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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 12, 2007) -- This is no bawdy spring break trip. It's not a snowbird's pilgrimage to catch baseball spring training action. There will be no trip to the beach or visit to Disney World. For Del Worsham, and his red Checker, Schuck's, Kragen team, it's a business trip and nothing more, and the business is serious. The destination is Gainesville, Fla. and the work assignment is to get Worsham back into the midst of the NHRA POWERade points chase at the AC Delco Gatornationals. The matter is clearly marked "Urgent."
After suffering through a pair of DNQs at the season's first two races, Worsham knows there is no longer any time to waste nor any further cushion. With the new NHRA "Countdown" playoff format in place, Worsham also knows he has to be in the top eight before Labor Day rolls around, and a return to form is now critical. Playing in has favor is a strong history in Gainesville, and a solid week of calm thoughtful work at his Southern California shop.
"We have to produce, and we need to start doing it right now," Worsham said. "We haven't been that far off, really, but in today's Funny Car class you can be a thousandth of a second slow and you'll be doing color commentary on ESPN2 on Sunday. What we have to realize is that it really is a long season, even with the playoff system, and with all the competition in this class some of the guys who are out in front of us are going to suffer at least part of what we've gone through. It almost has to be that way, because there are more good teams on tour than there are spots in field each week.
"We made a lot of changes over the off-season, and we tested extensively prior to the first race in Pomona, but it doesn't matter how much you test because you really don't learn what you have until you get out there for real. Some of the changes we made worked perfectly, some worked to a degree, and some only threw us a few nibbles. We spent the first week after Phoenix back in the shop, going over every system on the car, front to back, and we addressed the problems and got the car just like we want it. Now it's time to get back after it, and Gainesville is as good a place as I could pick to do that."
Worsham's Gainesville history may not be totally filled with career highlights, but the track has treated him well over the years. He has posted career best runs on the Florida quarter-mile, and in 2004 he etched his name permanently into the Gatornationals record book by defeating John Force in the final round. To make that day even a bit more memorable, Worsham managed to take the win on a hole-shot.
"I have tons of great Gainesville memories, and I absolutely love the place," Worsham said. "It's a great track that's getting better with age, the crowds are just enormous, and the fans are very knowledgeable. They come from all over, too, which is very cool. Some races are local, some are regional, and Gainesville is one that's practically continental, if not global. Just about anybody who lives east of the Rocky Mountains wants to come to Florida in March, and we see a lot of Canadians and Europeans at the race too. There's just something about the Gatornationals. It's a special race.
"Winning in 2004 was one of my career highlights, there's no doubt about it. The Gatornationals are historic, one of those special 'major' wins on your record. To beat Force in the final was a great way to do it, and getting an edge at the tree was pretty exciting. If you're going to beat John, it sure helps to cut a good light, because you know they're going to put a number on the board and you need all the edge you can get. On that day, it worked out. This weekend, I'm only looking as far ahead as Friday. By Friday night, I want to be safely in the field and working on our race day tune-up."
Being safely in the field, as early as possible, will certainly be a critical piece to a Worsham resurgence, but knowing what "safely in" exactly is can be difficult. Keep in mind, Worsham spent the first three sessions above the cut line at both Pomona and Phoenix, before being edged out during the final session. In Pomona, he even earned the dubious distinction of being the first Funny Car driver in history to run in the 4.70s and not make the field. His 4.797 missed the show by 2-thousandths of a second, as the 4.795 bump spot obliterated the previous record.
"Like I said, the competition is just ridiculous, and there is no room for even the slightest error," Worsham said. "We get four runs in qualifying, and we've actually done a fairly decent job of getting the car down the track, but at least one of those runs has to be a big one. We haven't hit a big one yet, and that's what hurt us. We have hit some big ones in Gainesville in the past, and I plan on doing that again this weekend. We know what we have to do, and we've made some changes that I think will help us turn the corner. Now, we just have to go out there and do it."
The fans in the enormous Gainesville grandstands will be soaking up the sun, slathering on the lotion, and having a great time in Florida. The spring break kids, the baseball fanatics, and the Disney worshippers will be pouring into the state on a daily basis. But, for Del Worsham it will be all business, and he hopes his Gainesville business is good.
WORSHAM HAS MUCH TO GAIN IN GAINESVILLE
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 12, 2007) -- This is no bawdy spring break trip. It's not a snowbird's pilgrimage to catch baseball spring training action. There will be no trip to the beach or visit to Disney World. For Del Worsham, and his red Checker, Schuck's, Kragen team, it's a business trip and nothing more, and the business is serious. The destination is Gainesville, Fla. and the work assignment is to get Worsham back into the midst of the NHRA POWERade points chase at the AC Delco Gatornationals. The matter is clearly marked "Urgent."
After suffering through a pair of DNQs at the season's first two races, Worsham knows there is no longer any time to waste nor any further cushion. With the new NHRA "Countdown" playoff format in place, Worsham also knows he has to be in the top eight before Labor Day rolls around, and a return to form is now critical. Playing in has favor is a strong history in Gainesville, and a solid week of calm thoughtful work at his Southern California shop.
"We have to produce, and we need to start doing it right now," Worsham said. "We haven't been that far off, really, but in today's Funny Car class you can be a thousandth of a second slow and you'll be doing color commentary on ESPN2 on Sunday. What we have to realize is that it really is a long season, even with the playoff system, and with all the competition in this class some of the guys who are out in front of us are going to suffer at least part of what we've gone through. It almost has to be that way, because there are more good teams on tour than there are spots in field each week.
"We made a lot of changes over the off-season, and we tested extensively prior to the first race in Pomona, but it doesn't matter how much you test because you really don't learn what you have until you get out there for real. Some of the changes we made worked perfectly, some worked to a degree, and some only threw us a few nibbles. We spent the first week after Phoenix back in the shop, going over every system on the car, front to back, and we addressed the problems and got the car just like we want it. Now it's time to get back after it, and Gainesville is as good a place as I could pick to do that."
Worsham's Gainesville history may not be totally filled with career highlights, but the track has treated him well over the years. He has posted career best runs on the Florida quarter-mile, and in 2004 he etched his name permanently into the Gatornationals record book by defeating John Force in the final round. To make that day even a bit more memorable, Worsham managed to take the win on a hole-shot.
"I have tons of great Gainesville memories, and I absolutely love the place," Worsham said. "It's a great track that's getting better with age, the crowds are just enormous, and the fans are very knowledgeable. They come from all over, too, which is very cool. Some races are local, some are regional, and Gainesville is one that's practically continental, if not global. Just about anybody who lives east of the Rocky Mountains wants to come to Florida in March, and we see a lot of Canadians and Europeans at the race too. There's just something about the Gatornationals. It's a special race.
"Winning in 2004 was one of my career highlights, there's no doubt about it. The Gatornationals are historic, one of those special 'major' wins on your record. To beat Force in the final was a great way to do it, and getting an edge at the tree was pretty exciting. If you're going to beat John, it sure helps to cut a good light, because you know they're going to put a number on the board and you need all the edge you can get. On that day, it worked out. This weekend, I'm only looking as far ahead as Friday. By Friday night, I want to be safely in the field and working on our race day tune-up."
Being safely in the field, as early as possible, will certainly be a critical piece to a Worsham resurgence, but knowing what "safely in" exactly is can be difficult. Keep in mind, Worsham spent the first three sessions above the cut line at both Pomona and Phoenix, before being edged out during the final session. In Pomona, he even earned the dubious distinction of being the first Funny Car driver in history to run in the 4.70s and not make the field. His 4.797 missed the show by 2-thousandths of a second, as the 4.795 bump spot obliterated the previous record.
"Like I said, the competition is just ridiculous, and there is no room for even the slightest error," Worsham said. "We get four runs in qualifying, and we've actually done a fairly decent job of getting the car down the track, but at least one of those runs has to be a big one. We haven't hit a big one yet, and that's what hurt us. We have hit some big ones in Gainesville in the past, and I plan on doing that again this weekend. We know what we have to do, and we've made some changes that I think will help us turn the corner. Now, we just have to go out there and do it."
The fans in the enormous Gainesville grandstands will be soaking up the sun, slathering on the lotion, and having a great time in Florida. The spring break kids, the baseball fanatics, and the Disney worshippers will be pouring into the state on a daily basis. But, for Del Worsham it will be all business, and he hopes his Gainesville business is good.
