CONCORD, N.C. (August 5, 2023) – Badger State native Derek Kraus will pilot Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado when the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) visits the Milwaukee Mile for the August 27 Clean Harbors 175.
gener8tor Skills Accelerator will be showcased as the team’s primary sponsor for NASCAR’s celebrated return to “America’s Legendary Oval.”
Wisconsin State Fair Park, home of the Milwaukee Mile, has hosted at least one auto race every year since 1903 (except during U.S. involvement in World War II). The Clean Harbors 175 marks the return of the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series to the famed one-mile oval following a 13-year absence. The NCTS raced 15 times at the Milwaukee Mile from 1995-2009, producing 11 different winners.
“I’m looking forward to working with Spire Motorsports and having Bono (crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion) as my crew chief,” said Kraus. “I know that he is smart with the short, flat tracks, so I have a lot of confidence going into the race. It will also be cool to be racing in my home state, in front of many hometown fans. It should be a good race and I’m looking forward to it.”
Kraus, a native of Stratford, Wis., made his lone NCTS start of 2023 at Daytona International Speedway in the season-opening NextEra Energy 250 where he started 11th and finished 18th for Young’s Motorsports. He is a veteran of 74 NCTS starts with four poles, four top-five and 26 top-10 finishes to his credit.
He looks to add his name to a prestigious list of former Milwaukee Mile NCTS race winners and previous series champions including Johnny Benson Jr., Mike Bliss, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ted Musgrave and Mike Skinner.
Most recently, Kraus competed in the ASA Stars National Tour Gandrud Auto Group 250 on August 1 at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, Wis., where he finished third.
“Derek Kraus has an impressive pedigree and we’re excited to put him in the seat at the Milwaukee Mile,” said Manion. “The tradition of racing in Milwaukee is very well documented and some of the very best drivers from the Midwest have won races there. It’s an exciting opportunity for Spire Motorsports be able to race with someone who has a direct tie to the state of Wisconsin. We’ll have a fast gener8tor Skills Accelerator Chevrolet Silverado ready for Derek and we’re going there with one goal in mind – to bring home the trophy.”
For more information or to purchase tickets for the Clean Harbors 175 weekend, please log on to Milwaukeemileracing.com.
The Clean Harbors 175 from the Milwaukee Mile will be televised live on FS1 Sunday, August 27 beginning at 4 p.m. EDT. The race will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
About gener8tor Skills Accelerator …
gener8tor Skills Accelerator is a free, virtual rapid skilling program for people looking for jobs in high-demand roles in their communities or working remotely for companies across the country. The program utilizes the LinkedIn Learning platform to provide high-quality instruction in fields ranging from customer service to software development. Skills supports over 1,000 graduates annually, and since its launch in 2020, the accelerator has successfully placed over 900 graduates into better jobs, creating over $40M of economic growth within the communities served. The Skills Accelerator provides programming for under- and unemployed individuals and those that face barriers to employment because of systemic discrimination and intolerance.
About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a full-time, two-car NASCAR Cup Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2023, Spire Motorsports will field the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for driver Corey LaJoie and No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Ty Dillon. The team also fields NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series teams in select events.
Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFSTMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 20, 2023 when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in the Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
