Worsham posts track record to nudge Beckman in Funny Car qualifying
Del Worsham and Jack Beckman spent Friday playing hardball at Texas Motorplex, splitting a record-setting day-night doubleheader atop the provisional Funny Car ladder during qualifications for the 30th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals.
Beckman, who began Round 4 of the Countdown to the Championship 16 points behind Worsham, ripped off a track-record 1,000-foot run of 4.0 seconds at 313.29 mph midday with The Plex’s all-concrete surface reading 112 degrees.
Worsham repaid the chin music during the second session, run well after sunset and with the track temp holding at a balmy 88 degrees, posting a record elapsed time of 3.917 seconds at 323.58 mph to secure the provisional pole.
With each car’s headers throwing flames during a match worthy of a final, the pair ran side-by-side with “Fast Jack’s” numbers of 3.919 seconds at 323.97 mph earning the provisional No. 2 spot.
“Every round is like a race right now,” said Worsham, driver of the DHL Toyota Camry fielded by Kalitta Motorsports. “We’re all making the best run we think we can. This is all we can do — make points every week, whether it’s one point in qualifying or if it’s a round or a [race] win.
“I can’t go up and slash his tires or bump him out of the race. I guess I could tackle him but it wouldn’t do any good. Really, this is a noncontact sport. You have to go out and get every point.”
Round 5 of the Countdown will be contested at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Oct. 29-Nov. 1. The season-ender will be staged at Pomona (Calif.) Raceway Nov. 12-15.
This rivalry matches two of NHRA’s most successful California-based drivers. Worsham, 45, won the NHRA Top Fuel world championship in 2011 before exiting the cockpit for a season as crew chief on rising star Alexis DeJoria’s Funny Car. Beckman, driver of the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T fielded by Don Schumacher Racing, was crowned NHRA Funny Car champion in 2012. Beckman, 49, has teamed with crew chief Jimmy Prock to reset the class ET record three times this season.
Also leading their respective classes heading into Saturday’s final two qualifying sessions are Dave Connolly (Top Fuel), Jonathan Gray (Pro Stock) and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
Connolly, a former Pro Stock regular completing his first season in Top Fuel, earned the provisional pole with a pass of 3.744 seconds at 329.18 mph in his C&J Energy Services dragster during the “Night of Fire” session. Points leader Antron Brown, who has won the first three Countdown races, is sixth in the Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster fielded by DSR.
Gray leads Pro Stock via a track-record quarter-mile elapsed time of 6.493 seconds at 212.53 mph in his Gray Manufacturing Chevy Camaro. Native Texan Erica-Enders Stevens, the reigning world champion and points leader, is third in her Elite Motorsports Camaro.
Stoffer has the provisional Pro Stock Bike pole aboard her Suzuki TL1000 with a pass of 6.832 seconds at 195.14 mph. Points leader Andrew Hines, the four-time/reigning world champion, is sixth aboard his Screamin’ Eagle Van & Hines Harley-Davidson.
John Sturbin is a Senior Writer at RacinToday.com. He can be contacted at jsturbin@racintoday.com.
30th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals
Through Sunday at Texas Motorplex, 7500 W. Highway 287, Ennis.
Saturday’s schedule: Qualifying in Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Stock, Top Fuel and Funny Car at 12:45 and 3:45 p.m.
Tickets: Call 800 MOTORPLEX (668-6775), or visit the website at www.texasmotorplex.com.
This story was originally published October 16, 2015 at 10:22 PM with the headline "Worsham posts track record to nudge Beckman in Funny Car qualifying."