NHRA’s Crampton, Lagana, and Sanders seriously injured in Sunday evening crash
According to The Capital Sports Report, three NHRA drivers were seriously injured in a crash involving a 1957 Chevrolet wagon known as S**tbox of Doom. Richie Crampton, Dominick Lagana, and Jake Sanders were injured Sunday night when the wagon went off the road and struck a utility pole near Brownsburg, Indiana.
Lagana, the driver at the time, is said to have suffered life-threatening injuries; Crampton and Sanders appear to have lesser injuries according to early reports by the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but “speed is believed to be a factor,” according to the statement provided by The Capital Sports Report.
The Sh**box of Doom is a Chevy wagon custom-built for Hot Rod Drag Week’s Unlimited Class with a tube-chassis that’s tailored to fit a unique version of the billet-block V-8 found under the hood of a Top Alcohol Funny Car or Dragster.
The water-jacketed Noonan Racing Engines powerplant typically wears a massive supercharger through the hood, necessitating a throttle body that bolts onto the blow-out plate to feed the engine on the street during Drag Week’s transit stages. Lately, however, the longroof has sported a sleepier, naturally-aspirated setup beneath what looks like the original, naturally patina’d hood. When dialed-in with the blower huffing and puffing as much air and alcohol down the intake as possible, the S**tbox of Doom has knocked out 6.93-second quarter-mile passes at 207 mph.
Crampton, an experienced Top Fuel racer, was at Indy to support his Drag Week co-pilot’s climb to the top of Sunday’s eliminations, with Jonnie Lindberg taking home a Wally in Top Alcohol Funny Car. Lagana is also an experienced Top Fuel competitor, though he served as crew chief for Steve Torrence at Indy this past weekend alongside crew member Sanders (who has also competed in Top Alcohol).
