Derek Kraus Bio
Derek Kenneth Kraus (born September 1, 2001) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for NY Racing Team. Over the course of his career, he has also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, and the ARCA Menards Series East and West. Kraus won the 2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship and is a former NASCAR Next class member. He also works as a simulator driver for Kaulig Racing.
Early Life and Background
Derek Kraus was born in Stratford, Wisconsin, and grew up in a family with deep roots in short-track racing. His father, Mark Kraus, raced super late models in the 2000s, giving Derek an early exposure to competitive motorsports. Kraus attended Stratford High School, where he competed on the wrestling team and played football during his freshman year.
Kraus began his racing journey in go-karts at GSR Kartway, where he won the track championship in 2012 and 2013. He moved into bandoleros at State Park Speedway in 2013 and quickly earned the track championship. The following year, he captured both the State Park and Wisconsin state bandolero championships, establishing himself as one of the top young drivers in the region.
By 2014, Kraus had graduated to Midwest trucks and super late models. In 2015, he ran seven Super Late Model races at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida and entered the American Ethanol SuperTruck Series, becoming the youngest driver to win a feature at Rockford Speedway at just thirteen years old. He also won the Midwest Truck Series championship that same season, further cementing his reputation as a rising talent. In 2016, he competed in the ARCA Midwest Tour, finishing fourth in the standings and surpassing NASCAR veteran Matt Kenseth as the youngest driver ever to win a race in the series.
Path to NASCAR
In January 2017, it was announced that Kraus would drive full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West for Bill McAnally Racing (BMR), piloting the team’s No. 19 Toyota Camry. The opportunity came after a successful test at Kern County Raceway Park. He made his BMR debut in a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at New Smyrna Speedway, where he finished third.
During his 2017 rookie West Series campaign, Kraus set multiple career-best finishes, including runner-up results at Kern County, Spokane County Raceway, and Colorado National Speedway. He captured his first career pole at Iowa Speedway in a combination East/West event and won the season finale at Kern County, beating teammate Todd Gilliland. His strong debut season earned him the K&N Pro Series West Rookie of the Year award.
In 2018, Kraus was named to the NASCAR Next class, which recognizes the sport’s top young talents. He continued to find success in both the K&N Pro Series West and East, while also expanding his schedule into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a debut at ISM Raceway in the No. 19 Toyota Tundra for BMR, where he finished eighth.
Derek Kraus Career
Early Career (2017–2018)
Kraus’s first two seasons in NASCAR’s developmental ladder established him as a championship contender. In 2018, he won the season-opening K&N Pro Series West race at Kern County Raceway after a dramatic final restart involving Kevin Harvick and teammate Cole Rouse. He went on to win two more West races that year and finished fourth in the final standings.
He also began splitting time with the K&N Pro Series East in 2018, eventually joining DGR-Crosley for the final two races. He claimed the pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in both of his team appearances and finished second in his first outing with the team. His Truck Series debut at ISM Raceway in November 2018 resulted in a solid eighth-place finish.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Breakthrough (2019)
Kraus returned to BMR for a third consecutive West Series season in 2019, and the result was a dominant championship run. He opened the year with a win in the New Smyrna 175 K&N East race and added a victory in a South Boston doubleheader. In the West, he won both races of the Tucson Speedway doubleheader, leading all 100 laps in the first.
His mid-season form was nearly flawless. Kraus captured the pole and led every lap at Douglas County Speedway, won at Meridian Speedway after a contentious battle with Jagger Jones, and won from the pole at Kern County for his fourth straight victory at the track. He clinched the 2019 K&N Pro Series West championship by simply starting the final race at ISM Raceway, where he finished third to seal the title.
Outside of the K&N Series, Kraus also expanded into the NASCAR Truck Series in 2019, running a four-race schedule with BMR at Martinsville, Dover, Las Vegas, and ISM Raceway. After finishing eighteenth at Martinsville, he matched his Truck Series-best finish of eighth at Dover. Following his West championship, BMR added a fifth Truck event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
McAnally–Hilgemann Racing Era (2020–2022)
On January 13, 2020, Bill McAnally Racing announced the formation of McAnally–Hilgemann Racing in partnership with Bill Hilgemann, a fellow Stratford native, to field the No. 19 Toyota Tundra full-time in the Truck Series for Kraus. He opened the season with a career-best fourth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway. At Darlington Raceway, he came within a few hundred yards of his first career win, finishing second to Ben Rhodes in an overtime finish.
Kraus returned to the team in 2021 under a new crew chief, Matt Noyce, who joined from ThorSport Racing. On December 6, 2022, McAnally–Hilgemann Racing announced that Kraus would be replaced in the No. 19 truck by former ThorSport driver Christian Eckes for the 2023 season.
Kaulig Racing Era (2023–2024)
After losing his Truck Series ride, Kraus moved into a part-time Xfinity Series role with Kaulig Racing in 2023, driving the No. 10 car. His Xfinity debut came at Richmond Raceway on March 21. He also served as the team’s simulator driver, which led to a Cup Series opportunity in July when he practiced and qualified the No. 16 Cup car at Richmond in place of A. J. Allmendinger. Kraus also did simulator work for Legacy Motor Club that season.
On February 22, 2024, Kaulig Racing announced that Kraus would drive the No. 16 part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, with his first start scheduled for Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
NY Racing Team Era (2025)
In 2025, it was revealed that Kraus would drive the No. 44 Chevrolet for NY Racing Team at the Coca-Cola 600. He started 37th and finished 32nd in the race. He also attempted the Cook Out Southern 500, where his race ended early after the No. 44 car caught on fire.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kraus built his reputation on short tracks, where his background in bandoleros, Midwest trucks, and super late models gave him sharp race craft. He has shown a particular strength in late-race restarts, regularly using aggressive maneuvers to pass for the lead. His work as a Kaulig Racing simulator driver has also broadened his understanding of intermediate tracks and Cup Series setups, helping him transition between the Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series.
Notable Races and Milestones
Kraus’s 2019 K&N Pro Series West championship stands as the headline achievement of his career. He also scored a dramatic overtime runner-up finish to Ben Rhodes at Darlington in 2020, his closest brush with a national-series victory. The 2025 Coca-Cola 600 with NY Racing Team marked his latest Cup Series start, while his earlier simulator and qualifying duty at Richmond in 2023 served as his Cup Series introduction.
Derek Kraus Career Wins
Derek Kraus has built a varied win list across NASCAR’s developmental series, highlighted by his 2019 K&N Pro Series West championship. He has also captured wins in the K&N Pro Series East and a one-off Trans-Am Series victory.
K&N Pro Series West Highlights
Kraus won the 2019 K&N Pro Series West championship with Bill McAnally Racing, dominating the second half of the season with four straight wins at Tucson, Douglas County, Meridian, and Kern County. His first West Series victory came in 2017 at Kern County, where he beat teammate and reigning champion Todd Gilliland. He added West wins in 2018 at Kern County, Douglas County, and Gateway Motorsports Park.
Other Wins and Performances
Kraus picked up a 2019 K&N Pro Series East win at New Smyrna and another at South Boston. He also won the 2015 Midwest Truck Series championship and earned victories in super late models and bandoleros in Wisconsin. In 2019, he won a one-off Trans-Am Series race at Sonoma, taking the pole and the overall victory.
Derek Kraus Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Kraus comes from a racing family. His father, Mark Kraus, raced super late models throughout the 2000s and helped introduce Derek to short-track competition in central Wisconsin. The two share hometown ties with Bill Hilgemann, the businessman who partnered with Bill McAnally Racing to create McAnally–Hilgemann Racing and field Kraus full-time in the Truck Series starting in 2020.
Personal Life
Kraus graduated from Stratford High School in 2020, skipping his rescheduled July graduation ceremony to race in the Truck Series event at Kansas Speedway on the same day. He later relocated from Wisconsin to Charlotte, North Carolina, where most NASCAR teams are based, to be closer to his racing operations. Kraus continues to work as a simulator driver for Kaulig Racing while pursuing part-time national-series opportunities.
2025 Season Performance
Derek Kraus’s 2025 schedule has been light, with opportunities centered on part-time Cup Series entries. He was announced as the driver of the No. 44 Chevrolet for NY Racing Team at the Coca-Cola 600, his highest-profile start of the year, where he started 37th and finished 32nd.
He also attempted the Cook Out Southern 500 with NY Racing Team, but the race ended prematurely when the No. 44 car caught on fire, forcing him out of the event. Outside of his Cup starts, Kraus has continued his role as a simulator driver for Kaulig Racing, contributing to the team’s preparation across its Cup and Xfinity programs.
With limited confirmed Cup Series starts in 2025, Kraus’s outlook centers on landing additional part-time opportunities while maintaining his simulator role. His prior Xfinity and Truck Series experience, combined with the 2019 K&N West title, gives him a solid foundation for any future national-series ride that may open up.