The day the competition feared has arrived.

Entering the 2009 season, Del Worsham carried the monstrous expectations of a drag racing community who assumed his association with championship team owner Alan Johnson all but guaranteed a Funny Car title.

Then, they stumbled and then, they stumbled again.

What was deemed to be the almighty team didn’t appear to be so almighty.

Then, Worsham won at the NHRA O'Reilly Midwest Nationals in St. Louis and there was concern from the competition that early season expectations were close to becoming fulfilled. Still, with the previous early season shortfalls, there was a measure of doubt.

The day the competition feared has arrived.

Entering the 2009 season, Del Worsham carried the monstrous expectations of a drag racing community who assumed his association with championship team owner Alan Johnson all but guaranteed a Funny Car title.

Then, they stumbled and then, they stumbled again.

What was deemed to be the almighty team didn’t appear to be so almighty.

Then, Worsham won at the NHRA O'Reilly Midwest Nationals in St. Louis and there was concern from the competition that early season expectations were close to becoming fulfilled. Still, with the previous early season shortfalls, there was a measure of doubt.

All doubt was removed Sunday afternoon at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn., as Del Worsham drove to low elapsed time in the final round to stop dark horse challenger Tony Pedregon. The victory marked the second of 2009 for the upstart nitro Funny Car team.

Upstart? That’s a laugher but it’s the truth.

“This win was for Aaron Brooks and Alan Johnson,” Worsham said. “The team got together and put a new engine in the car before the finals. They told me it would run a 4.08 and it ran a 4.07 – that’s pretty darn close.”

Those aren’t the typical actions of a first year team, especially when they’ve hung the rods out of an engine and coasted to the win in the previous round.

“This team has gelled together quicker than I could have imagined,” Worsham said. “I hadn’t won back-to-back races in almost five years. What I saw today was the combination of two teams coming together as one, the Top Fuel team with our Funny Car.”

Worsham wasn’t exaggerating either.

“They put this car back together and basically changed every part on it,” Worsham explained. “It shows you what kind of team we have with everyone working together. Aaron Brooks leads this team and this is basically his first full season as a crew chief.”

The Bristol victory marked the 24th for Worsham in 37 final rounds which now ranks him seventh best among the all-time Funny Car winners.

His current ride could be considered as the one that provides him with the best chance he’s ever had to contend for a championship.

“That’s a definite possibility,” Worsham said. “In 2004, we were running great but a lot of rule changes that season affected our team. The endless supply of parts and pieces that we have here is something I’ve never experienced in my career.”

The time to really be concerned may well have arrived. 

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