SEATTLE (Aug. 2) - Richie Crampton and the GEICO/Lucas Oil Top Fuel team have been a picture of consistency at the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals this weekend at Pacific Raceways.
Crampton made four passes in the 3.8-second range and snared the No. 4 qualifying spot for the final race of the Western Swing. It is the first time this season Crampton has made four full runs in qualifying, and that is thanks to crew chief Aaron Brooks being able to tune the car to a hot racetrack in Seattle.
"It's huge for the GEICO team," Crampton said. "Aaron Brooks has done a fantastic job. We've had hot weather in Seattle this weekend, and to string together four runs in the 3.80s and end up No. 4 in the qualifying order is a pretty impressive effort by the entire team."
Crampton's best pass was 3.809 seconds at 317.19 mph, in Friday's second session, but all four runs were within .072-second. In Q4, he ran a 3.881 at 289.76 mph, clicking the car off just short of the finish line because a cylinder went out.
"It's huge for my confidence knowing the race car can go down a hot or cold track," Crampton said. "We're probably going to be dealing with similar warm conditions tomorrow, so four good runs of information in the computer for Aaron to work from is a big asset for race day tomorrow.
"It's a pretty good feeling to string together four good runs like that."
Crampton, coming off a semifinal finish in Sonoma, Calif., will go for the second victory of his rookie season from the No. 4 spot. He'll face Terry McMillen in the first round after McMillen qualified No. 13 with a top pass of 3.931 at 313.73 mph.
"I am feeling real good about race day tomorrow, but we all know how tight the Top Fuel field is in the NHRA Mello Yello series," Crampton said. "It's like Pro Stock. There are no easy rounds, and we won't take anyone lightly, but nonetheless we're pretty stoked to have four good runs under our belt."
