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Top Fuel Icons Chris Karamesines and Fred Farndon, with a combined 110 years of racing experience, to square off Friday, April 4 at Amalie Oil Texas Nationals
Chris Karamesines and Fred Farndon have seen everything there is to see when it comes to Top Fuel racing. In fact, they have been through every technological advance the class has ever gone through. They have been there from the beginning and continue to drive in the class, getting behind the wheel of the most powerful vehicles in competitive motor sports.
They have taken much different paths during their Top Fuel careers, but it will all come full-circle Friday at the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals when the two legends will go head-to-head during the evening qualifying session.
Farndon, born in Toronto Sept. 4, 1938, has been driving a Nitro car since the late 1950’s. Karamesines, who broke the 200 mph barrier at Alton Dragway on April 4, 1960, will turn 80 years old this season. The Chicago-based driver is a member of the Professional Motorsports Hall of Fame.
During their careers Karamesines and Farndon have squared off against pretty much every driver to ever drive a Top Fueler professionally. From the old-timers like Tommy Ivo to the new guns like Clay Millican and Bruce Litton, Karamesines and Farndon have toed the starting line with them all, with one exception…the two have never faced each other on the track. That will change April 4 at San Antonio Raceway when the pair will go toe-to-toe in the evening qualifying session of the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals.
“I’m looking forward to it, it should be a lot of fun,” Farndon said of taking on the ‘Golden Greek,’ “Of course I would rather race him in the finals so we’ll just see how things shake out.”
“I’m excited about racing him…then again I love racing against anybody,” Karamesines said. “I just love to race. Racing is what keeps me going. When you go to the track and get to spend time with people like Bobby Lagana and the rest of the drivers in the Top Fuel class it, there’s nothing better than that.”
Farndon worked as a lifeguard, pinsetter at a bowling alley and stock boy at a local grocery story to save enough money to buy his first race car in the early 1950’s. He has been going at it ever since. Though there are some distinct changes since the day he made his first pass in Cayuga, one thing remains the same.
“The advances in safety are the biggest difference between when I started racing and now,” he said. “Back then there really weren’t any rules and you did whatever it took to go fast. Now, with the manufacturers working with the racers to improve the equipment as far as safety is concerned, things are much, much safer. But the main goal still is to have fun and go as fast as you can.”
“Back then no one told you what you could or couldn’t do,” Karamesines added. “Now we’re all much more informed as to what’s safe and what isn’t. We still want to go fast…that’s what it’s all about.”
One thing is for certain, Friday night when they go up against each other in San Antonio it will be a truly historic moment in drag racing.
“I can’t wait to see this,” IHRA president Aaron Polburn said. “We’ll be looking at over 110 years of drag racing experience going down the track. It will be an unparalleled moment in all my years as a fan of drag racing, one of those moments you will always remember.”
The Amalie Oil Texas Nationals are scheduled April 4-6 at San Antonio Raceway. Professional qualifying will begin Friday at 7:00 p.m. There will be three professional qualifying sessions Saturday with final eliminations beginning Sunday at 10 a.m. For more information please visit Welcome to San Antonio Raceway or NitroJam.com.
About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The $21 million Knoll Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2008, the series will be comprised of eight events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada. The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 90 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation’s entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Street Warriorz. More information can be found at NitroJam.com.
About Live Nation
Live Nation is the world's largest live music company. Our mission is to inspire passion for live music around the world. We are the largest promoter of live concerts in the world, the second-largest entertainment venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence. We strive to create superior experiences for artists and fans, regularly producing tours for the biggest superstars in the business, including The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, U2 and Coldplay. Globally, we own, operate, have booking rights for and/or have an equity interest in more than 160 venues, including House of Blues® music venues and prestigious locations such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London’s Wembley Arena. Our websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment/event websites in the United States, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. In addition, we also produce, promote or host theatrical, specialized motor sports and other live entertainment events. In 2006, we connected nearly 60 million fans with their favorite performers at approximately 26,000 events in 18 countries around the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.”
“One for the Ages” at San Antonio Raceway
Top Fuel Icons Chris Karamesines and Fred Farndon, with a combined 110 years of racing experience, to square off Friday, April 4 at Amalie Oil Texas Nationals
Chris Karamesines and Fred Farndon have seen everything there is to see when it comes to Top Fuel racing. In fact, they have been through every technological advance the class has ever gone through. They have been there from the beginning and continue to drive in the class, getting behind the wheel of the most powerful vehicles in competitive motor sports.
They have taken much different paths during their Top Fuel careers, but it will all come full-circle Friday at the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals when the two legends will go head-to-head during the evening qualifying session.
Farndon, born in Toronto Sept. 4, 1938, has been driving a Nitro car since the late 1950’s. Karamesines, who broke the 200 mph barrier at Alton Dragway on April 4, 1960, will turn 80 years old this season. The Chicago-based driver is a member of the Professional Motorsports Hall of Fame.
During their careers Karamesines and Farndon have squared off against pretty much every driver to ever drive a Top Fueler professionally. From the old-timers like Tommy Ivo to the new guns like Clay Millican and Bruce Litton, Karamesines and Farndon have toed the starting line with them all, with one exception…the two have never faced each other on the track. That will change April 4 at San Antonio Raceway when the pair will go toe-to-toe in the evening qualifying session of the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals.
“I’m looking forward to it, it should be a lot of fun,” Farndon said of taking on the ‘Golden Greek,’ “Of course I would rather race him in the finals so we’ll just see how things shake out.”
“I’m excited about racing him…then again I love racing against anybody,” Karamesines said. “I just love to race. Racing is what keeps me going. When you go to the track and get to spend time with people like Bobby Lagana and the rest of the drivers in the Top Fuel class it, there’s nothing better than that.”
Farndon worked as a lifeguard, pinsetter at a bowling alley and stock boy at a local grocery story to save enough money to buy his first race car in the early 1950’s. He has been going at it ever since. Though there are some distinct changes since the day he made his first pass in Cayuga, one thing remains the same.
“The advances in safety are the biggest difference between when I started racing and now,” he said. “Back then there really weren’t any rules and you did whatever it took to go fast. Now, with the manufacturers working with the racers to improve the equipment as far as safety is concerned, things are much, much safer. But the main goal still is to have fun and go as fast as you can.”
“Back then no one told you what you could or couldn’t do,” Karamesines added. “Now we’re all much more informed as to what’s safe and what isn’t. We still want to go fast…that’s what it’s all about.”
One thing is for certain, Friday night when they go up against each other in San Antonio it will be a truly historic moment in drag racing.
“I can’t wait to see this,” IHRA president Aaron Polburn said. “We’ll be looking at over 110 years of drag racing experience going down the track. It will be an unparalleled moment in all my years as a fan of drag racing, one of those moments you will always remember.”
The Amalie Oil Texas Nationals are scheduled April 4-6 at San Antonio Raceway. Professional qualifying will begin Friday at 7:00 p.m. There will be three professional qualifying sessions Saturday with final eliminations beginning Sunday at 10 a.m. For more information please visit Welcome to San Antonio Raceway or NitroJam.com.
About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The $21 million Knoll Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2008, the series will be comprised of eight events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada. The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 90 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation’s entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Street Warriorz. More information can be found at NitroJam.com.
About Live Nation
Live Nation is the world's largest live music company. Our mission is to inspire passion for live music around the world. We are the largest promoter of live concerts in the world, the second-largest entertainment venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence. We strive to create superior experiences for artists and fans, regularly producing tours for the biggest superstars in the business, including The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, U2 and Coldplay. Globally, we own, operate, have booking rights for and/or have an equity interest in more than 160 venues, including House of Blues® music venues and prestigious locations such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London’s Wembley Arena. Our websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment/event websites in the United States, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. In addition, we also produce, promote or host theatrical, specialized motor sports and other live entertainment events. In 2006, we connected nearly 60 million fans with their favorite performers at approximately 26,000 events in 18 countries around the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.”
