CONCORD, N.C. — Badger State native Derek Kraus will pilot Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series 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 Truck Series 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 made his lone Truck Series start this season at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l 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 Truck Series starts with four poles, four top-five and 26 top-10 finishes to his credit.
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.”