Kaulig Racing has announced that Derek Kraus will be running a part-time schedule for the team this year. Kraus will be driving the No.16 Chevrolet for his first start of the season in Las Vegas. The 22-year-old will also feature in five more races for Kaulig throughout the season.

Following up his start at Vegas (March 3), he will race at, Phoenix Raceway (March 10), Kansas Speedway (May 5), Darlington Raceway (May 12), St Louis (June 2), and back again at Phoenix (November 10). Kraus will be sharing the No.16 seat with A.J. Allmendinger and Kiwi speedster, Shane Van Gisbergen for 2024.

The 22-year-old did race a partial schedule under the Kaulig banner in the Xfinity Series last season. However, he will now be competing against the best racers in the premier division of NASCAR racing.

Derek Kraus eager to kickstart his Cup Series chapter with Kaulig Racing

In eight NASCAR Xfinity Series starts last year with Kaulig Racing, Kraus did put out some impressive results. He recorded three top-10 finishes and had an average finish of 16.6. Notably, he also ran the qualifying race for A.J. Allmendinger last year at Richmond Raceway. After his Truck Series adventures and a decent showing in Xfinity, the 22-year-old will now be joining the big dogs by competing in the Cup Series.

Expressing his delight in joining the new team, Derek, via the Kualig Racing press release, said, “I’m really excited to make my first Cup Series start with Kaulig Racing, the team that I also made my Xfinity Series debut with. I’m thankful to Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice for believing in me, as well as Western States Flooring, a partner that has supported me throughout my career. I can’t wait to get to work with Travis Mack’s group and see what we can do in Las Vegas.”

Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing, added, “We’re excited to have Derek Kraus make his first Cup start with us at Kaulig Racing. Not only did he practice in the No. 16 last year for AJ Allmendinger, but Derek is our simulator driver that helps get our setups ready each week. We know what Derek is capable of, and we can’t wait to see what he can do starting in Las Vegas.”

Last season’s Xfinity feature by Kraus was an impressive one and while the fans were calling for him to grab a full-time seat in the series, Kaulig surely had other ideas for the young driver.

Kaulig made the right call by adding Derek Kraus to their team lineup

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The No. 10 car last year saw a number of drivers share the duties of racing for Kaulig in the Xfinity Series. Big names like Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suarez, and Kyle Larson all drove the No. 10 car last year. However, the fans were particularly impressed by Kraus, who looked like a promising talent for the team.

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Out of the eight races with Kaulig last season in the Xfinity, four of those came driving the No. 10 Chevy. With the new season on the horizon, fans were expecting Kraus to take up a full-time role. Instead, he made a big leap in the Cup Series.

The Cup Series sure will be a testing experience for the youngster, but the former ARCA West champion will look to make a positive impact with this opportunity.