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He Calls Chris Karamesines A Kid

Words and photos by Bob Doerrer

His name is James Willard Kinzer but most people call him JW. When asked, he tells people that he’s 83 and a half years old, a few months older than drag racing legend Chris Karamesines.

At an age that most people would lay back and take it easy in their golden years both of these octogenarians are still doing what they like to do, burning rubber.

While Karamesines races a Top Fuel dragster at over 300 mph on the NHRA circuit, Kinzer is a little bit slower (but not by much) at 239.91 mph in his Wolfe Racecraft built Mustang powered by a Hans Feustel built 532” DRE Olds with twin 88 mm turbos.

When I asked JW what he did for a living he told me “I’m a hole digger.” Turns out he, and his family owned business is one of the nation’s largest drilling companies and they drill for oil and natural gas near his home town of Allen, Kentucky.

His success in business allows him do what he wants to do and rocketing down drag strips in the Drag Radial class is what in his own words “makes me feel like I’m only 70.”

And the old man isn’t any pushover, at the recent World Street Nationals at Orlando Speed World Dragway JW qualified in the No. 1 spot in the Drag Radial class a full .34 of a second ahead of the No. 2 qualifier with a 7.276 at 221.96 mph. He backed that time up in the first round with quicker 7.22 at 220 mph on his way to the final where he fouled out against Mike Fratena’s Camaro.

The crazy part is that JW has been as fast as 239.91 ! under ideal conditions at the NMRA World Street Finals in October in Indy and he backed that up with a 238.60 pass. With the 2011 racing season winding down JW’s goal for next year is to break into the 240 mph zone and become the first drag radial car to break that barrier.

I’ll bet that he goes 240 and maybe even faster…

OUTLAW 10.5

Frank Mershaw

The Outlaw 10.5 class drew only six cars and when the dust cleared Frank Mewshaw ended up in the winner’s circle by running a 6.76/213 to defeat Jeff Lutz’s Cobalt (who was doing double duty as he was also driving in the Heavy Street class) who ran 7.88 with an early shut off.

Jeff Lutz