NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Deric Kramer competed in 13 NHRA events last year with his American Ethanol Dodge, so he had a front row seat to watch fellow Pro Stock racer Bo Butner progress from a winless sophomore to a five-time winner, and eventually the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world champion. Having taken a similar career path from Sportsman racing to the Pros, it was hard for Kramer to not think to himself, "Why not me?”

To that end, Kramer has made a big commitment to the class in 2018. The Denver-based racer, along with his father, Comp veteran David, have taken delivery of a new Chevy Camaro. The Kramer’s have also signed an engine-leasing deal with the KB Racing team, the same outfit that fueled Butner’s championship run last season.

“I think we reached a point where we either needed to make a serious commitment to winning in Pro Stock or go do something else,” said Kramer. “We don’t have the budget to fund our own [engine development] program to be as competitive as the KB, Elite, or Gray teams. We’re in the middle of Colorado, which isn’t exactly the motorsports capital of the U.S. and we just don’t have the infrastructure to do what the other teams do.

“Last year, we did our deal with Madcap Engines,” said Kramer. “V. [Gaines, Madcap owner] was not racing so they did all our R&D and engine maintenance. It got to the point where we were not competitive enough to spend what we were spending. My dad and I talked to the KB guys last July to see if a deal would be possible. My crew chief, Michael Hiner, had worked with Greg Anderson in the past, and those guys are phenomenal. We put a deal together, and I’m really happy about it.”

This much is hard to argue; the KB team has been the class of the field since the dawn of the fuel injection era in 2016. KB drivers Butner, Greg Anderson, and Jason Line won more than half the races contested over the last two seasons. Kramer is eager to join an outfit that has combined for nine championships and 143 national event titles with four drivers, including Swedish FIA champ Jimmy Alund. 

“For a team like KB to accept someone like myself speaks volumes for them and their commitment to Pro Stock racing.” said Kramer. “When you look at what Bo did last year, it should inspire anyone. There is no reason anyone else out there who wants to race Pro Stock can’t make the connections and put these deals together. Thankfully, we never had to look at any other options. When we talked to the KB guys, we each outlined our expectations and worked on the logistics and came up with something that worked for both of us.”

What Kramer ultimately came up with is a program that will allow him to race in the majority of the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Series events. There is also enough flexibility in his schedule to allow for a championship run should he make it into the Countdown to the Championship.

When it comes to driving a Camaro, Kramer understands that the switch from a Dodge might irk some Mopar loyalists but, again, his goal is to build a competitive program, and to that end, the Chevy and KB partnership seemed to make the most sense.

“We have used [Mopar] engines from Chris [McGaha] and also the V. Gaines stuff and they can be very good,” said Kramer. “Chris was a guy who had a chip on his shoulder because he really wanted to make the Hemi stuff work. It just came down to a situation where he was doing his own GM engines and our stuff and some of the things that work on one engine don’t necessarily work on the other.”

While Kramer won’t be racing a Dodge Dart this year, he does have a large inventory of Hemi engines left and under the 2018 rules, he can install one in his new Camaro. That might be an option either for a race where he isn’t leasing a KB engine or for special events, such as a burnout contest. Last year, Kramer endeared himself to NHRA fans when he won the top prize in the Goodyear-backed burnout contest at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. Long burnouts quickly became Kramer’s trademark, including one memorable tire-smoker, where he crossed the centerline at the 60-foot mark. The KB team isn’t about to allow its engines to absorb that sort of abuse, so Kramer will likely have to change his starting routine, although he does allow for some wiggle room.

“We’re going to keep one of our old Hemi engines in the trailer, and with the new rules, we can always put it in our Camaro for Q4 and have at it,” he said. “I still like doing the long burnouts, so we’ll see. The problem is that the long burnouts do cost you a hundredth or two on the track and when you’re trying to win rounds, you just can’t give up that much. If the situation was right, it’s something I’d consider because I really enjoy them and so do the fans.”

Aside from Pro Stock racing, Kramer’s other passion is competitive fencing. He often competes in fencing events across the country promoted by the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). SCA Fencing is a style of historical fencing where the primary focus is to study, replicate, and compete with styles of rapier sword fighting found in Europe during the Renaissance period, using blunted steel swords and a variety of off-hand defensive items.

“It’s similar to a Civil War reenactment or something from the Middle Ages,” said Kramer. “We have tournaments all over the country, some of them as large as 155 people. We use the honor system where if I get hit, I tell my opponent. It’s as close to true sword fighting as you can get. We use a true 16th Century sword except the blades have been dulled and the tip blunted. Still, it’s possible to cut a bicep or have some other injury. In fencing, you find that almost 100 percent of the time that you get hit it’s because you’re standing too close.”

Kramer is convinced that the same discipline that allows him to be a competitive fencer is also beneficial to his time behind the wheel of a Pro Stock car.

 “Oh, they are absolutely one and the same,” said Kramer. “The hand-eye coordination that goes with fencing or video games or driving a race car is all relevant.”

Kramer also acknowledges that his new Pro Stock venture will give his American Ethanol team a chance to show what they can do with competitive power and what he can do as a driver.

“As part of our agreement, it was important that we share data in both directions,” Kramer said. “We’ve seen how important it is to have that sort of consistency. Look at last year, where Bo was often the quickest of the KB cars. That wasn’t so much a power issue as it was him making great runs. We’d love to be in that spot.

“Honestly, what I want out of this deal is validation that everything we’ve done as a team for the last five years has been worth it. I want to know that our issues have been mostly motor related because, personally, I think we make good runs. Michael wants to validate that we run the car the right way, and I want a chance to show what I can do as a driver. I’ve always found that I’ve done some of my best driving around Brainerd and Indy because that’s when I get the most seat time. I think that’s really important. Now, I’ll have that opportunity for most of the season because of the way our races are spread out. Needless to say, I’m excited to get going.”