Strong Run For MHR Drivers In Bristol Dirt Race - Speedway Digest

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing drivers Derek Kraus and Colby Howard both turned in strong runs in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on the dirt track at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

Howard, competing in his first race on dirt, charged to a 12th-place finish in the No. 91 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet Silverado RST. It marked a career-best series finish for the 20-year-old from Simpsonville, South Carolina in just his 11th series start.

Kraus was headed for a top-10 finish in the No. 19 NAPA AutoCare Chevrolet Silverado RST, meanwhile; but got caught up in an incident about 10 laps from the checkered flag and ended up finishing 29th.

After rolling off 12th on the grid, Howard dashed into the top 10 by Lap 10. He lost track position, however, after getting shuffled back in heavy traffic. Beginning the final stage of the race in 20th, he mounted a charge to the front and steadily picked up positions through the end of the race. His strong finish boosted him two positions to 23rd in the championship standings.

Kraus started 15th and did not gain ground early in the race. After finishing the first stage of the race in 15th, he grabbed a 10th-place finish at the end of the second stage and picked up a bonus point. He restarted in 17th, after making a pit stop during the stage break. Kraus wasted no time in charging ahead and was up to ninth during a caution with 25 laps remaining. His effort was sidelined, however, with 10 laps to go when two trucks ahead of him spun around and he could not avoid them.

Quote – Derek Kraus

“Our Chevy was really good tonight and was running great as the laps wound down. It’s disappointing to not have the finish to show for it. It was just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Quote – Colby Howard

“I’m extremely happy with our run tonight. We were strong in the first run and fell off a little bit, but we made some great adjustments all night and kept getting more and more comfortable. I was nervous coming into the weekend, but felt I adapted pretty quick.”

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Event:

Race: Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt (150 Laps) (Race 6 of 23) April 16, 2022

Location: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn. (1/2-mile dirt oval)

Format: Three Stages; Lap 40 / Lap 90 / Lap 150

MHR PR