NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Thirty years after Del Worsham raced his family's Texas Stagecoach Funny Car at the NHRA Finals, a familiar piece of drag racing history returned to Pomona. This time, Top Alcohol Dragster world champion Julie Nataas is behind the wheel, and until Thursday night, Worsham had no idea it was happening.

For the 2026 In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, Nataas and the team have recreated the 1996 Worsham & Fink Texas Stagecoach Funny Car in painstaking detail, honoring Chuck Worsham, John Fink, Del Worsham, and the crew members who helped build the foundation for one of drag racing's most accomplished careers.

The tribute goes far beyond a nostalgic paint scheme. The original colors, lettering, and even the names of the 1996 crew members have been faithfully reproduced on the car. The team also recreated the crew shirts from that season, bringing the look and spirit of the original operation back to the starting line three decades later.

The timing is particularly meaningful. As NHRA concludes its 75th anniversary season, Worsham will be recognized Saturday as one of the Top 75 Drivers in the organization's history. The two-time world champion, one of only three drivers to win championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, is being celebrated at the same event where his family's independent racing operation closed a defining chapter 30 years earlier.

The 1996 Texas Stagecoach car was the last before the arrival of the team's first major long-term corporate partnership with Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Auto Parts in 1997. That sponsorship would usher in a new era of stability and opportunity for the family-run operation. But before the major corporate backing, championships, and decades of success, there were Chuck Worsham, John Fink, and a dedicated group of racers making the most of limited resources.

For Worsham, the surprise nearly unraveled two weeks earlier in Las Vegas.

"I told Travis [Shumake] in Vegas that I was thinking about doing something cool for my dad at Pomona," Worsham laughed. "He basically told me to shut up and stay out of it. I knew he was cooking something up. They managed to hide it until late Thursday, when I finally told Travis that I don't do surprises. So my dad, John Fink, and I got to see the car together last night and really enjoy that moment."

For Worsham, seeing the finished car alongside his father and longtime family racing partner brought back memories of an era when the operation relied as much on personal relationships and determination as it did on horsepower.

"Having my dad here, my girls, and John Fink all together for this weekend makes it pretty special. It's really come full circle," Worsham continued. "You look at the names on this car and there are people who have been part of drag racing for generations. Shane Westerfield's dad is on there, Cory Lee was part of that crew, and these are people who helped us get to where we are today. Back then, we were just a family team trying to make it against the big guys. Now, 30 years later, we're bringing that same car back to Pomona with Julie behind the wheel. It's pretty cool to see it all come together."

For Nataas, the weekend carries its own remarkable full-circle significance.

Seventeen years ago, at just 12 years old, the Norwegian attended her first NHRA drag race at the World Finals in Pomona. She left the grandstands that weekend knowing she wanted to become a professional drag racer. Now, she returns to the same event behind the wheel of a Funny Car honoring the man who has become her mentor.

"The NHRA World Finals was the first drag race I ever attended. I was 12 years old, sitting in the stands at Pomona, and I remember leaving that weekend knowing this was what I wanted to do with my life," said Nataas. "Seventeen years later, I'm coming back as a Funny Car driver, racing a car that honors Del, Chuck, John, and the people who helped build this team. It's pretty incredible to think about how it all comes full circle."

Although Nataas is competing in her second season of Nitro Funny Car racing, her experience in the category remains limited. Entering Pomona, she has competed in just seven events and made just two dozen passes exceeding 300 mph. Despite her championship credentials in Top Alcohol Dragster, the transition to an 11,000-horsepower nitro Funny Car continues to present a steep learning curve.

Following significant changes to the team's car ahead of the Las Vegas event, Nataas recorded a new personal best, giving the team renewed confidence heading into the season finale.

"Vegas felt like a new car and a new Julie," Nataas said. "We made some significant changes, and for the first time, I'm really starting to feel connected to the car. It's responding to me almost instantly, and I'm beginning to understand what it needs from me. I know it's going to take a hundred more runs to really figure this thing out, but we're moving in the right direction."

The weekend represents a unique intersection of past and future for Worsham Racing. As Del is recognized among the greatest drivers in NHRA history, the next generation of talent he is helping develop will compete in the colors of the family operation that helped launch his career.
For Nataas, the opportunity is both a responsibility and a privilege.

"Del has given me the opportunity to learn from one of the best in the sport, and I've gotten to see firsthand how much his family's history means to him," Nataas added. "This car represents so much more than a paint scheme. It's about the people who believed in this team before all the success came. I'm proud that I get to be the one driving it this weekend."