Derek Kraus, 23, will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start of the year this weekend, competing in NASCAR’s longest race — the 66th running of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Kraus will pilot the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet with sponsorship from Western States Flooring. This Sunday’s race will be the first time since the season-opening Daytona that the Cup Series will have a full field of 40 cars with four open entries.
Kraus made six starts in the Cup Series last year, all while driving for Kaulig Racing. His best result came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, finishing 28th. His most recent start came in the 2024 season finale at Phoenix Raceway, and this will be his first appearance in the Coke 600.
A former champion of the ARCA West Series in 2019, Kraus also has 76 Truck Series starts and eight Xfinity Series starts, but none since 2023. He was full-time in the Truck Series between 2020 and 2022, finishing as high as second at Darlington.
NY Racing Team has made four Cup starts as an open entry this year, all with veteran journeyman driver J.J. Yeley. Their best result of the year came at Talladega where they finished 32nd. The team also attempted to qualify for the Daytona 500 but failed to make the show.
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