WORSHAM IMPROVES ON LAST RUN, BUT SLIPS TO 5th SPOT

After small localized thunderstorm grazed the Bandimere Speedway area, causing about a two-hour delay, the Funny Car class was given something nobody was anticipated on this Denver weekend. Instead of two hot and sunny Saturday sessions, the final lap was nearly a night lap, and as the E.T.s fell the bumping went manic, with nearly every pair creating a new bump spot and sending one or two other unlucky teams to the sidelines. By the time Del Worsham ran, in his blue Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Impala, his earlier time had slipped to the No. 5 position, with Jerry Toliver and John Force having nudged him back two slots. Worsham then streaked to a very solid 4.893, leapfrogging Force, but Jack Beckman (who was running in the other lane with Worsham) trumped them both, and Worsham ended up right back in the 5th position. As a reward for a solid top-half position, Worsham will get none other than points leader Ron Capps in round one. Capps qualified 12th here, with a 4.934.

"It was really nice run, right down the middle," Worsham said. "The only thing we missed on, which might have cost us a little, was that the grains of water in the air were going up pretty fast right before we ran, so the tune-up wasn't quite able to overcome that. Believe me, we threw everything we had at it in the lanes, just figuring it would either make it and put a good number on the board or it wouldn't and we'd still be in the top half.

"It did what we wanted it to do, and we've made some good passes here this weekend, so I feel good going into tomorrow. Some people asked me about having to run Capps in round one, and all I could say was 'These days, it really doesn't matter. Everyone is tough and there's no one in the class I want to run.' All we can do is go up there and run Ronny as well as we know how. If we get the win light, we will have deserved it."