86-year-old Chris Karamesines Becomes Oldest Driver To Qualify in Top Fuel

At the tender age of eighty-six, Chris Karamesines has reset the record for the oldest racer to take the tree in eliminations in NHRA Top Fuel history. By qualifying 13th for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, MN and earning himself a spot in the raceday eliminations ladder, Karamesines cemented himself as the sport’s true elder statesman.

While he’s never won an NHRA event, Karamesines has been competitive throughout his career, which spans nearly seven decades in some capacity or another. In 2012, as a sign of respect and support of the man known as The Golden Greek, Lucas Oil, the event sponsor for the Brainerd event, signed Karamesines up for a lifetime sponsorship, something quite literally unheard of in the drag racing world. They’re now in their 6th year of the agreement and while Karamesines doesn’t run a full schedule, his presence is certainly felt when he is on the property thanks to his living legend status.

Known for his fearless driving style, Karamesines has saved his car from seemingly-certain disaster with his expert skill behind the wheel. While he may not have tasted victory on the NHRA circuit, Karamesines has enjoyed a successful career on the match-racing circuit and has won the World Series of Drag Racing four times.

His knack for saving cars from crashing and continuing to make the show well into his 8th decade on earth earned Chris the #30 spot on the NHRA’s Top 50 Drivers list in 2001, and he has been inducted into the Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

Each time he qualifies from here on until he stops racing, Karamesines will again reset the record. Approaching 90 with no signs of slowing down, there’s a very good chance he will set the bar so high it may never again be broken, and I can personally think of no-one else more deserving of that distinction.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQZ5aJDqlC4