Derek Kraus had to settle for a DNF at Darlington Raceway after his No. 44 Chevrolet caught fire late into the race. The NY Racing Team driver was running several laps down when the incident happened.Kraus, a former Truck Series regular, makes his second Cup appearance this season after finishing 32nd in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He began the Southern 500 among the backmarkers at 37th and was looking to finish out the race with valuable seat time.However, misery struck on lap 313, when his car erupted in flames as he approached pit road. He promptly exited the vehicle and was taken to the infield car center while the caution was out.Here's a clip of the incident (via X/MrMathew CFB).The result marked Derek Kraus 36th on the running order. On the other hand, Kraus' caution helped playoff driver Chase Elliott receive a free pass and return to the lead lap. Ryan Blaney was also on the pit road when the incident happened, but he was able to remain on the lead lap as well.Chase Briscoe, meanwhile, regained the lead after pitstops, while Tyler Reddick overtook John Hunter Nemechek off pit road and began second on the ensuing restart. Briscoe held out against a charging Reddick and ultimately won his second straight Southern 500."It's easy to sit at home and judge": When Derek Kraus opened up about competing in the Cup SeriesBack in November last year, Derek Kraus reflected on his six part-time starts with Kaulig Racing. The 24-year-old broke down his rookie outing in the Cup Series and explained how competitive the field is at the top level.“I always tell my buddies it’s really easy to sit at home and judge and say what you want. And then it’s just so much different once you get on the racetrack. Everybody’s so good, everybody’s really particular and critique about how they are on the racetrack. And they hit their line every time,” Derek Kraus said via Wsaw.comKaulig ran a rotation of drivers during the 2024 season, which included the likes of AJ Allmendinger, Ty Dillon, and Shane van Gisbergen. Compared to Kraus, Dillon broke through the top 20 twice during his seven-race stint.Allmendinger fared better and grabbed five top-10s, with his highest finish coming from sixth in the Daytona 500, a result he'd go on to match three more times. The 43-year-old was announced for a full-time drive with the team following his standout performance.Notably, Allmendinger finished fifth during Sunday's (August 31) race at Darlington Raceway.