Dirt
Chris Vang Aces Muti-Tasking
The Colorado native finds
success at every level
By Kelly Wade
G
How did you get into drag racing?
My dad, Gary, was involved in it all of my life.
He ran Super Gas and won the local championship
the year I was born. I grew up around racing, and
I loved it from the beginning. I was always helping
him on the cars.
At what point did you decide you were going
to race, too?
I think I was probably 5 or 6 when I knew I
wanted to race a Jr. Dragster, and I was 8 when
my parents bought one. My brother and I shared
it for the first race, and it didn’t go very well, so
they got another one for him. I’ve been racing
ever since.
You raced Jr. Dragsters, then what?
The next thing was stepping up into the High
School class at Bandimere Speedway, just bracket
racing a little bit. That year I started racing my
mom’s ‘67 Chevelle in Super Street, and I actually
runner-upped in it at a race at Bandimere that
year. I think it was the next year that I won the
local championship and the divisional in the car.
At what point did you begin racing at the
national event level in Super Comp?
The rule when I started was that you had to be
18, and I ran the Mile-High Nationals in Super
Street that year. I just did a couple (Super Comp
races), and that was kind of it. Last year I ran a
few, but two years ago I won the Houston national
event in Super Street in the Chevelle. This year in
Super Comp I was runner-up in Houston. I like
that track.
You’re part of Deric Kramer’s Pro Stock team
and go to every NHRA national event. What
is your role there?
I drive the truck and set up everything, then on
race days I do the transmission, clutch and a little
bit of the back-half work.
How did you end up in Pro Stock?
I was working with V. Gaines at Mad Cap Racing
Engines in Denver, washing parts with all the Pro
Stock stuff. That was my first job, and two of the
guys who worked there had gone to SAM. That
got me looking into it, and once I did I was like,
alright, that’s what I want to do.
So SAM Tech is what lead you to Pro Stock?
When I was at SAM, I got hooked up with Rich-
ard Otwell’s Mountain Motor Pro Stock team in
Houston. That’s where I learned all of the Pro
Stock stuff. The driver was Scott Benham. (Crew
Chief ) Jeff Owen and all of those guys taught me
a lot, and that experience is how I was able to get
a job with the Kramers once a spot opened up. It
worked out perfect.
What are your aspirations as a driver?
That’s kind of tough because it depends on how
the job goes. I’ve put my own driving to the side
a little bit, but I’ve always had a dream of driving
Pro Stock. I’m still kind of trying to work that way.
This year, I’m racing more national events in Super
Comp, and I’ll run for national points if I have a
chance. We’ll see.
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32 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 146
rowing up just outside of Den-
ver in Parker, Colorado, Chris Vang
only ever knew a life of racing. His
father was a successful Sportsman
racer who brought his family with him for support
and assistance, and the influence was not lost on
his young son. Vang grew into a racing role of his
own – but not only behind the wheel. The now
23-year-old has an NHRA national event win
of his own as a Sportsman driver, and he is an
integral part of Deric Kramer’s NHRA Pro Stock
team that has so far accumulated three national
event wins. Vang’s career has been eventful both
in and out of the driver’s seat, particularly over
the course of the last couple of seasons.