CHICAGO – Richie Crampton and the Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster team are back to their normal fast selves, even though the results from the Lucas Oil Route 66 NHRA Nationals on Sunday at Route 66 Raceway don’t show it.

After failing to qualify for the race in Norwalk, Ohio, last weekend, the team made some adjustments to their Morgan Lucas Racing car, finding a minor issue in the process. Crampton made a solid qualifying effort in Chicago and then had a terrific pass in the first round, but it wasn’t enough to overcome No. 6 qualifier Dave Connolly.

“We’re still on the rebound from Norwalk and everything,” Crampton said. “Qualifying went well, but we just got beat. It was a good drag race for the fans.

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BRISTOL, TN – Father’s Day this year has been a special time for Lucas Oil Top Fuel driver Richie Crampton.

In addition to qualifying for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on Saturday at Bristol Dragway, Crampton has a special guest in the Morgan Lucas Racing pit area this weekend: daughter Emma.

Crampton’s partner Stephanie Laski and their daughter are in Bristol, enabling Crampton to spend Father’s Day weekend with his only child.

“It’s really cool to have her and Stephanie here,” Crampton said. “Emma hasn’t been to many races, so it’s great to spend time with her at the track. It’s great to have her around, and I definitely miss her a lot when I’m on the road.”

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BRISTOL, TN – Bristol Dragway hasn’t exactly been kind to the Morgan Lucas Racing Top Fuel team over the years, but Lucas Oil driver Richie Crampton is determined to change that during this weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. And with the year the 2014 Road to the Future Award winner is having, he is confident of a good performance.

“We haven’t really had a lot of success there, with myself or Morgan (Lucas) or anyone else, for that matter,” said Crampton, who served as a crewmember for many years before taking over driving duties last year. “It’s definitely time to change that. The law of averages should help us get that sorted out this weekend.”

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EPPING, NH – After posting the quickest and fastest pass of the day in a convincing Round 1 victory over Quebec native Dan Mercier, reigning Auto Club Rookie of the Year Richie Crampton and his Lucas Oil teammates had high hopes for a big day at New England Dragway. But just one round later their dreams were dashed when his car overpowered the track near the midway point and Crampton lost to Brittany Force.

“To be low e.t. and top speed of the entire first session, running that 3.779 at 321.88 mph against Mercier, our confidence was sky high,” said Crampton, who hails from Adelaide, Australia. “Then you see heavy hitters like (Shawn) Langdon and Antron (Brown) get knocked out and you see a great chance to make up some big ground in the championship points. We were dreaming big at that point, for sure.”

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EPPING, NH – Veteran Top Fuel racer Morgan Lucas gave top qualifier and eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher a big scare in Round 1 Sunday morning at New England Dragway, but despite leading the all-time class leader nearly all the way down the track, he ultimately lost his upset bid just before the finish line.

Following a lengthy delay caused by an oildown in the previous pairing, Lucas and Schumacher got off to nearly identical starts before Schumacher’s motor dropped a cylinder. That allowed Lucas’ Sig Sauer/Lucas Gun Oil dragster to pull ahead until he encountered some engine issues himself, and when his powerplant let go in a big fireball downtrack, Schumacher was able to inch by and take the win with a 4.027 at 250.69 mph to Lucas’ 4.070 at 238.81 mph. Ironically, Schumacher’s engine exploded as well.

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EPPING, NH – Just one race removed form his second victory of the NHRA season, Lucas Oil-sponsored Top Fuel pilot Richie Crampton is poised for more success after qualifying a lofty second on the elimination grid of the third annual New England Nationals.

Crampton peeled off a lightning-quick 3.744-second pass at 325.92 mph under the lights Friday evening and that number held up through a pair of warmer sessions Saturday to secure the No. 2 starting spot for the team. Coincidentally, Crampton also qualified No. 2 when he won it all in three weeks ago in Topeka, Kan.

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EPPING, NH – Only two drivers in NHRA’s premier Top Fuel category have managed to win multiple events this season, past champion and current points leader Antron Brown and reigning Auto Club Rookie of the Year Richie Crampton, the affable Aussie who drives the powerful Lucas Oil dragster.

Following his victory Sunday in Englishtown, N.J., Brown has three victories on his 2015 résumé, but Crampton isn’t far behind, already claiming two Wally trophies this year, the latest just a few weeks back on May 25 in Topeka, Kan.

“The parity in the class has really made for a crazy start to the season,” said Crampton, who also won in Las Vegas. “It’s wild that we’re nine races into the schedule and only Antron and myself have won more than one race. It speaks to the level of competition in Top Fuel.

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ENGLISHTOWN, NJ – Very few nitro cars managed to make it down the right lane of Old Bridge Township Raceway Park Sunday morning, and reigning Auto Club Rookie of the Year Richie Crampton was no exception, relinquishing his Toyota NHRA Summernationals title early when he smoked the tires in Round 1 of eliminations.

“Everyone tried to calm their tune-ups down, even the cars in the left lane, which was obviously better, but we didn’t do enough,” Crampton said. “We had a lot to live up to this weekend being the defending Toyota race champions, but we didn’t give it much of a chance. It’s upsetting.”

Although having a fairly equal surface is best for competitive racing, Crampton was quick to point out that if his Lucas Oil team had qualified better than 11th overall, they would have had lane choice and most likely a first-round win.

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ENGLISHTOWN, NJ – Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster driver Richie Crampton will open Sunday’s eliminations at the 46th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals against a familiar foe when he lines up opposite Brittany Force. With a 3-0 mark against his fellow Auto Club Rookie of the Year award winner, Crampton’s early date with Force could be a great start to his Summernationals title defense.

“I’ve raced Brittany, Steve Torrence, and Larry Dixon three times each this year, the most of anyone in the field, and our record against her is the best of that bunch, so I hope we can keep it going,” said Crampton, the reigning Rookie of the Year (Force won the award in 2013). “I’ll tell you what, we never take her or that team for granted. They have their stuff together and we’ll need to be ready to go.”

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ENGLISHTOWN, NJ- Not even Hollywood could have scripted Lucas Oil Top Fuel driver Richie Crampton’s first career victory a year ago.

Less than two weeks after the birth of his first child, a daughter named Emma, Crampton raced in the Toyota NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. His father, Alan, was also on hand, staying in the United States after a trip from Australia to be there for Emma’s birth.

In the first round, Crampton noticed a flat right-front tire after the burnout, but he drove the three-wheeled car to a victory. The rookie then knocked off J.R. Todd, Shawn Langdon, and Doug Kalitta en route to his first win.

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