McAnally-Hilgemann Racing drivers Derek Kraus and Colby Howard are confident as they prepare to race on dirt for the second time this season, with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heading to Knoxville Raceway on Saturday for the Clean Harbors 150 presented by Premier Chevy Dealers.
It will mark the second visit by the series to the half-mile Iowa track and the 11th time the circuit has competed on dirt.
Kraus, in the No. 19 NAPA AutoCare Chevrolet Silverado RST, and Howard, in the No. 91 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet Silverado RST, have been fast in previous races on dirt and are confident of running strong this week.
Kraus – a veteran of the series – was a top contender last year, as the Camping World Truck Series made its inaugural visit to Knoxville with a wild event that concluded with four overtime restarts. He won the pole, swept both stage wins and then battled back from a flat tire to notch a top-five finish.
Howard – who this year is in his first full season of competing in a truck – notched a 12th-place finish earlier this season in the Bristol dirt race, his first time racing on a dirt surface. Kraus was headed for a top-10 finish in that Bristol race, but got caught up in an incident and was sidelined about 10 laps from the finish.
The Knoxville event is the seventh of eight consecutive weeks of racing for the Camping World Truck Series.
The McAnally-Hilgemann team has been working with the NAPA Distribution Center in Des Moines and is looking forward to a great event this week at Knoxville and the opportunity to greet their NAPA guests there. In advance of the race, MHR will visit NAPA AutoCare repair shops in the area.
The team will welcome a group of VIP garage guests from Premier Auto Parts in attendance at the track. They will be treated to a VIP Experience, which includes special access to the MHR drivers and the team’s No. 19 and No. 91 Chevy Silverados.
Practice/Qualifying
This event will feature two practice sessions on Friday, at 7:05 and 9:02 p.m. Starting positions for the race will be determined through qualifying races on Saturday evening at 7 p.m.
Quote – Derek Kraus
“I’m looking forward to Knoxville. I think we will be just as good, if not a little better, than we were there last year. We will bring a fast Chevy and give it our best shot.”
Quote – Colby Howard
“MHR had good speed last year at Knoxville. So, we’re looking to repeat that with a fast Silverado this year and to learn more on the dirt.”
MHR PR
