Lucas Oil racer Richie Crampton ready to make a run at Top Fuel title

CHARLOTTE – Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster driver Richie Crampton is in his second season as a professional drag racer, and he’s in position to win his first championship as the Countdown to the Championship begins this weekend at the NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Crampton has won four races and sits third in the Top Fuel points standings as the six-race, title-determining segment of the season begins.

“We’re looking forward to kicking off the Countdown, starting in third and going to a typically fast racetrack like Charlotte,” Crampton said. “It’s pretty exciting.”

Crampton, the 2014 NHRA Road to the Future Award winner as the top rookie, has been a consistent threat in the ultra-competitive Top Fuel class all season. He has been sixth or higher in the points since the first race of the season, climbing to third with his victory at Brainerd Int’l Raceway two races ago.

And though the intensity will increase for the Countdown, Crampton and his Morgan Lucas Racing team are focusing on keeping things simple.

“We’re taking the approach of keep on doing what we’ve been doing,” Crampton said. “We all know the pressure is on now and it’s go time. We need to pay attention to every detail of the race car and not overlook any little thing that could possibly cost us a run.

“As a group, we don’t want to get too carried away that it is the Countdown. We just want to continue with what we’ve been doing.”

Crampton will begin the Countdown 40 points out of the lead, as NHRA resets the standings after the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. That’s worth two rounds of eliminations, so winning as many rounds as possible each week is key to making a run at the title.

“It’s going to be crucial to continue to go rounds and maintain the position we’re in,” Crampton said. “As tight as the points are bunched up after they’ve been reset for the Countdown, one bad weekend could have you dropping rapidly. We need to try and go some rounds and maintain that spot and then get up there a little higher.”

Top Fuel qualifying sessions are scheduled for 4 and 6 p.m., Friday, and 1:30 and 3:45 p.m., Saturday. Eliminations begin at noon, Sunday.