Del Worsham has qualified for the Countdown to 1 Playoffs which begin this weekend at the second annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C. A total of 10 drivers are competing for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car championship. Worsham is making his first appearance in the Countdown to 1 NHRA Playoffs.

Worsham is in eighth place in the NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car point standings; he trails seventh place by 10 points and is 10 points ahead of ninth place after the points were reset following the regular season.

Worsham has two wins this season; he visited victory circle in Madison, Ill. and Bristol, Tenn. One race ago at the U.S. Nationals, Worsham was the No. 6 qualifier but lost to Tony Pedregon in the first round of eliminations.

One year ago in Charlotte, Worsham was the No. 3 qualifier; he defeated Gary Scelzi before losing to Jack Beckman in the second round of eliminations.

Worsham has 24 wins in his Funny Car career; he is seventh on the NHRA's all-time Funny Car wins list trailing sixth place by just two wins.

Worsham prior to Charlotte:
"It's definitely been an interesting year so far, but this weekend, we get to start a new season. The points have been reset, and all 10 teams have a shot at the championship. With the way our season has gone, with the ups and downs, the Countdown gives us a chance to win a championship, and that's exciting. Under the old [season-long points] system, we wouldn't have that chance.

"This is my first time competing in the Countdown, and I truly believe that we have a shot at the Full Throttle championship. This is a very fast car, and there are some very fast tracks coming up, and if we get some cool and dry conditions, like we had Sunday in Madison and Bristol, the two races we won, that will definitely help our chances.

"It's tough out here. The guy who won the championship last season [Cruz Pedregon] isn't even racing for it this year, which just shows you the level of competition in Funny Car. Every run means something, especially now. We're definitely going to pay attention to every point because one point could make a big difference, especially with the qualifying points that are available now. Other than that, the goal is the same: Qualify the best you can and try to win every race." For additional information on Del Worsham, please visit http://www.alanjohnsonracing.com to view his full bio.

Courtesy of Rob Goodman