Full Throttle Top Fuel World Champion
Name: DEL WORSHAM
Date of birth: Feb. 11, 1970 Hometown: Whittier, Calif. Residence: Chino Hills, Calif.
2011 car: Al-Anabi Racing dragster
2011 wins: 8 – Gainesville, Charlotte 1, Houston, Norwalk, Chicago, Seattle, Las Vegas 2, Pomona 2
2011 Runner-up finishes: 3 – Englishtown, Indianapolis, Reading
2011 No. 1 Qualifying positions: 7 – Charlotte 1, Englishtown, Norwalk, Denver, Brainerd, Las Vegas 2, Pomona 2
Crew chief: Brian Husen Team Manager: Alan Johnson Team Owner: Sheik Khalid Al Thani
Season summary: After competing 20 years in the Funny Car class, Worsham began his first full season in Top Fuel competition by racing to the win at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals and the points lead. From there Worsham held the points lead throughout the regular season and entered the Countdown to the Championship at the top of the class. A second round loss in Charlotte and Dallas, the first races of the Countdown, bumped Worsham down to third in the standings, but with a runner-up in Reading and a win in Las Vegas, Worsham clinched his first NHRA world championship with his semifinal round win over Spencer Massey in Pomona.
Season highlights: Worsham started out the season with three wins in the first five races. In the first 16 races of the season Worsham made eight final round appearances and raced to five No. 1 qualifiers.
Quotable: “When you race for Alan Johnson I knew we had a real chance to win this thing. We weren’t in it from the start of the season but we are now and that’s all that matters. It’s always good to have him in your corner and I know I’m glad I do. I was always hoping to win a Funny Car championship after 20 years of racing, but the Top Fuel one feels just as sweet.”
Notable: This is Worsham’s first NHRA world championship and Al-Anabi Racing’s second straight NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel world championship.
Full Throttle Funny Car World Champion
Name: MATT HAGAN
Date of birth: Nov. 18, 1982 Hometown: Salem, Va. Residence: Christansburg, Va.
2011 car: DieHard Dodge Charger
2011 wins: 2 – Charlotte 2, Pomona 2
2011 Runner-up finishes: 2 – Pomona 1, Denver
2011 No. 1 Qualifying positions: 3 – Gainesville, Brainerd, Charlotte 2
Crew chief: Tommy DeLago Team Owner: Don Schumacher
Season summary: After losing the 2010 world championship to John Force, Hagan came out in 2011 and raced to the final round at the first two races of the season in Pomona and Gainesville. After a fifth-place point finish in the regular season, Hagan raced to his first win of the season at the Countdown opening O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals in Charlotte, N.C., took the No. 1 qualifier of the event, and set the national record for time which includes a 20-point bonus in the process. Hagan entered the season-ending race in Pomona with the points lead and after a semifinal round win over Cruz Pedregon, clinched his first world championship.
Season highlights: Hagan not only set the national record and picked up 20 points in the process to start the Countdown to the Championship, he also made NHRA history by becoming the first Funny Car driver ever to break the three-second barrier when he posted a run of 3.995 seconds in qualifying at zMAX Dragway. Hagan also raced to the win at the same event.
Quotable: “It really is truly amazing this weekend to win the event and win the race. We had some phenomenal things happen this year and to win this is amazing. It’s really a testimony to my crew and Tommy DeLago and what these guys have done with this car. I hate the phrase ‘you’ve got to lose one to win one,’ but that really happened here. I can’t say enough about my guys. They are the best and this is truly amazing. These Wallys in Funny Car are really hard to come by so this means so much to get the win and the world championship.”
Notable: This is Hagan’s first world championship and Don Schumacher Racing’s first NHRA Funny Car world championship since Gary Scelzi won in 2005.
Full Throttle Pro Stock World Champion
Name: JASON LINE
Date of birth: July 24, 1969 Hometown: Wright, Minn. Residence: Mooresville, N.C.
2011 car: Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GXP
2011 wins: 6 – Pomona 1, Gainesville, Atlanta, Seattle, Dallas, Reading
2011 Runner-up finishes: 2 – Indianapolis, Charlotte 2
2011 No. 1 Qualifying positions: 7 – Charlotte 1, Englishtown, Brainerd, Indianapolis, Charlotte 2, Dallas, Reading
Crew chiefs: Rob Downing/Jeff Perley Team Owner: Ken Black (KB Racing)
Season summary: After finishing fifth in the point standings in 2010, Line came out on a mission in 2011, powering his Summit Racing Pontiac GXP to back-to-back wins to start the season in Pomona and Gainesville. His impressive start kept him at the top of the point standings for most of the regular season, but a second round loss in Brainerd bumped him down to second place with just one race remaining in the regular season. After his runner-up finish to Greg Anderson as the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Line entered the Countdown to the Championship second in the standings. He then raced his way to two wins in three consecutive final round appearances and three No. 1 qualifiers to start the Countdown and went on to become the first driver to clinch his world championship when he drove to a semifinal round appearance at the second race in Las Vegas.
Season highlights: Line raced to back-to-back wins in Pomona and Gainesville to start the season. He also posted two wins in three final round appearances to start the Countdown to the Championship.
Quotable: “It feels unbelievable to win my second championship. Timing is everything in our sport, and we got hot at the right time. The second championship definitely means more to me because as I’ve gotten older I’ve learned to appreciate it and realized how hard these things really are to get.”
Notable: This is Line’s second NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock world championship (also 2006). This is the sixth championship for KB Racing as Line’s teammate Greg Anderson has raced to four world championships.
Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle World Champion
Name: EDDIE KRAWIEC
Date of birth: Dec. 6, 1976 Hometown: Indianapolis Residence: Englishtown, N.J.
2011 motorcycle: Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
2011 wins: 4 – Gainesville, Norwalk, Charlotte 2, Las Vegas 2
2011 Runner-up finishes: 2 – Phoenix, Pomona 2
2011 No. 1 Qualifying positions: 3 – Englishtown, Brainerd, Charlotte 2
Crew chief: Matt Hines Team Owners: Byron Hines/TerryVance
Season summary: After finishing second and third in 2009 and 2010, Krawiec came out in 2011 and won the season opening Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals. Throughout the 2011 season Krawiec and his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson never dropped below third place in the point standings. Krawiec finished the regular season with the points lead, then went on to win two races in three final round appearances in the Countdown to the Championship en route to his second career world championship.
Season highlights: Krawiec won the season opening Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, his second-consecutive win at that event, then went on to win at Norwalk, Charlotte 2, and Las Vegas 2. He racked up three No. 1 qualifiers and clinched his second world championship with his second round win over LE Tonglet at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.
Quotable: “This has been my championship year all year. I didn’t win any races in my first championship but this year I won four races in six finals so this one really validated it all for me. Especially to have Willie B. here and all of Harley-Davidson, it’s awesome. For Andrew (Hines, teammate) and I to go to the last two races and be winner and runner-up at both is amazing. Plus to have the opportunity to race with such great competitors, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Notable: This is the second NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship for Krawiec with his first coming in 2008. It was also the fifth world championship in eight years for the Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team. Krawiec’s teammate Andrew Hines won the world title in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
