Crampton noted that driving for Kalitta, a Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inductee and the inaugural recipient of NHRA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, is an experience all its own.
“There’s a lot of things that make driving for Connie unique. Number one, he’s just awesome. We all know his history and how much he’s given to this sport … and he’s not going to be able to do this forever, so to be able to attach myself like an icon like him is something that’s so rewarding for me,” noted Crampton. “Number two, he’s done it all. There’s hardly a scenario that you can go into where he doesn’t have some sort of experience with how to approach it. He’s just been there, done that, man.”
“Coming from Australia, I’d had some success previously, but to win races with Connie Kalitta is something I never thought I’d be able to do and to see him smiling means a lot to me. I know it’s cliché, but I think if anyone else were in my shoes, they would probably feel the same way I do. It’s pretty neat.”
Crampton ended a three-year winless drought in March when he drove to the Top Fuel victory in the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, an emotional win that didn’t come without its hurdles.
“Winning Gainesville wasn’t a smooth road, save for the final round. We got it on a holeshot in the opening round and won a pair of tire-smokers in the quarters and the semis … so as a driver it was a pretty rewarding day, but a lot of work!” Crampton admitted. “After being on a hiatus and the circumstances that came with that, it was that much cooler for me to win a race again. It had been a long time since I had won … and that makes you start to wonder if you’ll remember how to win or if you’ll mess it up if you get in the right position.
“Luckily, it all went my way in Gainesville, and it was just a really rewarding victory.”
That victory is part of an early-season surge for Kalitta Motorsports – a run that has seen the organization win in either Top Fuel or Funny Car in all but one of the season’s first five races.
It’s a hot streak that Crampton hopes he can continue on Sunday in Charlotte, even if he couldn’t put his finger on why the team has gotten off to such a fast start.
“I don’t know what to attribute the hot streak to, but it’s pretty cool to be a part of, I can tell you that much!” Crampton said. “For Kalitta Motorsports to win four out of the first five races (between) Top Fuel and Funny Car … they’ve restructured a lot of things over the winter, between management and crew chiefs, and it’s definitely paid dividends.
“I’m still fairly new and finding my feet within the company, but I’m just enjoying riding the wave that we’re on right now and hoping we can continue that this weekend.”
If the weekend should end in Crampton scoring that 100th victory for Kalitta, he noted the mosh pit on the starting line would be “legendary.”
“We’ll be partying for hours,” he laughed. “That would be a huge moment.”
