Photos by Mike and Jeff Burghardt
A twenty-six-race schedule is a grind for any race team, but when a team hits their stride going into the playoffs, often it’ll end up in a shootout with another team. This season, Del Worsham fulfilled his dream to win an NHRA Funny Car Championship.
Worsham and his Kalitta Motorsports team flew under the radar posting three runner-up finishes in the regular season, but when the playoff Countdown began it was game-on.
With three victories in the first four races of the Countdown, winning at Charlotte, St. Louis and Dallas, the team was poised. Then Worsham clinched the first funny car championship for Kalitta Motorsports at the World Finals, when he outran DSR’s Jack Beckman (above) in the semi-final round at Pomona Raceway. Ultimately, Worsham won the Auto Club World Finals running a 3.908 elapsed time to defeat Tommy Johnson Jr.’s 4.023 ET in the final round, earning his fourth event win on the season.
This championship makes Worsham the third driver to win a championship in both Top Fuel (2011) and now in Funny Car, while delivering Kalitta Motorsports their first title since the late Scott Kalitta won in back-to-back years in 1994 and 1995 in the Top Fuel class.
This was Toyota’s first Funny Car championship since 2008 and only second overall; and with family and friends around, the championship win became very special for Worsham.
“It is an amazing feeling. I have been here before, not that it did me any good up there,” said Worsham. “It felt like it was 25 years ago, and I was making my first run. The team has been behind me, regardless of the situation. We are racing for Scott, Connie and the entire Kalitta Motorsports family. My teammates, sponsors, DHL, Toyota, Red Line, thank you for your support. Nicky Boninfante, Jon Oberhofer, Dave Boyer and the entire DHL team, the job they did has been incredible. They have not made a mistake since September.”
Way to go Del and everybody at Kalitta Motorsports!!!
Thought about going to the race on Friday, $43 ticket for Friday only. 120$ for Saturday and Sunday. No thanks, can go to other racing events for much less and see great racing.
The NHRA is becoming unwatchably boring, but I’m happy for Del…
Yup… Boring and too expensive… Seems like they’d be better off to find the procepoint where the stands are packed. Wait’ll next year when Mike Dunn is gone and they change the substance of their broadcast to new fan education. “Now this is what we call a slick. Unlike your car’s tires…” Yawn.
Oh and I forgot. Congrats to Del and all those at Kalitta MS. Big fan.
Expensive, yes. Boring on television, yes if you are not a die hard fan. However being there for 2 days of qualifying and the Sundays final eliminations, seeing over 20 fuel dragsters and the same in fuel funny car fight for 16 spots in each category and seeing the world record set and reset run after run and being there for Worsham’s 1st AA/FC championship, priceless.
There are cheaper racing venues but Pomona World Finals worth every dime. I pay more for my Sacramento Kings lower bowl seats for 2 1/2 hours of basketball per game than for one full day of Pro Nitro adrenaline filled racing so I guess it is a matter of perspective.
Man, you saw one heck of a show!
Way to go Del Worsham, supporters, family and everyone Kalitta Motorsports. It was a matter of time before it happened. I, like countless others, watched as Del Worsham and his father Chuck and even Tommy Johnson Jr and his dad and team race as a youngster at different tracks and especially at Bristol Dragway in Tn. They were, and in alot of ways, still young lions winning and working very hard for their goals. Each and every team, every event and every year pour their time, finances, heart, souls, blood, sweat and tears into their dreams of competing and eventually winning races and to finally see and hear Del Worsham and everyone involved crown World Champions in Nitro Funnycar is AWESOME. I am usualy the cool, calm collective but not cold hearted type but when Del won his semifinal round over Jack Beckman to clinch the Championship and then go into the final to race tough Tommy Johnson, i was brought to joyful tears because of the efforts that went into all this. I guess that makes me a diehard fan too but as a former and hopefully soon to be racer again, we all know the hard work and focus it takes. My dad taught me how to race with honesty, integrity and have a winning outlook even in our defeats because you are doing what you enjoy most. Thats the tough part knowing you cannot win them all but when you can it is so sweet. When you do not win them all you can know in happiness that someone else can feel that overwhelming joy so that you want it that much more. There are so many winners out there and the sport in every class or category is so competitive that a win is that much more special. Congrats to the winners and Champs, and to all the sport know that you are doing what you enjoy most. You got to enjoy what you are doing, have fun at it and have a positive spirit, the rest will come in time.