Derek Kraus on Fan4Racing Radio, Thursday, May 31, 2018, at 9 pm ET. Photo – Jonathan Moore/Getty Images
Derek Kraus is our guest on Fan4Racing NASCAR Weekend Preview, Thursday, May 31, 2018, at 9 pm ET. Call 929-477-1790 or tweet @Fan4RacingSite with any questions or comments during our LIVE broadcast.
Bill McAnally Racing’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series West drivers are heading east this weekend for the K&N Pro Series East, Memphis 150 at Memphis International Speedway on Saturday. Leading his teammates, Cole Rouse, fourth in the West point standings and Hailie Deegan, sixth is Derek Kraus who now sits third and just ten points from the leader Ryan Partridge. Partridge’s Sunrise Ford teammate Derek Thorn is second.
The trio at Bill McAnally Racing has already taken part in two K&N East events this season and collectively have two top-five and two top-ten finishes. While racing the full K&N West schedule, BMR is also racing select K&N East events, including Memphis.
NASCAR Next driver, Kraus at 16 years of age is behind the wheel of the No. 16 for BMR and won the K&N West season opener at Kern County. Deegan, also a member of NASCAR Next and the 16-year-old rookie is driving the No. 19 while 20-year-old Crouse is in the No. 99 for BMR and finished second at the K&N East opener at New Smyrna
Last season’s winner in the inaugural event at Memphis is Harrison Burton and he’s not competing this year, so there is a guaranteed new winner with the race extended by 25 laps over last year.
So who is the next to win at Memphis in the longer event?
The team to beat in the K&N East is the newly formed DGR-Crosley with four victories in five series starts – Todd Gilliland (New Smyrna, Bristol), Tyler Dippel ( Langley) and Tyler Ankrum (South Boston). Gilliland is running select races this season so it’s Dippel and Ankrum leading the K&N East point standings in first and second-place.
Ronnie Bassett Jr is third and ready to move up the ranking with the potential of his first win of the season while fourth-place NASCAR Next driver Ryan Vargas is looking for the same. Fifth-place NASCAR Next driver, Anthony Alfredo with MDM Motorsports is the only other driver to win this season by snapping the four-race winning streak of DGR Crosley with his victory at South Boston in the second of the Twin 100 events at the track.
Rev Racing’s Chase Cabre and part of the NASCAR Next class is also looking for a victory after coming within a lap of winning at South Boston and settling for a bittersweet second-place.
Fans can meet and get autographs from the K&N Pro Series East competitors during a Fan Fest event at Bass Pro Shops in downtown Memphis on Friday evening.
Activities in Memphis begin Saturday, June 2nd with a Hauler Parade at 11 am CT and an open test session at the track from 3 to 6 pm CT, with the Memphis 150 immediately following. NASCAR Hometracks Race Central will follow the live action with the NBCSN broadcast on Wednesday, June 6th at 6 pm ET.