By Bob Wilber. Photos by Jeff Burk
As Del Worsham sees it, a mixture of great atmospheric
conditions and stout race tracks will not only lead to amazing Funny
Car performances, as the racing world has seen at the previous two
NHRA stops in Chicago and Reading, but also to the fairest of all
results: Fast cars tend to go fast. At this weekend's O'Reilly Fall
Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, there is no reason to think the
trend will do anything but continue.
As opposed to loose tracks on hot summer days, where
traction problems can often plague the faster cars more than the slower
ones, the record setting pace of the past few weeks has been founded
on smooth tight racing surfaces on cool dry days. Without the "equalizer"
of loose conditions, teams generally get their results based strictly
on performance.
"When Mother Nature cooperates, the fastest cars tend
to go the fastest," said Worsham, driver of the Checker-Schuck's-Kragen
red Pontiac. "At the end of the weekend, you can look at the qualifying
sheet, and most of the teams will be lined up pretty close to where
they are in points, and the same goes with eliminations. This is not
the time of year when you'll very often see the order all jumbled
up, though these cars are such monsters anything can happen."
Worsham and his teammate Frank Pedregon have proven
they can play when conditions are stout, as each have reset their
career best marks at the previous two events. Pedregon posted a 4.779
at Chicago and Worsham then answered with a 4.778 in Reading. Though
Worsham was unlucky with a close first round loss in Chicago and a
bizarre starting line explosion in Reading, Pedregon's blue car has
earned its way to a semi-final finish at each of the last two races.
"Both of our cars are always capable of winning rounds,
as they were in Chicago and Reading," Worsham said. "Unfortunately,
on the red side we got edged out in round one by a few inches in Chicago,
and then we had a valve malfunction in Reading and blew the top off
the motor. But, the fact Frankie's car has made it to the last two
semi's shows where this team is. It doesn't surprise me in the least
when one or both of our cars are still running when the field gets
down to four. I expect to see that. I get up Sunday morning expecting
to see one of our cars in the Winner's Circle at the end of the day."
Pedregon
agrees with his teammate, and expects Dallas to be another shootout.
"Through the years, the Motorplex has always been one
of the tracks you just know is going to be fast," the popular blue
team driver said. "There's no other racing surface like it, and teams
come into Dallas thinking about letting it all hang out. And let me
tell you, it's a lot better when you know it's going to be fast and
your team is up for it."
Heading into Dallas, Worsham looks back on a successful
2001 season and sees more than just the four wins he and Pedregon
have totaled. He sees performance under all circumstances.
"It's a sign of the evolution of our team, and I'm proud
of it," Worsham said. "You can spend a lot of years being one of the
majority, a team that can run great under just the right conditions
that suit your car and your tune-up. When you can win under totally
different circumstances, you've proven you're a contender.
"We won in Houston and Chicago, where the conditions
were totally suited for running fast," Worsham continued. "But we
also won in Atlanta and Sonoma, where you had to overcome a loose
track. It says a lot about our crews and our crew chiefs. We feel
we can come into any track and maximize our performance."
To maximize performance in Dallas, the odds usually
lean toward stout numbers.
"You don't come into Dallas thinking about spinning
the tires at the top end, putting more wing on the car, or taking
ignition out of it to get it past the rough spots," Pedregon said.
"On the Motorplex track, there aren't any rough spots. You pull into
Dallas with your best game."
Team CSK's best game has proven to be the best of the
bunch on four weekends this season. Worsham and Pedregon see no reason
not to go for five.
