Del Worsham was the only unqualified car after the third session of Funny Car qualifying at the NHRA Southern Nationals in Commerce, Ga. He eventually made the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals on the bubble.

The Alan Johnson Racing/Al Anabi team driver entered the season with lofty expectations because of the personnel making up the team. If he’s been with another start-up operation, the outlook wouldn’t have been as great.

To whom much is given, much is expected.

Del Worsham was the only unqualified car after the third session of Funny Car qualifying at the NHRA Southern Nationals in Commerce, Ga. He eventually made the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals on the bubble.

The Alan Johnson Racing/Al Anabi team driver entered the season with lofty expectations because of the personnel making up the team. If he’s been with another start-up operation, the outlook wouldn’t have been as great.

To whom much is given, much is expected.

Worsham can remember a day when he really had no expectations in nitro racing whatsoever. In fact, his goal in the early days of his career was just to qualify.

No one was more shocked than Worsham when he drove his family’s Funny Car to the NHRA Southern Nationals title in 1991 defeating Mark Oswald.

There were more reasons why he should have lost in the first than logic why he should have won.

“I was very young,” said Worsham, who had just turned 21. “I was new to the sport. Me and my dad only had one guy with us on the road trying to race. To go out there and win that race was something no one can ever take from me and is probably the greatest moment of my racing career.”

Winning the event proved to be a shock but not as much as the one he encountered when it came time to celebrate. If you’re from California like Worsham was at the time, you know how to celebrate.

“I was finally old enough to buy a beer but anyone who knows the south knows you can't buy beer on Sundays. But it was still awesome. It was a great time.”

Worsham admits a handful of fans walk up to him every Commerce race to let him know they witnessed his incredible feat. It’s a win that will forever be etched in his mind no matter how many big budget wins he accrues along the way on the Alan Johnson Racing/Al Anabi team.

“It doesn't seem like 18 years,” Worsham said. “But I can barely remember not driving a funny car. But time goes fast when you're doing something you love and having fun. I'm very lucky for that and I know that. It doesn't feel like 18 years but I feel like I've been an adult my whole life.”

He wouldn’t mind his first win with the new team coming at this same event where he won his first career title.

“It would be a lot different,” Worsham admitted. “No winning doubt though it would be a turning point for me. This would be a season changer. That one was a life changer.”

 

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