Rain ushered in race day at the Protect The Harvest NHRA Nationals near Seattle, causing a 98-minute delay, then returned to Pacific Raceways just before Sunday’s final round, forcing a halt to the 16th race on the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event.

NHRA officials announced they have decided to complete the Top Fuel and Funny Car finals in two weeks at the Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd, Minn. The Pro Stock final round will wait until the Labor Day weekend Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis.

“It would be really, really, really nice to get this race in right now,” Funny Car finalist Del Worsham said during the last rain delay, anticipating his showdown against NAPA Dodge driver Ron Capps. “I kind of want to finish what we started. We got a rhythm going. It definitely interrupts the momentum, but it’s the same for everybody.”

The DHL Toyota Camry driver for Kalitta Motorsports said he feels “like it’s been a turnaround race for us.”

He dominated qualifying and had the last word in a flurry of national-record runs. Worsham and JR Todd, both of whom clinched Countdown berths Sunday, are the only nitro-class drivers to reach the semifinals at all three Western Swing races this year.  Worsham also extended his string of consecutive 3.8-second elapsed times from four to six this weekend. He’ll be competing in his third final round of the season, and this 64th career final (53rd in Funny Car) marks back-to-back Seattle money-round performances.  

Points leader Capps, who recorded the second-quickest run in Funny Car history,is seeking his 50th overall victory and hoping to team with Top Fuel finalist Antron Brown to bring another double nitro victory to Don Schumacher Racing.

Brown (Matco Tools/Toyota Dragster) will race Steve Torrence (Capco Contractors/Rio Ammunition Dragster) for the Top Fuel trophy.

“I really wish we would have gotten this race in because I was really confident what we could have thrown down in the final,” Brown said. “We’re just going to go to Brainerd and give it all we got.”

Torrence said, “It’s pretty disappointing not to get this thing run today, but no matter when or where we finally run it, we’ve got a team and a hot rod that can win it.”

The Pro Stock final round has been pushed back to September to accommodate Aaron Strong’s schedule.

Strong, the Seattle-area class newcomer making his first final-round appearance, will put his No. 14-qualified A&J Furniture Camaro up against New Yorker Vincent Nobile and his top-qualified Mountain View Tire Camaro. Unlike Nobile, Strong is a part-time racer and had not budgeted an entry in the Brainerd race.

Some Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series (sportsman) finals will conclude in two weeks at the regional event that’s scheduled for Pacific Raceways in two weeks. The venue and schedule for the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes are to be determined, according to Graham Light, NHRA senior vice-president of racing operations.

In the Funny Car class, Matt Hagan, Robert Hight, and John Force all secured a berth Sunday in the six-race Countdown playoffs that will start at Charlotte in mid-September.