Greg Kamplain is currently sitting in an enviable position. Not only is he leading the points in the Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund, with the potential to win $100,000 at the end of the season, but he’s also sitting at the top of the national NHRA points race in the ultra-competitive Competition Eliminator category. The experienced driver from Brownsburg, Ind. is quick to note that there’s still a lot of NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series action left this season. 

“We’ve got our eye on that Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund points race more than anything else,” said Kamplain. “I’ve never won a national championship and that would be great, but to win the Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund, I think that would be a big deal too. And I can still go for the national championship at the same time. It’s a little early to get excited about it because so many people are just now getting started going racing. But our points total looks pretty good and somebody’s going to have to do a lot of winning to catch us. But it is way too early to get excited about that one.”

The Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund is the driving motivation behind increased car counts in Division 4. At the double-header in Ennis, Texas, last month, the category boasted a full field. Drivers were laying it all out on the track which is an interesting change in a category known to be conservative in order to protect individual indexes. It’s been exciting to say the least. Competitors are making big statements on the track and creating new levels of fascinating racing action in the process.

Kamplain won the second race of that double-header, helping to solidify his place at the top amid a host of talented and experienced drivers. The air wasn’t great that weekend but Kamplain was able to qualify in the top half and entered race day from the No. 13 spot where he faced Bill Tumlinson in the first round. However, Tumlinson wasn’t there, so Kamplain advanced with what he likes to call, “a gimme,” when a round is won not by a full-out, well-raced pass by both competitors, but simply by happenstance. All racers understand this concept, and all racers have been on both sides of that mysterious coin. 

“We waited for him (Tumlinson), but I think he had a flat tire. There was a threat of rain so they needed us to move along. So I had a gimme in the first round with a no-show.” 

In the second round, Kamplain took out Scott Cashio, but not without giving up five hundredths on his personal index. He advanced to the semi-finals thanks to a win against Kevin Duet, but he knocked another three hundredths from his index in the process. 

Another “gimme” against Keith Hall in the semis brought Kamplain into the finals where he would face Chase Williams, the winner of the first race in the double-header, and a competitive force in the heated Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund points race. The physical and metaphorical heat was high as the two lined up against each other in the final match of the day. 

Williams left the line with an extraordinarily rare perfect .000 light compared to a stout reaction time of .032 from Kamplain. Ultimately, Williams didn’t have quite enough to chase Kamplain down and Kamplain got the win light with a slim Margin Of Victory of only .0070-seconds, approximately 21 inches.

There’s only one event left in the Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund, when they return to Ennis in October for the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals, which is worth points and a half in the bonus fund. 

In addition to the marquee sponsor, RoofTec, here are the other sponsors of the Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund:

* Ashton and Mignon Hudson - AMBE AMPERSAND SOAP Co.
* Nicky Fowler - SCOGGIN DICKEY PARTS CENTER
* Jerry Haas - JERRY HAAS RACE CARS
* Richard Freeman - ELITE MOTORSPORTS LLC.
* John Clegg - CLEGG INDUSTRIES, Inc
* Stan Holt - LUPE TORTILLA'S
* Joe Napoleon - TURNKEY INDUSTRIES
* Jim Whiteley - J & A Services LLC.
* Clint Neff / Harry Clack - ATC TRANSMISSION CENTER
* Dean Carter - QUALITY FLOORS
* Sean Schwartz - CCR MOTORSPORTS INSURANCE
* Ray Skillman - RAY SKILLMAN AUTO GROUP