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CSK exec Chisler to drive Worsham-built Alcohol Funny Car in Phoenix
1/15/2003
 Ron Chisler
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Ron Chisler has been hooked on fast cars and hot rods since he was a child. An executive at CSK Auto, Chisler has been an instrumental part of the company's sponsorship of Del and Chuck Worsham's NHRA Funny Car team, and has channeled his love of the sport through the program, which is now entering its seventh year. Though he has driven some fast street cars and motorcycles, Chisler could only dream that one day he would be driving a Checker-Schuck's-Kragen Funny Car. Thanks to Del and Chuck Worsham, his dream is about to come true.
Side projects are a standard tradition at Worsham Racing, as the team annually combines regular service work with after-hours garage fun. The now famous "Mega-Rita" nitro-powered margarita mixer was 2001's effort, built during late nights and weekends throughout the season.
This year, with Del leading the way, the team built a 6-second Alcohol Funny Car, and crew members Marc Denner and Tom Abbett got the thrill of a lifetime driving it in Las Vegas after the 2002 season ended.
"It's funny, we work all day and when we want to do something fun, we work some more," Worsham said with a laugh. "I just got the idea that some of the guys would really love to experience what it's like to drive one of these things. It's too harsh, too expensive, and too dangerous to put them in a full-power Nitro Funny Car, so we built this alcohol car out of spare parts, stuff we could trade other teams for, and a few key things we had to either buy or fabricate ourselves. It's no threat to run the sort of numbers you need to win a race in an alcohol car on the Lucas Oil Series, but it's plenty fast compared to anything else the guys have driven, and there's a lot of driving involved. I figured it would be a thrill for the guys to drive."
After Abbett and Denner lapped the car for a couple of days in Las Vegas, it was put away for the winter without a definite plan.
Then Worsham thought of Chisler.
"I don't know where our sponsorship would be without Ron," he said.
"He and Joe Spica were the guys who put this deal together back in late 1996, and the two of them have been absolutely essential to the program since then. Ron is the true gear head of the two of them, and it struck me that this would be something he'd really like to do. I brought it up to him in December, and he went nuts. He's been counting the days, and I've never seen him so excited. This is going to be a lot of fun."
The team plans to get Chisler on the track this Friday (January 17) at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, in conjunction with their appearance there for pre-season "spring training" testing. Abbett is scheduled to make the first lap in the alcohol flopper, to make sure all is well, and then Chisler will get his shot.
"I've been in love with Funny Cars since the 1960's, and I can't tell you how much this means to me and how excited I am," Chisler said.
"This is what the Worshams are all about, doing things like this that are above and beyond anyone's expectations. I know it's going to be a wild ride, and I'm looking forward to getting in there and doing it.
I'm sure we'll start with some short bursts and see how I feel, then we'll see about stretching it out farther down the track.
"I talked to Tom Abbett at length, after he drove the car in Las Vegas," Chisler continued. "He explained it all in vivid terms, and he had the time of his life. It's been a long month dreaming of this, and now it's about to happen. However it goes, I just want to thank Del, Chuck, and the whole team for the chance to make this dream come true."
After Chisler gets his fill in the alcohol car, Team CSK will get down to the business of testing their two 6,000 horsepower Checker- Schuck's-Kragen Pontiac nitro Funny Cars, as Del Worsham and Johnny Gray continue to live out their dreams on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing tour.
Return to 2002 Sportsman News Archive