Toyota Racing – Derek Kraus
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Quotes
DOVER, Delaware (August 20, 2020) – McAnally-Hilgemann Racing driver Derek Kraus was made available to media via videoconference in advance of the race at the Dover International Speedway:
DEREK KRAUS, No. 19 ENEOS Toyota Tundra, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing
How excited are you to get back to the Monster Mile this weekend?
“I’m really looking forward to it. I know we have had a start there last year, so this is one of the very few tracks that I’ve been to on the circuit without getting any practice. We’ve got a little bit of experience. I feel like that will help me a lot.”
You are a Rookie in the Truck Series. What have you learned the most in your rookie campaign?
“Just to be patient learning all of these new tracks. It’s definitely different because we are not getting any practice or qualifying. Patience and learning on what the truck will do in traffic and being there at the end of the race.”
What has been the most rewarding part of this season thus far?
“Just getting good top-10 finishes. That has been really rewarding. Kansas, we had a really good weekend with it being a doubleheader, racing on Friday and Saturday was really rewarding. We finished fifth and then seventh, which was really cool for our MHR (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing) team. I’m really looking forward to this weekend in Dover and I feel like we have a pretty good truck.”
Take us through a lap at Dover.
“It’s definitely a different race track, it’s kind of like – people say it’s like a rollercoaster and it’s definitely like that just because of how fast it is, how much downforce is on your body when you are going through corners. The g-forces are crazy. It really feels like something is pushing on your back really hard. It’s just a different race track, something that you don’t really experience. The only thing you can really compare it too is a bigger Bristol.”
What are you doing to prepare for Dover?
“You can prepare as much as you want by watching film, going on iRacing, or going on the simulator. I’ve been able to go on the Toyota simulator, so that’s really helpful. iRacing, or watching film, that’s really the only thing that you can do to prepare, and once you are on the race track, I feel like you just have to go out there and take everything you have learned and put it to use.”
Four races to go before the Playoffs start. How much pressure are you putting on yourself to get in?
“There is a lot of pressure, but I feel like if we do everything that we are supposed to do, go out and get stage points and get good finishes, I feel like the points will take care of themselves. If we are in, we are in. If we are not, we are not. I feel like this year we have had a lot of good runs, and we have proved that we can compete with these guys.”
Your team is housed with Hattori Racing Enterprises. How has that been being able to bounce some ideas off of them?
“That’s definitely been very helpful for us. We’ve been able to bounce ideas off each other and just being there because it’s our first season. We can take ideas from them and put them on our track. They are very helpful, and I feel like all of the guys that work on my truck at MHR work really hard on it. They are learning quick and they are really good at what they do.”
The choose rule is back this weekend. What are you doing to prepare for that?
“For me, that wasn’t really anything new to me because I’ve been doing that for quite a few years in the late models back home in Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, they have the choose cone in every single race. You just kind of look and see which lane is shorter and which lane has more of an advantage. Like at Michigan, you saw everyone go to the top, and I believe at Dover, you will probably go to the bottom. There’s definitely a lot more planning. There’s a lot more that goes into the restarts to make sure you pick the right lane.”
With you born in 2001, when Jimmie Johnson started in the Cup Series, what has his impact been on you and your age group?
“I feel like Jimmie, he won so many championships in a row, that was really impressive. I feel like that’s someone that me as a younger driver can always look up to. He always handles himself with all he does off of the track with all of the training and everything that he does on and off the track. He’s really good at what he does and is someone you can look up to. I think it’s really cool what the Hendrick (Motorsports) cars are doing with the 24 (William Byron) and 88 (Alex Bowman) with doing the throwback schemes to Jimmie. I feel like that’s really cool, and really neat to see.”
About Toyota
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