For Hub City Times

NEWTON, Iowa — Fifteen-year-old NASCAR K&N Pro Series rookie Derek Kraus secured his first career pole start during qualifying for the Casey’s General Store 150 at the Iowa Speedway.

Part of the Bill McAnally Racing team, Kraus had a fast lap of 128.404 mph on the .875-mile oval track. Chris Eggleston, who was in the top two in both practice sessions, was second at 128.398 mph.

Kraus’ teammate Todd Gilliland dominated competition during the July 28 race, winning the Casey’s General Store 150 — a combination of the K&N Pro Series’ East and West divisions — for a second-straight year. It also marked the Bill McAnally Racing No. 16 Napa Auto Parts Toyota Camry’s fourth consecutive victory in the event.

Kraus ran in the top five through most of the race but faded to 11th with a mechanical issue in the closing laps.

In addition to being third in the K&N West standings, Kraus leads all rookies in points. The Stratford, Wisconsin, native has five top-five and six top-10 finishes in nine K&N West starts this season.