Scary moment for Derek Kraus in the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet. The Southern 500 is under caution due to the incident. Kraus was running multiple laps down when it looked like he had an engine failure. He had to stop on the track and escape his car as it was engulfed in flames and smoke.
Fires in racecars are not fun. They are some of the scariest moments that a driver can have. When the smoke it as thick as it was coming out of Derek Kraus’ car, it is a serious situation.
Thankfully, it appears that Kraus got out in time. He was taken to the infield care center for further evaluation.
Steven Taranto of CBS Sports pulled video of Derek Kraus’ onboard camera. A wild perspective that shows you just how terrifying this had to be for the NASCAR driver.
Darlington Raceway has thrown a few curveballs tonight. This one was the lastest. 50 laps to go in the race, these NASCAR drivers are focused on winning this race. For the playoff drivers, it means everything.
Derek Kraus and the 44 team were a ton of laps down. Their night is going to end early. Kraus, a young journeyman of the sport, did what he could with what he had. It just wasn’t meant to be.
An engine failure is hard to accept as a team because it can be random or it could be a mistake on the team’s part. They will have to inspect the car to figure it out, if possible.
Derek Kraus caution sets up dramatic finish
The one thing that the Derek Kraus incident did was make the end of this race interesting. About 50 laps to settle this race and crown a Southern 500 winner. Chase Briscoe has absolutely dominated and beaten the brakes off the field so far tonight.
The NASCAR Playoffs always get off to a hot start at Darlington. We saw a Lap 1 wreck with Josh Berry. That completely changed the playoff standings and the outlook for Berry and Alex Bowman the next two races in this round.
Meanwhile, Toyota as a whole has dominated tonight. Briscoe in the lead, Tyler Reddick in P2 for most of the night. Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek from Legacy Motor Club are knocking on the door in the top-five. Things are starting to ramp up in the Southern 500.
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