Kraus Set For Cup Return, First Coke 600 With NY Racing

Derek Kraus (Jacob Seelman/Race Face Digital photo)

CONCORD, N.C. – A late call-up from NY Racing has produced a first-of-his-career opportunity for 23-year-old Wisconsin native Derek Kraus this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Kraus will make his debut in NASCAR’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600, driving the No. 44 Western States Flooring Chevrolet for the John Cohen-owned organization.

It marks Kraus’ first appearance in the premier Cup Series since last year’s season finale at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway, the final race of his part-time slate with Kaulig Racing.

While the deal came together “only about a week ago,” Kraus wasn’t going to turn away an opportunity to put himself back in the garage at the highest level.

“When John [Cohen] called, I knew I couldn’t pass it up,” he told Motorsports Hotspot following Thursday night’s ASA STARS National Tour race at Hickory Motor Speedway.

“No matter if you’re a young guy or a veteran, I feel like you have to try and get as many opportunities in the sport as you can nowadays, because the sport can be so fleeting,” Kraus continued. “I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be my first 600 … the longest race of my career, so that’ll be cool to say that I was in the race with all the pomp and circumstance and special moments that come along with it.”

Kraus is a veteran of super late model racing and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, but he only has six career Cup Series starts under his belt, meaning the grind of Sunday’s ‘600’ will be an all-new experience for him.

Regardless of that, however, Kraus said he hasn’t approached his physical preparation much differently than normal, given that he’s still in some sort of race car on a nearly-weekly basis.

“I just look at it as another race weekend,” noted Kraus of his readiness. “It’s a really big race, and a long one, but at the end of the day you just go out there and do what all of us [drivers] do week-in and week-out.

“Physically, I feel like I’m in great shape to go and compete for 600 miles. Mentally I think it’s the same … I just have to stay hydrated maybe a little more so than normal, but it’s supposed to be a little cooler [on Sunday], so hopefully that will help out a bit,” he added. “I’m not too worried.”

While some might say the No. 44 is a lower-tier opportunity from an equipment standpoint compared to the powerhouses of the sport, Kraus tipped that any chance to put himself in front of others in the Cup Series garage area and “remain present” is a big deal for him.

“Unfortunately, racing nowadays is all about how much money you can bring to the table, so you have to capitalize on every single chance you have to be behind the wheel,” he said. “Everything I can get with what I have available to me is so important. It’s about trying to stay visible and stay in NASCAR … because I love super late model racing, but it’s still my dream to be racing on Sundays every week.”

Sunday will also mark the culmination of a busy weekend for Kraus, who raced Thursday night at Hickory and will qualify his Cup Series car Saturday before hauling to Newport (Tenn.) Speedway for the second leg of ASA’s weekend doubleheader.

It’s his own version of Double Duty, and Kraus wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Racing is what I love, so as much as I can do it, I’ll have a helmet on doing it. I’m eager for it. It’s going to be a lot of laps and a lot of racing, but [track time] is the only way you can get better as a driver.

“It’s going to be a fun weekend and we’ll just do the best we can in both cars.”

While Kraus doesn’t have any NASCAR plans set in stone beyond Sunday night, he said it’s “always the goal” to be back in one of the three national series on a regular basis.

He’s a veteran of nearly 100 NASCAR national starts and the 2019 ARCA Menards Series West champion, so the talent is there for the still-young standout. It’s all about converting chances to race now.

“It all comes down to sponsorship money. Having Western States on the car this weekend is huge because they’ve always been a big help to me … and were on the car at Kaulig last year too, so without partners like that to support me … I’m not at Charlotte fulfilling my passion.

“The dream hasn’t left. It’s still as strong as ever.”

Broadcast coverage of Kraus’ Cup Series return in the Coca-Cola 600 airs Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, live on Prime Video, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.