POMONA, Calif. - Del Worsham claimed his second NHRA world championship title and first in Funny Car, then raced to the event victory Sunday at the Auto Club NHRA Finals near Los Angeles.
Southern California native Worsham defeated Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship rival Jack Beckman in the semifinals to secure the Funny Car season title at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and become just the third driver in NHRA history, joining Kenny Bernstein and Gary Scelzi, to win world championships in both nitro categories. Worsham won the 2011 Top Fuel world championship.
Worsham also powered his DHL Toyota Camry past Tony Pedregon and Robert Hight in earlier rounds before defeating Johnson in the final round to claim his fourth victory of the season and 38th of his career, including 30 in Funny Car.
Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock), and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) joined Worsham in the winner's circle at the final playoff race of the NHRA Mello Yello Series Countdown to the Championship.
• Langdon earned his second Top Fuel win of the season, sweeping both Wallys at this track for the second time in his career. Langdon, who won the season-opening Winternationals in the cockpit of an Alan Johnson Racing dragster, defeated Antron Brown in the final round in a Don Schumacher Racing machine. Langdon powered his Red Fuel dragster to a 3.715 at 332.43 to finish in front of the recently crowned world champion, who posted a 3.732 at 321.73 in his Matco Tools dragster.
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• In Pro Stock, Johnson claimed his second win of the season and 26th of his career by holding off Vincent Nobile in the final round. Johnson used a quicker reaction time and drove his Magneti Marelli/Mopar Dodge Dart to a 6.541 at 210.18 to take the win over Nobile, who clocked a quicker but losing effort of 6.540 at 211.93 in his Mountain View Tire Chevy Camaro.
• Andrew Hines claimed his second consecutive and fifth overall world championship title in Pro Stock Motorcycle when his closest rival, Louisiana alligator farmer Jerry Savoie, lost in the second round. Hines, who pocketed $75,000 for the title, is the youngest driver in NHRA history to win five world championships and continues the amazing domination by the Vance & Hines team in the two-wheel category.
Krawiec closed the Pro Stock Motorcycle season with a victory and earned a second-place points finish when he defeated two-time champ Matt Smith in the final round. Krawiec rode his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a 6.846 at 192.58 to finish in front of Smith's Victory Gunner, which trailed with a 6.888 at 194.21. It was Krawiec's fourth victory of the season, fourth in Pomona, and 31st of his career.
The 23-race 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season opens Feb. 11-14, 2016, with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
- nhra.com
