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NORWALK, Ohio (June 24, 2008) -- In Del Worsham's world, there aren't too many tracks with more vivid memories of calamity than Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. At the same time, there also have been very few weekends like this one, coming just days after the tragic loss of a good friend and fierce competitor. This coincidental act of pure fate, therefore, allows Worsham to both move on and move ahead, as he prepares to race in this weekend's NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, in northern Ohio.
Just one year ago, racing at Norwalk for the first time under the NHRA POWERade banner, Worsham dubiously earned his way onto highlight reels across the country, even earning regular rotation on CNN Headline News, when a motor explosion shredded his Impala Funny Car body at the finish line. He was not injured in the massive explosion, but the severity of it reminded him of another Norwalk trip, at another time. It was 2000, and Worsham was part of the booked-in "Night Of Fire" match race near the 4th of July holiday. Under the lights, he blew a tire near the finish line and crashed hard into both walls before coming to a stop near the end of the track. Groggy and sore, although with no broken bones, it took guts and a quick recovery for Worsham to be back in the seat for the next NHRA event on the calendar.
With those two Norwalk mishaps in mind, Worsham now returns to the scene of his previous accidents to also deal with the loss of Scott Kalitta, a long-time friend and colleague. Coming off an emotional semi-final finish in Englishtown, the Checker, Schuck's, Kragen driver feels the need to put all of these issues behind him, in order to keep moving up on the points list.
"It's a crossroads deal, where a lot of stuff is going on mentally and physically, and we just have to take all the issues and make something very positive out of this moment," Worsham said. "The truth is, I absolutely love the Norwalk track. It's an awesome jewel, a fantastic facility, and it's run by the Bader family, who are among the very best in this business. I've just happened to have a couple of spectacular things happen to me here, but we've had plenty of good times as well. We came to the 'Night Of Fire' match race a bunch of years, and had a great time, but people tend to only remember the spectacular stuff. I remember all the fun we've had and the great laps we've made.
"Last year, the big boom had nothing to do with Norwalk. We had something wrong in our motor assembly process all year, and were blowing things up pretty regularly. It just so happened that the explosion at Norwalk was the one that blew the body to pieces, but the good part of the deal was that it was so big and so bad, it caused us to basically tear the car down and analyze everything, from the first washer to the last bolt. We finally found the problem, and turned things around from there. So, to me, Norwalk has been great. I see it as the place where we found our problem last year, and now we're coming there to win some rounds and do some good.
"We've had a really rough stretch of racing this spring, and it hurt us a lot in the points, but we got back on track in Englishtown and had one of the better cars there. We made six very good laps, we beat Robert Hight and Gary Scelzi, and we gave Tim Wilkerson a heck of a battle in the semi-finals. Now, we're right back in the game and just a few points out of the top ten. We need Norwalk to be the place where we get on a serious roll."
Getting on a serious roll will also help the Team CSK driver cope with the loss of Kalitta, who was eight years older than Worsham but cut from the same "track rat" cloth, as both were practically raised at the race track. Nothing soothes the wounded heart more than dedication to the calling one has in life, and Worsham knows that, in his case, that means racing. He can't wait to get back in the car.
"We got through Sunday at Englishtown out of pure respect and dedication to Scott, but it wasn't easy," he said. "Now, we're in a different place and the circus is in a different town. We'll get back in these cars and try to do all we can to win, and that's what gets us up in the morning. There aren't too many of us on this whole planet who do this, and we all wrestle with the danger and with losses like this. Out of respect for those we've lost, and for the sport we love, we keep racing.
"The Kalitta family did a great thing by arranging a memorial gathering on Thursday night in Norwalk. Now, all of the racers can be there, along with the crew guys and everyone else who might not be able to drop everything and fly to another part of the country for the funeral. We'll be able to gather and heal, and then the family can have a private service by themselves, which is also a better for them. I'm really thankful they thought of this, because it will help all of us. The next day, we'll go racing."
Worsham will go racing, at a place that has challenged him in the past, but which he loves. And he'll do it while thinking of a fallen friend and opponent who challenged him at every turn, but loved him as well. All roads lead to Norwalk.
FOR WORSHAM, LIFE'S INTERSECTION IS IN NORWALK
NORWALK, Ohio (June 24, 2008) -- In Del Worsham's world, there aren't too many tracks with more vivid memories of calamity than Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. At the same time, there also have been very few weekends like this one, coming just days after the tragic loss of a good friend and fierce competitor. This coincidental act of pure fate, therefore, allows Worsham to both move on and move ahead, as he prepares to race in this weekend's NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, in northern Ohio.
Just one year ago, racing at Norwalk for the first time under the NHRA POWERade banner, Worsham dubiously earned his way onto highlight reels across the country, even earning regular rotation on CNN Headline News, when a motor explosion shredded his Impala Funny Car body at the finish line. He was not injured in the massive explosion, but the severity of it reminded him of another Norwalk trip, at another time. It was 2000, and Worsham was part of the booked-in "Night Of Fire" match race near the 4th of July holiday. Under the lights, he blew a tire near the finish line and crashed hard into both walls before coming to a stop near the end of the track. Groggy and sore, although with no broken bones, it took guts and a quick recovery for Worsham to be back in the seat for the next NHRA event on the calendar.
With those two Norwalk mishaps in mind, Worsham now returns to the scene of his previous accidents to also deal with the loss of Scott Kalitta, a long-time friend and colleague. Coming off an emotional semi-final finish in Englishtown, the Checker, Schuck's, Kragen driver feels the need to put all of these issues behind him, in order to keep moving up on the points list.
"It's a crossroads deal, where a lot of stuff is going on mentally and physically, and we just have to take all the issues and make something very positive out of this moment," Worsham said. "The truth is, I absolutely love the Norwalk track. It's an awesome jewel, a fantastic facility, and it's run by the Bader family, who are among the very best in this business. I've just happened to have a couple of spectacular things happen to me here, but we've had plenty of good times as well. We came to the 'Night Of Fire' match race a bunch of years, and had a great time, but people tend to only remember the spectacular stuff. I remember all the fun we've had and the great laps we've made.
"Last year, the big boom had nothing to do with Norwalk. We had something wrong in our motor assembly process all year, and were blowing things up pretty regularly. It just so happened that the explosion at Norwalk was the one that blew the body to pieces, but the good part of the deal was that it was so big and so bad, it caused us to basically tear the car down and analyze everything, from the first washer to the last bolt. We finally found the problem, and turned things around from there. So, to me, Norwalk has been great. I see it as the place where we found our problem last year, and now we're coming there to win some rounds and do some good.
"We've had a really rough stretch of racing this spring, and it hurt us a lot in the points, but we got back on track in Englishtown and had one of the better cars there. We made six very good laps, we beat Robert Hight and Gary Scelzi, and we gave Tim Wilkerson a heck of a battle in the semi-finals. Now, we're right back in the game and just a few points out of the top ten. We need Norwalk to be the place where we get on a serious roll."
Getting on a serious roll will also help the Team CSK driver cope with the loss of Kalitta, who was eight years older than Worsham but cut from the same "track rat" cloth, as both were practically raised at the race track. Nothing soothes the wounded heart more than dedication to the calling one has in life, and Worsham knows that, in his case, that means racing. He can't wait to get back in the car.
"We got through Sunday at Englishtown out of pure respect and dedication to Scott, but it wasn't easy," he said. "Now, we're in a different place and the circus is in a different town. We'll get back in these cars and try to do all we can to win, and that's what gets us up in the morning. There aren't too many of us on this whole planet who do this, and we all wrestle with the danger and with losses like this. Out of respect for those we've lost, and for the sport we love, we keep racing.
"The Kalitta family did a great thing by arranging a memorial gathering on Thursday night in Norwalk. Now, all of the racers can be there, along with the crew guys and everyone else who might not be able to drop everything and fly to another part of the country for the funeral. We'll be able to gather and heal, and then the family can have a private service by themselves, which is also a better for them. I'm really thankful they thought of this, because it will help all of us. The next day, we'll go racing."
Worsham will go racing, at a place that has challenged him in the past, but which he loves. And he'll do it while thinking of a fallen friend and opponent who challenged him at every turn, but loved him as well. All roads lead to Norwalk.
