Bobby Bode was thrilled in February to get the call to drive world championship driver/tuner Del Worsham’s nitro Funny Car at the PRO Superstar Shootout in Bradenton, Fla., Feb. 6-8.
That led to Worsham asking Bode to get in the cockpit of his Toyota for NHRA’s season-opening Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 7-9.
Bode fared well at the Gators, qualifying No. 6 (3.925 seconds) and then he beat world champion J.R. Todd in the first round in a pedal fest before dropping a second-round decision to Ron Capps.
That performance led to Worsham extending an offer for Bode to drive for him at the next two NHRA national events – the Arizona Nationals, March 21-23, in Phoenix, and the Lucas Oil Winternationals, March 27-30, in Pomona, Calif.
“It is pretty cool,” said Bode, 22, about getting his driving duties with Worsham extended. “I didn’t find out until the end of the weekend after the race was over (in Gainesville) and he (Worsham) told me what he wanted to do. I’m looking forward to Phoenix and Pomona, that is for sure.”
Bode was upbeat about how things unfolded at the Gators.
“It was a super fun weekend,” Bode said. “The rain changed the whole dynamic of the weekend going into Sunday. The track conditions on Sunday were pretty awful. When I got past J.R. in that pedal fest it was pretty cool and then in the second round we were on our way to beating Capps and it just pulled the tires loose at like 400 feet. Up until that point we were ahead, and the track just couldn’t take what we were trying to give it.”
Bode acknowledged prior to racing in Bradenton getting the call from the renowned Worsham took him off-guard, but he’s adjusting nicely in his new role.
“Del is really cool to work with and so is the whole team,” Bode said. “Del knows what he always wants to do and for me it is really easy to fit in and I just feel like we are on the same page with a lot of stuff. Nothing is ever a surprise. He always communicates well and tells me what he thinks the car is going to do and if I’m going to have to pedal it, how I should pedal it. I really like our relationship so far. It has been awesome. We had a great week in Gainesville and I’m pretty excited to see what’s in store for our team.”
Bode was never a driver who checked NHRA season standings, but he did admit he glanced at them after the season opener.
“When I look at the points right now I’m in the Top 10,” said Bode, who is seventh. “I’ve always wanted to be in the Top 10 and now I officially am so that’s pretty cool.”
In the years driving his family Funny Car owned by his father, Bob, it helped make the younger Bode ready for when Worsham called.
“It is a whole different dynamic just driving the car,” Bobby said. “I don’t have any say on the tuning, and I just watch from the side to see how Del makes all the calls and some of the decisions he makes. All the stuff I learned in the past, tuning and all that stuff really helped me understand the car and what is going on with it.
“For example, in the second round (against Capps) I smoked the tires, and I tried to pedal it, but in the first round, it shook so hard that we think it loosened up one of the wires that goes to the pan pressure shut off. So, when I went to pedal it the second round after it smoked the tires the car just shut off. I didn’t have a throttle pedal or anything and that’s because that wire was pulled entirely out. That was the first thing I told Del when I got back, ‘Hey I think something triggered the safety system because I tried to pedal it, and I couldn’t,’ and that’s exactly what happened.
“It is just little stuff like that I really think benefits me in understanding everything.”
Getting the opportunity to race in Phoenix and Pomona is exciting for Bode. Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix is right by Tempe, the home of Arizona State University where he graduated from last May.
“I actually have not been back to the Phoenix area since I graduated from ASU last May,” Bode said. “I’m going to see some of my friends and it is going to be cool to be back in that area.”
