Funny Car part-timer Grant Downing is making an especially remarkable effort at the Texas Motorplex, considering his Silver Fern Racing '06 Monte Carlo is the oldest body in the field, save for Swede Leif Helander's '05 Starkotter Camaro. Downing is
 
"I'm just really fortunate right now to be able to come out and do more races. This is my fifth race this year, and the most I've ever done until now is three in one year. So this is huge," he said. "I'm going to do two more (Las Vegas and Pomona), if I don't hurt too much stuff."

Funny Car part-timer Grant Downing is making an especially remarkable effort at the Texas Motorplex, considering his Silver Fern Racing '06 Monte Carlo is the oldest body in the field, save for Swede Leif Helander's '05 Starkotter Camaro. Downing is
 
"I'm just really fortunate right now to be able to come out and do more races. This is my fifth race this year, and the most I've ever done until now is three in one year. So this is huge," he said. "I'm going to do two more (Las Vegas and Pomona), if I don't hurt too much stuff."
 
With Chuck Worsham tuning the car -- continuing his longstanding relationship with the Worsham family -- he has a strong arrow in his quiver.
 
"Chuck loves coming out here," Downing said. "He doesn't want to [do the whole schedule] but he's happy to do the few that we're doing."
 
That, he said his a big help, along with the low car count. He said he also lists Dave Wollery, of Wollery's Pizza, and longtime Worsham racing partner John Fink as "people who really help me get here."
 
In his five appearances, Downing has qualified at four, including Denver, Seattle, and Indianapolis. "The only one we DNQ'd at was Sonoma. We broke a brand-new belt every single run. The car was running good."
 
"I've never driven a fuel car here before today," he said. Even though he was 16th in the order, he said he found "no surprises." Said Downing, "We'll get a handle on it. We'll get four good runs before the weekend is over." He ended the day in the No. 13 spot.
 
Downing, a New Zealand native, counts Orange County, Calif., as his U.S. base.
 
He began his U.S. career in the Sport Compact Series and for awhile worked on the crews of Rhonda Hartman, Mert Littlefield, and Gary Densham. One year at Sonoma, he was "on loan" to Del Worsham. They became close friends, and Downing spent a yea and a half as Worsham's crew member for the Checker Schucks Kragen car and was Worsham's chassis builder.

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