The man, the myth, the legend. The Greek.
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- There are veteran racers; there are legends; and then there is Chris Karamesines, whose career spans an absolutely unmatched period. The 89-year-old Chicago-native is a drag racing pioneer, arguably the first man to run 200 mph in a dragster, the man behind the ChiZler twin-engine dragster, and so much more.
The PRI Road Tour was treated to a rare look inside of his Chicago garage, where he recounted the early days of his racing career, what he and his team work on in his shop, how his granddaughter is carrying on his legacy, and much more. You’ve got to watch this exclusive video.
For more information, visit performanceracing.com/road-tour.
His shop is a time capsule, It is still the same as it was back when I spent my summers there in the early 70's. I would clean parts, wash cars, get lunch. My father Larry Lones has raced with Greek since 1955. He is truly once in a lifetime. We will never see the likes of him ever again. We sat down and best we can figure the trailer has over 3 million miles on it.
that’s one hell of an experience to cherish. Thank you for sharing :)
It's amazing to see these videos and learn about the history!
You were one lucky guy.
Thank You for sharing!!!🎉🤩
The only downside is that this is only 15 minutes. Could listen to The Golden Greek for hours
Truly a legend. And he still has that dual-engine car. Amazing. He was probably the most successful "privateer" racer ever - never had the big budget and sponsors. But he made an indelible mark on the sport.
“Don’t think I won’t get back in the old car and make a pass”…….Legend !!!!
True icon of the sport. NHRA should pay him more tribute.
I hope his grand-daughter Krista Baldwin can have a have a good racing career-all because of this dude.
You guys out there, going around, looking these legends up, and getting footage of them telling their stories, your doing God's work, and the world is a better place for you doing this.
Thank you !
Greek's shop should be a museum, LEGEND in Chicago sports history
Chris is drag racing. Always loved meeting him at the track. Spent hours by that white fifth wheel trailer watching him turn that car around between q sessions and on Sunday. There will never be another like him and big daddy. They built this sport.
So true.
What an incredible story, A true legend !!!
Must have been a priceless experience to sit with him for a day like that, he’s a real treasure for anyone looking to learn the sport so that you can better understand how we have what’s here today. Thanks for making the video ❤️
Yes it was!
I remember when I was 13 or 14 buying my first ever "hot rod" type magazine, it had an article about this incredible 200 mph run by Chris Karamesines, not knowing anything about drag racing at the time it didn't mean anything to me except that someone had gone 200+ in the quarter...A few years passed before I saw my first 200 mph/sub 8 sec run. That's the only thing I remember from that first magazine. It's a real treat to see and listen to the man, video is way to short...
I had the pleasure of meeting this fine gentleman at Pomona WinterNationals in the mid eighties. A legend.
Wow! A living legend! Very interesting to listen to him speak! I met him a few times in E town! Very cool 😎 guy!!
Yes his shop is like it stuck in a time warp or just stop but it's awesome that still excist&his granddaughter is taking over the driver seat
I keep watching it, love it. Truly one the pioneers of drag racing!
Thank you so much for this. I’ve been a fan of “The Greek” since the late sixties. I’m still inspired by his passion for cars. There’s winning races, and there’s winning at life. Chris Is winning!
Chris is a national treasure, one amazing man. How I wish he could have won a big race in the last years of T/F racing career.
Much Respect to the greek
What a legend. Incredible person.
11,000 horsepower. . You da Man Greek !!! Loved following your career !!!
Great listening to a man I've always wanted to know more about. Video should have been longer as others have said. Don Garlits sure has a lot of respect for "the Greek".
In 1962 -1963 I was a SENIOR AT LINDBLOOM TECHNICAL HIGHSCHOOL.
ON Damen Avenue there was a PIZZA JOINT on 65th
Street . And " CRIS," would be coming from the OLD
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD YARD AND ROUNDHOUSE on the EAST and DAMEN on the WEST. THOSE STACK OF
FLAMES and the SOUNDED GREAT . " GOD BLESS HIM AND MAY HIS HEALTH BE STABLE AT "81"! I'M 79 HIS DADS SHOP WAS GREAT FOR INSTALLATION AND PARTS FOR ARE AA/ CC COUPE...
We owe so much to guys like the greek,what a legend,we all have mentors that we have grown up with in the sport.I cherish memories in shop like his.❤️mine was Warren,Jimmy, shawn and tom !
This is a great video! What a wonderful look at this legendary man. I would have to pinch myself if I was talking to him, especially sitting in his "Temple!"
The man’s name is Chris Karasemines he was the first to go 200 mph and has been a founding father of HP since he never did it for money or fame he just raced a Chicago area legend and hero I ‘m a Vietnam veteran and have always held the man in high regard hope he can carry on
I might be wrong! But I thought Don Garlets was the first to go 200 mph at Great meadows NJ.
@@richarddouglas1712 Chris was the first at a non NHRA sanctioned track DON was given the title of first by NHRA because it was at a track that was sanctioned NHRA facility
Thanks Mike! I thought that was probably the answer once I started to think about it.
@@richarddouglas1712 NUFF SAID
Grew up watching him at US 30 in Gary Indiana along with Garlits who lives about 3 miles away from me now,.Those were times that you just don’t forget . Nice video and thanks…..
This is one of the very best jobs making a video about someone's life that I've ever seen on YT. Congratulations, sir. But it sure sucks to see what age can do. Sadly, father time wins every race.....
God speed Gordon. I’ve gotten the chance to work in his shop with my father. Love you and miss you.
Chris and Don are still around and still at it....
Great to see someone cares about the ole guys, to show what he’s all about. They don’t makem like that anymore. The sport wouldn’t still be here if not for ones like him!
Best wishes to him, his son, and especially his grandaughter!!!
Thanks for taken the time to do this. Many more legends out there still to do more of this type of good stuff. People are dying, races tracks are disappearing, the sport may never be what we who grew up in it in the 70 & 80 and will always love it. Nothing else compares! Not bad coming from a lady who enjoyed racing, the cars, and the men in it, still do! Me not so much involved anymore but do follow my family who still races. Love a good muscle, classic car… better yet a good ole drag race is still an adrenaline rush!!! 💜☮️😘 best wishes to all who have a dream to compete. 🚦🏁
What a legacy and inspieration im my time frame a true statesman and mentor thank you
From one Greek to another Thank you
Fantastic video, thanks for documenting this legendary racer. wish it was much longer, there must be hundreds of stories in that shop
This was great! What a drag racing legend and top contributor of the sport for sure! Up there with 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits!
This was beautiful, thanks. As a kid growing up in the 70s Romeoville Illinois. This was who I liked as a pioneer of the sport,. Didn't care for Big Daddy, he was a hillbilly to us Northerners.
God bless you Chris, Don Maynard and all the Chizlers. Legit or not, that 214.78 at 7.81 with Rod Stuckey still blows my mind. Was it hydrazine? Don't go away.
Excellent!
Thank you for posting this. I love seeing and hearing from our heros from the 60's and 70's. Reading Hot Rod Mags in school. One question, does his Jag have a V8 swap?
Yes Straight six or V12 don't throb like that :) Its unusual I was not expecting that.
What a Legend 👍
God bless this man and his family! You can tell at 4:35 when he’s looking around he’s back in time, 30 years ago standing in that same spot.
Awesome video on the Golden Greek The man is old school cool and did some amazing things I just gave the channel a Subscribe
Chris you remember the Greek flag that I gave you to US nationals Hope you enjoyed it
Wow ! thank you so much for that !!!
I’ve been to this shop. Very cool place lots of history
Great video of a great man.
I lived in Northern Illinois and watched him race for years.
I was street racing for cash to help my family in the early 60s and building all kinds of race cars for anyone who wanted a fast car ,asphalt or dirt.
It was a great time to grow up in and thanks for giving me flashbacks other than the Marines in Viet-Nam.
Keep the videos coming !!
This is amazing 👏
Another great video he should send that car when he retires to the museum in Florida where his old friend runs the museum big daddy . As a piece of history there buddy . Back in the day he was real cool guy don't get me wrong he still plenty cool .
Well done. I look forward to seeing him with the twin engined dragster at some event.
Class act all the way!
They used to say, green header flames on the Greeks car, meant the Greek, had the H in. H was Hydrazine. Dangerous stuff, that made lots of HP.
Good Job Chris!!!
well... i made my dream come true, i bought nitro harley two years ago...
Great video
they both told me alot of stories an talked very highly of you
Let the man do his thing, and let the rest of us hear, see, and appreciate it. "Once the rods get out of round, we can recondition them..." *meanwhile sad, sappy, synthesizer notes play
Don't make them like him, garlits, Kalitta and Ivo, anymore
Maybe him and Garlits should get together for some match racing
Great story. The young are doing No Prep glorified street racing now. Affordable and fast enough. Sanctioned racing has long been a sport only deep pockets can break into, and even then, you need sponsors.
The good old days. They don’t make them like that anymore.
Alton Illinois, 204 MPH pass???
Holy shit camera man learn to actually point the thing at what he’s talking about.
Yes I agree 100 %. You could have shown us the shop but you didn't.
My father works 3 blocks from that shop.
I believe his shop was in pennsgrove or Pennsville not sure
sure enough look up the Greek an he is from Illinois wild
Does anybody know what part of greece is chris from, cheers everyone
Chris was born in Detroit, but has called Chicago home for most of his life
Are you related to Freddie Mercury?!
do you still remember Don starkey or Bill Myers mister Greek
When you do this stuff, kill the foreground music. Some of us are old. And getting deaf. Too many Navy jets, big bore pistols, rock and roll, and HOT RODS
The background music....anyone know?
All of the music is listed in the video description.
I’ve been hearing that name connected to the sport for my whole life back when I got interested in cars in the early 70s. I would gladly watch a two hour version of this but unfortunately I could not make it past four minutes with that music and it’s volume. The quality of the video is very good but you need a sound editor yesterday. I suppose it’s possible that that maudlin, Hallmark-channel mood music might add something for the first minute or two but beyond that it’s just embarrassing.
How to make a small fortune in racing? Start with a large fortune.
That rack of wooden handled files hanging over his workbench tells anyone in the know, all we need to know about his work.
Thanx for video, but we don't know much about this guy. Was he champion before ? Does he still drive and how old is he ? is he Greek ? etc...and the music is too loud, no need for music. It would be better to see the actual cars running and their noise.
1959 ADRA Champion
Chris was legend in the midwest and he and Don Garlits went around the circuit doing match race exhibitions. "The ChiZler" and "The Swamp Rat." As far as I know they began that whole rivalry thing that really blew up bigtime between Don "the Snake" Prudhomme and Tom "Mongoose" McKewen or Big John Mazmanian and Stone, Woods and Cook Willys "Gassers."
When I was a teenager I used to ride my bike over to his Chicago speedshop (I think it was around 73rd and Western) in the summer and see all the famous cars that were coming through town to race at US 30, Great Lakes or Rockford. Chris let them work on their cars there. I saw so many of the legends and met some of them too. This was in the mid to late 60's.
@Performanceracing There was a crew of regular guys that were part of Chris's sphere. Chris's tuner, John Kranenburg, top fuel driver, Jerry "Ringo" Caudle who had a beatle wig glued to his Helmet, AA/FA legend Gabby Bleeker and his nemesis, Ron "Snaggletooth" O'Donnel, driver of the Denison, Arlasky and Knox fuel altered. My greatest moment was when I got to go down the strip in the chase car after the most wild multiple wheelstand run at Rockford. Snag could not keep the front end on the ground but he kept going faster and faster anyway. He probably covered at least half of the 1320 with wheels all the way up and wheelie bar a pinned to the track".
@@davidgardener5519did you know who painted his cars? Crazy from Crazy's Custom Emporium (Team Strange)?
@@rickczainski9856 I don't think so. There was this one guy who drove this beautiful plush custom hot rod with the most killer paint job ever but I can't remember his name, only his smile. I think I would have remembered if he went by the name. Crazy. When hobby shop slot car racing was a thing around 1965 a friend of mine's uncle owned a slot racing shop around 85th and Ashland and he added a slot drag strip. All these dragster drivers got into building and racing their slot dragsters there. They were my idols as a teen age drag racing enthusiast and it was so cool to hang out with them. They told a story about the Greek needing to have his ChiZler ready to race on a Sunday and he and his team were working on it late into the night on Saturday and to check it out they decided to pour a little nitro in it and take it out on Damen avenue and poke the throttle a few times and then sneak it back into the garage before the cops came. The story goes that it was a stupid idea and there was a crash. Chris unbelted and started climbing out of the car with his silver fire suit and full visor helmet on and the people in the other car freaked out and acted like they'd seen an alien or something and ran off leaving their car running in the street.
It would be cool if you let the dude talk without the slightly sorrowful, dream ambience music in the background. The type of music that's played in the background of reflective, emotional segments without other content, instead of interesting racer talk segments.
And jesus christ, show the stuff he's talking about as hes talking about it. I appreciate you having him in a video, but do him justice. Show the cool stuff he's explaining. Don't just treat it as some memorial of a concept.
He literally says, "so, you can see" and points as he's explain his valve grinding, and the camera doesn't move off his face. f***********
Always had pretty cars I loved reading about him as a kid in the 60’s