WORSHAM READY TO SAY "AW, SCHUCK'S" IN SEATTLE
SEATTLE (July 18, 2006) -- Though he was sometimes called "Opie" in his much younger years, Del Worsham has never really been known as the sort of guy who says things like "Golly gee" or "Oh darn." Having grown up on a skateboard and a BMX bike in Southern California, the 36-year old Worsham still utters references to things being "rad" and his normal exclamation point to prove any fact's validity is to say that it's "for reals." Worsham's many fans shouldn't be surprised, though, if 21-time Funny Car winner drops the word "Schuck's" into more than a few conversations and interviews this weekend in Seattle. They also shouldn't fear that such language is a sign of Worsham's transformation into a midwestern farm boy.
Now in his 10th season driving the Checker, Schuck's, Kragen NHRA Funny Car, Worsham will finally have the chance to mention his sponsor without having to recite the full litany of three brand names, as this weekend's stop on the NHRA POWERade tour has been dubbed the Schuck's Nationals. The venerable Schuck's Auto Supply brand has been a part of the "do it yourself" retail business for generations in the northwest, and as part of the CSK Auto chain it has also become known as the middle leg of Worsham's rapid-fire "Checker, Schuck's, Kragen" verbal delivery during top-end interviews. This weekend in Seattle, Worsham will be able to think in terms of Schuck's alone, and he hopes to keep the customers satisfied with his on-track performance.
"It was great news for us when we heard that CSK was going to sponsor the Seattle race," Worsham said. "It's always been a great event, in a fantastic part of the country, and we've enjoyed having all the Schuck's people with us at the track each year. At one time or another, we've been to most of the Schuck's stores around the south Seattle area, so we're pretty familiar with all of these great people. It will be an honor to promote the Schuck's name this weekend, and I know the big Seattle crowd will be able to relate to that.
"My teammate, Phil Burkart, will be driving a special Chevron Techron car in Seattle, but I'll still be in our beautiful red Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Monte Carlo, flying the colors for all the CSK stores while we give a little added emphasis to the Schuck's brand in the Great Northwest. I know the temptation to use the 'Aw, Schuck's' line is going to be there all weekend, but hopefully I can come up with something a step beyond the obvious. It's not that easy to blurt out something original when you've just jumped out of a 320 mph thrill ride, but I'll try."
Always a believer in good karma, Worsham should have a double-dose of positive vibes this weekend. He has a history of big performance at races sponsored by his primary backer, having won the Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Nationals in Phoenix twice. He also has warm memories of special day in Seattle, back in 1999. Worsham hadn't won a race since his rookie season in 1991, a span of eight long years, but he vanquished all foes on a near-perfect Sunday near Mount Rainier in '99, and the emotions he felt that day are still fresh in his mind.
"Eight years without a win was a long time," he said. "After winning two races right away as a rookie, and then not winning again for eight years, it was easy to think we'd never do it again. There was nothing really different or unique about the Seattle race that year, other than we were frustrated and a little mad at ourselves for not winning more rounds that year. We were just focused on doing our best. We got in the show safely, in the top half, and won in round one. That was a big deal. We got by Al Hofmann in round two, and it was becoming obvious that we had a good solid car that day.
"The track was tricky, and a lot of teams were smoking the tires. We just kept going down the track and knocking them off. We had to face John Force in the semi-final, so we weren't even thinking about winning the whole race. At the time, we hadn't beaten Force in something like seven years, so to us the semi-final felt like the final round. We went down the track, he smoked the tires, and it was all we could do to stay focused for one more round. When we beat Whit Bazemore in the final, eight tons of frustration was lifted off of us. It was a very emotional day."
Those who put stock in parallels and omens might see a bit of a comparison to 2006. Worsham and his team are winless in '06, and are clearly frustrated and edgy over their lack of celebrations. As a group, they obviously need to let it loose and find the mojo again, so Worsham is more than happy to factor in the "sponsor's race" angle and the built-in good feelings about Pacific Raceways.
"The bottom line is, we have to run well to win, but having those good feelings in your heart when you pull into the track never hurts," he said. "I remember 1999 like it was yesterday, and that win got us going for the new century. The '99 win was my third, and now we have 21 trophies on the wall. We're going to win number 22 soon, and having the Schuck's logo on the trophy would be the ultimate."
Such a feat might even provoke a sincere "Golly gee, aw Schuck's" out of the boy. That would be rad. For reals!
