | 16 | Toyota | NSM 1 | BRI 6 | SBO 9 | SBO 1* | MEM 5 | NHA 3 | IOW 4 | GLN 9 | BRI | GTW 2 | NHA | DOV | 7th | 366 | [77] | ||
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| ARCA Menards Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | AMSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2021 | Bill McAnally Racing | 19 | Toyota | DAY | PHO 5 | TAL | KAN | TOL | CLT | MOH | POC | ELK | BLN | IOW | WIN | GLN | MCH | ISF | MLW | DSF | BRI | SLM | KAN | 75th | 39 | [86] |
| 2022 | Chevy | DAY | PHO 9 | TAL | KAN | CLT | IOW | BLN | ELK | MOH | POC | IRP | MCH | GLN | ISF | MLW | DSF | KAN | BRI | SLM | TOL | 83rd | 35 | [87] | ||
| ARCA Menards Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | AMSWC | 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 | 534 | [73] |
| 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 1* | 4th | 543 | [75] | ||
| 2019 | LVS 6* | IRW 3* | TUS 1** | TUS 1* | CNS 8 | SON 19 | DCS 1** | IOW 4 | EVG 2 | GTW 2 | MER 1 | AAS 4 | KCR 1** | PHO 3 | 1st | 591 | [78] | |||
| 2021 | Bill McAnally Racing | 19 | Toyota | PHO 5 | SON | IRW | CNS | IRW | PIR | LVS | AAS | PHO | 41st | 39 | [88] | |||||
| 2022 | Chevy | PHO 9 | IRW | KCR | PIR | SON | IRW | EVG | PIR | AAS | LVS | PHO | 55th | 35 | [89] | |||||
