Toyota Atlanta NHRA Preview

WORSHAM LOOKS TO CONTINUE MAGICAL SEASON – After spending the last 15 years in the cockpit of a Funny Car, Del Worsham stepped out of his Toyota Camry FC and back into a Top Fuel car. He believed that it would take time to become comfortable and that success wouldn’t come immediately. Well, maybe not.

Worsham not only has proven to be very fast, but consistent as well. He won his first-ever Top Fuel event in just the second race of the season at Gainesville and it was the start of what has been a Cinderella season to date. The Southern California native has now won three of the season’s first five races and has advanced to the semi-finals or beyond at each event. Roughly a third of the way through the regular season, Worsham has amassed a 95-point lead – basically the equivalent of one entire event – over second-place and a 142-point lead over third-place.

AL ANABI DOMINANCE CONTINUES – The Al-Anabi Toyota dragsters of Del Worsham and Larry Dixon will look to extend their dominating run to three races this weekend in Atlanta. Worsham and Dixon have both advanced to the finals in each of the last two races. The dynamic duo has now won 12 consecutive elimination rounds and currently rank one-two in the Top Fuel point standings. Overall, the team has now won 14 of the last 24 NHRA Top Fuel events.

LAST YEAR AT ATLANTA – Larry Dixon was as dominant as any driver could be in leading every qualifying session and then sweeping through eliminations for his fourth victory of the season. In addition to leading every qualifying session, Dixon also registered the fastest pass in the final three of Sunday’s four elimination rounds and was second-quickest overall in the first round.

PEDREGON LOOKS TO EXTEND QUALIFYING STREAK TO 16 – Cruz Pedregon will attempt to extend his streak of qualifying in the top six to 16 races at Atlanta. His current run of 15 in a row is 10 more than the next longest active streak in Funny Car competition. To date this season, his Snap-On Tools Toyota has qualified first, second, fifth, third and third in four races for an average position of 2.8.

TOYOTA TOP FUELERS ON A ROLL – Toyota-sponsored Top Fuel drivers have won each of the first five events this season and six in a row dating back to last season’s finale. In addition, Toyota-sponsored drivers have now won 10 of the last 12 Top Fuel events. Toyota drivers currently occupy the top three spots in the point standings and five of the top eight positions.