Worsham Returns To Drive DHL Funny Car, DeLago Joins Patron Team

Rumors had been swirling over the last couple of weeks involving veteran nitro pilot Del Worsham and his potential return to the driver seat, and this morning the Kalitta Motorsports camp confirmed what many had believed, as the 21-year driving veteran and 2011 Top Fuel driving champion will return to the drivers seat next season. Worsham, who served as the crew chief for Alexis DeJoria and her Tequila Patron Funny Car during her rookie campaign in 2012, will assume the driving chores of the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car.

“I’m ready to get back in the seat,” Worsham stated. “It’s only been a year so maybe it won’t take long to knock the rust off.

“This really continues to be a dream come true for me and my family. Connie and everyone at Kalitta Motorsports have been our friends for years and to be able to continue racing with them is truly an honor. Scott [Kalitta] and I were good friends, and I’m humbled to be taking over the controls of his race car. The DHL Funny Car will always be Scott’s car.”

“We see no reason why the DHL Toyota Camry won’t be very competitive from the time we unload in Pomona (Calif., first event of the 2012 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, the famed Winternationals, Feb. 14-17). We’re looking forward to a great season with the DHL hot rod.”

Worsham, a 42-year old resident of Villa Park, Calif., is No. 8 on the all-time Funny Car wins list with 25 victories. Including a limited stint in a Top Fuel car from 1993 to 1995 and his 2011 Top Fuel championship run with Al-Anabi Racing in 2011, Worsham and his father, Chuck, were mainstays in the Funny Car class from 1991 until 2008 with their family-owned flopper.

Kalitta Motorsports also announced this morning that journeyman crew chief Tommy DeLago, who tuned Matt Hagan to the 2011 Funny Car championship, has been tapped as Worsham’s replacement as crew chief on the Patron flopper. Glen Huszar, who was an integral part of the success that Hagan and DeLago attained, has also joined the Kalitta Motorsports team as co-crew chief on DeJoria’s car.

DeLago, a 43-year old native of Benecia, Calif., will be doing his second stint as a member of the Kalitta Motorsports team, having worked for the team from 1996 through 1999. At that time, he served as a crew man under the tutelage of drag racing legend Ed “the Ace” McCullough. In addition to the championship that he and Hagan won, DeLago was also the first tuner to guide a Funny Car into the three-second zone during the 1,000-foot era.  

“Glen [Huszar] and I are very excited about the opportunity of coming back to Kalitta Motorsports,” DeLago said. “Working for Connie is the best job in drag racing. He’s a pioneer in the sport and a great guy to work for. He’s always more than willing to try new things and that’s one of the things I admire most about him.”

“Our goal for the 2013 season is not to change what was already put into place on the Patrón Funny Car, but be an addition and keep improving on what Del and the team have implemented this past year, and we look forward to being a part of a prominent and competitive team for years to come.”

Added team owner Connie Kalitta: “Obviously, we’re excited to have assembled this group to take our Funny Car program to the next level,” Connie remarked. “Jim (Oberhofer, crew chief on Doug Kalitta’s Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster and Kalitta Motorsports’ vice president of operations) and I have been talking about what to do to put our best foot forward for some time, and when these opportunities arose I told him to make it happen. Everyone in our organization is very eager to get back out on the track again in 2013 and win races.”

Jeff Arend, who drove the DHL Funny Car from the latter stages of 2008 following the tragic death of Scott Kalitta until 2012, has been relieved of his duties as a driver for the team.

About the author

Andrew Wolf

Andrew has been involved in motorsports from a very young age. Over the years, he has photographed several major auto racing events, sports, news journalism, portraiture, and everything in between. After working with the Power Automedia staff for some time on a freelance basis, Andrew joined the team in 2010.
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