Kraus. Bill McAnally Racing photo

For Hub City Times

MONROE, WA – Stratford’s Derek Kraus finished in the runner-up spot in the No. 16 NAPA Toyota Camry in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West competition at Evergreen Speedway on Aug. 17.

Kraus, who qualified third, worked his way to the front and led laps 81 through 100. He was battling a tight condition, however, and had to settle for second.

“Our NAPA Toyota was extremely tight,” said 17-year-old Kraus. “That was one of the tightest race cars I’ve ever had. We were fighting that all night and never could really get that fixed. But overall it was a good night, a good points night.”

With his second-place finish, Kraus retained his lead in the championship standings by 18 points. He has three wins, six top-five and eight top-10 finishes in nine starts this season.

The Evergreen Speedway race, won by Trevor Huddleston, will be televised to a national audience on NBCSN on Aug. 22.

The next event on the series schedule will be a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination race, the Monaco Cocktails 125 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway near St. Louis on Aug. 24.