Young’s Motorsports Daytona International Speedway February Truck Series Team Preview

Driver: Kris Wright

Primary Partner(s): First National Bank (FNB)

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado RST

Crew Chief: Andrew Abbott

2023 Driver Points Position: N/A

2023 Owner Points Position: N/A

Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

Practice Result: 22nd 

Starting Position: 30th

Notes of Interest:

Welcome Back To The Team: Road racing standout Kris Wright returns to Young’s Motorsports for the full 2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season beginning with Friday night’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

The former IMSA and Formula 3 driver returns to Young’s Motorsports after spending the 2022 season competing in both Trucks and the Xfinity Series.

Wright competed in 16 Truck Series races during the 2021 season for Young’s Motorsports earning four top-20 finishes and a season-high 12th-place finish at Daytona.

Glad You Are Here: For the sixth time in 2021, F.N.B. Corporation will serve as the primary partner on Wright’s No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado.

F.N.B. Corporation (NYSE: FNB), headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a diversified financial services company operating in seven states and the District of Columbia. FNB’s market coverage spans several major metropolitan areas including Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Cleveland, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; and Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and the Piedmont Triad (Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point) in North Carolina.

The Company has total assets of more than $38 billion and nearly 340 banking offices throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, D.C. and Virginia.

FNB provides a full range of commercial banking, consumer banking and wealth management solutions through its subsidiary network, which is led by its largest affiliate, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, founded in 1864.

Calling the Shots: Guiding Wright as crew chief of the No. 02 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado is longtime crew chief Andrew Abbott.

He will crew chief his 104th NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race on Friday night. In his previous 103 races, he has two top-five and seven top-10 finishes to his resume.

He has six prior Truck Series races as crew chief at Daytona with a best finish of sixth with Young’s Motorsports team principal Tyler Young in February 2016. 

Staying Busy: In addition to his duties in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series with Young’s Motorsports, Wright has been staying busy with competition in Late Models at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway, where Wright has been competing in this year’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Kris Wright, please visit, kriswrightmotorsports.com, like him on Facebook (Kris Wright Racing) and follow him on Twitter (@kriswrightraces).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (@youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Kris Wright Pre-Race Quotes:

On Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway: “I am excited to get to Daytona this weekend with the Young’s Motorsports team. It’s going to be a very competitive race, but I hope luck is on our side and we can have a strong finish with our F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado.”

Driver: Derek Kraus

Primary Partner(s): Hardscape Construction Inc.

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado RST

Crew Chief: Joe Lax

2023 Driver Points Position: N/A

2023 Owner Points Position: N/A

Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

Practice Result: 38th

Starting Position: 11th

Notes of Interest:

Welcome: This weekend at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Young’s Motorsports welcomes Derek Kraus as the driver of the No. 20 Hardscape Construction Inc. Chevrolet Silverado RST for the first race of the 2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season.

About Derek: Kraus, a native of Stratford, Wisc. has 73 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts to his resume, including four top-five and 24 top-10 finishes, including a career-best second-place finish at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in 2020.

He is also a veteran of the ARCA Menards Series West where he has captured 10 wins, 29 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes, including the 2019 series driver’s championship.

Before transitioning to Young’s Motorsports, Kraus spent the last three Truck Series seasons driving the No. 19 Chevrolet Silverado RST for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.

Thank You Partners: Kraus will pilot the team’s No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado RST with support from Jacksonville, Fla.-based Hardscape Construction.

Hardscape Construction Inc. is the go-to hardscape contractor for Northeast Florida, offering top-notch design and build services for outdoor living spaces. With a team of experienced professionals and a commitment to using the highest quality materials, they create beautiful, functional, and long-lasting hardscapes that enhance the look and value of any property.

Specializing in brick pavers and modular retaining walls, the company is led by owner Jim Lang, who brings over 25 years of experience and a commitment to quality to every project.

With a proven track record of completing projects on time and on schedule, including notable clients like The North & South Bank Riverwalks, Hardscape Construction offers fair pricing and honest answers for a truly satisfying customer experience.

Joining Hardscape Construction are Kraus’s seasoned partners Shockwave Seats and Kafka Granite.

Glad To Have You Here: In addition to Hardscape Construction, Kraus welcomes seasoned partners SHOCKWAVE Seats and Kafka Granite for his Young’s Motorsports debut.

Kafka Granite, LLC is a family-owned and operated company that was started in 1979 by Glenn Kafka. With hard work, perseverance, innovation and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Kafka Granite has grown from their origin as a supplier of decomposed granite road material into one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of specialty aggregates and building stone in the United States.

Their architectural aggregates, decomposed granite, boulders, building stone, and recycled products are used for many applications including, but not limited to, landscaping stone, architectural precast concrete, thin stone veneer, natural stone hardscapes, terrazzo flooring, epoxy resin tile, pathway, ballyard materials, and non-skid surfacing.

SHOCKWAVE SEATS is a world leader in military-class marine suspension seating and is located in Sidney, BC, Canada.

For over 20 years, SHOCKWAVE has built high-quality marine products, using military-grade components. Customers include recreational, commercial, government, and military organizations in over 30 countries around the world.

Derek Kraus Truck Series Daytona International Speedway Stats: Friday night’s NextEra Energy 250 will mark Kraus’s fourth NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series race at the famed 2.5-mile superspeedway.

In his three previous efforts, Kraus has a track-best of fourth after starting 16th in the 2020 NextEra Energy 250 driving for Bill McAnally Racing (BMR).

He holds an average finish of 21.0 since 2020.

Derek Kraus Career Truck Series Stats: Since 2018, Kraus has competed in 73 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series races with four top-five and 26 top-10 finishes and a championship best 11th place earned during the 2020 and 2022 seasons respectively.

He also holds an average finishing position of 16.1.

Calling the Shots: Guiding Kraus as crew chief of the No. 20 Hardscape Construction Inc. Chevrolet Silverado RST is veteran crew chief Joe Lax.

He will crew chief his 96th NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series race on Friday night. In his previous 95 races, he has eight top-10 finishes to his resume.

This weekend marks his sixth race as crew chief at the track nestled in Daytona Beach, Fla.   

Follow on Social Media: For more on Derek Kraus, please visit like him on Facebook (Derek Kraus Racing) and follow on Instagram (@derek9kraus) and Twitter (@derek9kraus).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports). 

Derek Krauss Pre-Race Quote:

On Daytona International Speedway: “I am very excited about joining Young’s Motorsports for Daytona. Over the years, Young’s Motorsports have shown on the superspeedways that they build very fast Chevrolet Silverados and I am excited to be able to drive one of them this weekend at Daytona.

“Young’s Motorsports has two victories at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, but I sure would love the opportunity to deliver not only my first Truck Series win but the teams at a historical venue like Daytona.” 

Race Information:

The NextEra Energy 250 (100 laps | 250 miles) is the first of 23 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series races on the 2023 schedule. The field will take the green flag shortly after 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.