Top Fuel pilot Krista Baldwin honored her grandfather, NHRA legend Chris “The Golden Greek” Karamesines, with her livery at their home track Route 66 Raceway. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
JOLIET, Ill. – Chris “The Golden Greek” Karamesines is an NHRA legend. When he stepped out of the driver’s seat in 2021, at 91 years old, he passed on the car and the family business to granddaughter Krista Baldwin. This weekend at Route 66 Raceway, Baldwin gave back to her legendary grandfather.
Baldwin broke out her Redline Oil-sponsored Top Fuel race car for the first time this season, adorned with a likeness of Karamesines at the family’s home track. For most at the track, the special livery honored a legend and a hero of the sport. For Baldwin, it was much deeper. She was honoring her grandfather.
“I’m super excited for him. I’m super excited to honor him,” Baldwin said. “It’s cool to be in this moment right now. The fact that I get to honor him in this way, when a lot of people don’t have the opportunity – it’s going to be fun.”
Karamesines was voted one of the top 50 drivers in NHRA history back in 2001, a list which expanded to 75 drivers this season in honor of the NHRA’s 75th season. Though he never officially won a national NHRA event, Karamesines is widely respected and revered by other legends of the sport, including Don Prudhomme. He was the first drag racer to break 200 miles per hour on April 4, 1960, and he made history once more in 2018 when he went 305 miles per hour to become the oldest driver to ever break the 300 mile-per-hour barrier.
“I’m so proud of what he’s done,” Baldwin said. “So, to be able to push the legacy of what he’s built is super fun. Obviously, I wouldn’t be where I am without him. He’s still such a critical part of my operation. He’s still so heavily involved, even though people might not see him at the racetrack as much.”
Karamesines is Still Engaged with the Sport
Baldwin told Joe Costello of WFO radio that her grandfather is doing anything but resting at age 96. She said that he still goes to his shop and tinkers each day, and he is in constant contact with her about what is happening with the car and the business.
“We talk almost every day – still talking about the racecar and still talking about how we can better the program,” she said. “He still gives me all of his advice. It’s a cool dynamic that I have with my grampa. Not a lot of people have that.”
In a pre-race interview with the NHRA, Baldwin said she looks forward to those daily conversations, and she feels like she is always learning from her grandfather.
“Away from the track, we talk about drag racing all the time,” she said. “I learned how to be a team owner because of him, and I learned how to drive these cars because of him. That bond that we share, no one else can do that bond, except for the two of us. I relish that. It’s so much fun talking to him every day.”
Krista Baldwin prepares for a qualifying run in her Top Fuel dragster, which was designed with an image of her grandfather Chris Karamesines, who was being honored at the event. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
Baldwin Excited to Honor Karamesines’ Legacy
Baldwin said that she struggled to keep the new look of her car a secret leading up to Friday’s first round of qualifying because she was so excited to share it. When the moment came, she wanted to take it all in.
“I’ve been a fan of drag racing my whole life, so whenever there is a cool unveiling on the starting line, I’ve always thought, ‘How frickin cool is that?’” she said. “Right before you go on the track, you get to show all the hard work you’ve done, and you get to create this moment of electricity going through the venue and showing off what you’ve been working on.”
Creating that “electric moment” in honor of her grandfather made the moment all the more special for Baldwin and her team.
“This guy’s done a lot in his life. He’s lived a lot. He’s seen a lot. He’s done a lot. He’s gone fast. How do you not aspire to be like him?”
Karamesines actually served in World War II, and Baldwin said that when he came home from Germany, he stepped right into a drag car. He never stepped away until he ceded his seat to her prior to the 2021 season.
“Months and months of preparation have gone into this,” she said. “It’s been hectic, to say the least. But the fact that we actually got to warm up the car this weekend and all systems are ready to go – I’m excited. I can’t wait to go.”
It was a shorter race day than Baldwin hoped, as she fell in the first round to Maddi Gordon, but the weekend, like the legacy of her grandfather, was one that will leave a lasting impact on the NHRA.
