Chuck Worsham - Owner/Crew Chief
Back in 1975, Chuck Worsham volunteered to help a friend work on an alcohol Funny Car and nothing in his life has quite been the same since.

Bitten by the need for speed, he quickly made the jump to Nitro racing to play with the big boys in 1987. Chuck made the tuning calls while Art Hendey handled the driving chores, and the pair began to make a mark for themselves on the NHRA tour. Helping out through those years was Chuck's young teenage son, Del Worsham, who was learning the ropes from his talented father.

When Hendey and Worsham went their separate ways, late in 1990, Chuck put his boy in the seat and the father/son combination has flourished over the past 16 years.

Chuck is in his element when parts, tools, or repairs have to be fabricated out of seemingly thin air, and that fabrication talent is what allowed Chuck, a serious bowler who averages over 200, to lead the construction effort on the Worsham's now-famous bowling alley at the team shop.

Working closely with his son Del, as well as Marc Denner and the crew, Chuck Worsham is a full-time team owner and tuner. He and his wife Lou reside in Orange, California.

Del Worsham - Driver/Crew Chief
Somewhere along the line, the same "Kid From The Coast" who charmed drag racing fans with his youthful exuberance just a few years ago, has transformed before our eyes into one of the sport's most popular drivers.

Del Worsham may have matured in many ways since his debut, but he remains , at heart, the same genuine personality who burst upon the scene in 1991, with two race victories and the "Rookie Of The Year" award.

Now, a decade and a half later, Worsham can look back over the recent seasons and see the sort of success he had always hoped for, including his 18 wins between 2001 and 2006.

Those wins, and the subsequent points positions they brought with them, were not accomplished without hard work and a number of ups and downs along the way, but Worsham’s growth and development as a tuner, crew chief, and driver, is clearly evident by looking at his record.

Once a precocious young driver, Worsham is now in charge of the business on a day-to-day basis, overseeing all aspects of the operation. A true “hands-on” owner and

Marc Denner - Car Chief
Marc joined the Worsham program prior to the start of the 1997 season, as a bottom end specialist, and he quickly earned a place of respect and responsibility on the team.

By 2002, Marc had risen through the program and added greater crew supervision, parts and assembly management, and other team-wide organizational responsibilities to his daily work load, which focused on clutch assembly and overall assistance for the CSK red team. At the conclusion of the ‘02 season, Marc was promoted, along with colleague Chris Cunningham, to the Co-Crew Chief role on the Team CSK blue car, where he remained for five years, winning three races.

At the conclusion of the 2007 season, when the blue team was dissolved due to lack of sponsor funding, Denner was retained by the organization and was transferred to an important position on Del Worsham's team, where he will manage day-to-day organization, crew work, and race car preparation throughout the season. As a seasoned manager and tuner, Marc's input will be essential to the overall progress of the team.

Ryan McGilvry - Top End
Ryan joined Team CSK just prior to the start of the 2007 season, and handled bottom end duties on Del Worsham’s machine that year.

Now, in 2008, Ryan will move up to the top end of the motor, handling cylinder head and blower servicing at the race track.

Additionally, Ryan will be one of the team’s lead transporter drivers, and he will also be relied upon to lead his teammates by example, as the senior-most member of the core crew group.

A veteran of five seasons in the Pro Mod ranks, Ryan also spent part of one year working on Tony Pedregon’s Funny Car before joining Worsham Racing.

One of the Pro Mod cars Ryan worked on was owned and driven by his uncle, Ron Muenks, who gave Ryan his start in the sport.

Ryan, his wife Krista, and their two sons live in Springfield, Mo.

Matt Madden - Cylinder Heads
Matt joined Team CSK at the Norwalk race in 2007, and was added to the team after that “try out” weekend.

He is yet another product of the University of Northwestern Ohio, the third such former High Performance Motosports student to work for Worsham Racing.

Matt spent 2007 as a “floater” on the team, pitching in wherever help was needed, but has been handed the major responsibility of being in charge of the team’s cylinder heads in 2008.

Growing up in Richmond, Va., Matt took an interest in cars and performance once he began to drive as a teen, and followed his dream of working on the world’s fastest race cars by attending class at U.N.O., where he met current teammate Chase Steele.

He credits his parents for instilling the drive to follow his desires, and has now landed his first job with a professional racing team.

Matt is single, dabbles with the guitar, and calls Irvine, Calif. his home.

Carl Boyd - Clutch Specialist
Carl joined the team prior to the 2008 season, after having spent the ‘07 campaign working on Whit Bazemore’s Top Fuel Dragster.

Born in Bryan, Texas and raised in nearby North Zulch, Carl took an early interest in working on cars and began to focus on the mechanical aspect of the automotive industry in high school, where he graduated 3rd in his class.

He attended Blinn Junior College, studying Criminal Justice, before enrolling at WyoTech in Laramie, Wyoming.

Carl will service and install the team’s clutch system throughout the 2008 season, filling one of the most critical and important positions on the crew

He credits his entire family for being his biggest positive influence, and still calls the College Station area of Texas his home.

Kevin Maddux - Bottom End
Kevin joined Worsham Racing prior to the start of the 2008 season, and is the latest in a long line of Team CSK crew members from Southwest Missouri.

Kevin got his start in the sport thanks to the inspiration of his Great Uncle, famed chassis builder Jerry Haas.He is a graduate of Missouri State University, in Springfield, Mo., with a degree in Education, and was an Insurance Claims Adjuster prior to entering the racing world.After working in the Pro Mod class with Barklage Racing, Kevin made the move to Worsham Racing, where he will handle bottom-end duties in 2008. He also assembles racks of rods and pistons and assists at the starting line by directing driver Del Worsham back from the burnout.Kevin credits his father and his brothers as being his greatest influences, and is into hiking, rock climbing, and outdoor grilling.

He remains a resident of Springfield, Mo.

Chad Stockwell - General Crew
Chad is another new member of Worsham Racing, having joined the team prior to the start of the 2008 season.

The Upland, Calif. native has a colorful background, including over-the-road trucking, logging in the Great Northwest, and a stint aboard commercial fishing vessels in Alaska, the hunt from Alaskan King Crab.He has spent time working on a CIFCA Funny Car team, the Top Fuel car driven by Andrew Cowin, and on the Skoal Funny Car driven by Tommy Johnson, prior to joining Team CSK.Chad’s responsibilities will include mounting tires and wheels, cleaning parts, and assisting wherever needed.His interests include hunting, fishing, baseball, photography, and surfing.

Chad has a young son, Tanner, and still calls Upland, Calif. his home.

Cale Hood - Blowers and Fuel
Cale is the newest member of the Worsham Racing organization, but his background is a familiar one.

Cale attended WyoTech in Laramie, Wyoming, where he met current teammate Carl Boyd. When a crew slot opened up on the CSK Funny Car team early in the 2008 season, Boyd recommended his WyoTech classmate and Cale soon earned a spot as part of the organization.

Born and raised in Cartersville, Georgia, Cale was introduced to working on cars by his father, who raced locally and always had a mechanical project underway in the garage.

Jumping right in to a full-time position, Cale now handles the between rounds servicing of the team’s superchargers, while he also is in charge of the fuel.

Cale rode Motocross from the age of 5 until he was 21, and now enjoys fishing and riding motorcycles in his spare time.

He is single, and still calls Cartersville, Ga. his home.

John Fink - Partner/Crew Member
John Fink met Chuck Worsham in 1992 and joined the team at that year’s US Nationals in Indy. Soon thereafter their new friendship blossomed into a full racing partnership, and the team name became “Worsham & Fink Racing.”

Early on, John also generously provided a shop in Auburn, Indiana which the team still uses as its base of operations in the midwest.John, a Purdue University graduate and longtime successful business leader, not only works on the race car and drives his motorcoach to each event, he is also still heavily involved in family business around his hometown of Auburn.John assists with cylinder head work on race weekends, and also provides help in a wide variety of areas, including packing the parachutes and handling key starting line responsibilities.

A collector of vintage cars and military equipment, John and his wife Tammy live in Auburn, Indiana.

Frank Gilchrist - General Assistance
Since 1992, Frank Gilchrist has been such a major part of the Worsham and Fink team he has become a familiar face to racers and fans alike, from coast to coast.

In past years, as owner of Texas Stagecoach, Frank had been responsible for painting all the Team CSK cars and trailers. As he has wound the business down on his way to retirement, he now enjoys his time with the team as an advisor and as a key host for visitors and VIPs, both in the team pit area and at the starting line. In addition to following the tour with the Worsham team, Frank has recently been heavily involved in the collection of classic muscle cars.Frank, and his wife Barbara, enjoy driving their luxury motorcoach to nearly every event.

The Gilchrists have two grown sons, Kent and Craig, as well as two grandchildren. Frank and his wife Barbara live in Houston, Texas.

Grant Downing - Chassis Builder
Grant has been affiliated with the Worsham team since 1997, when he was thrust into a substitute crew position in Sonoma, just minutes after meeting Del and Chuck Worsham. Quickly added to the team as a full-time crew member, Grant proved his mechanical and fabrication skills beyond any doubt, and let the Worshams know he was interested in building a Funny Car chassis.

The Worshams took Grant up on his offer, and his first chassis was produced in 1999, under his company name "Paralax." Since that moment, every new Worsham chassis has been built by Grant Downing.

 

Prior to the start of the 2003 season, Worsham Racing brought Paralax Race Cars in-house, and Grant is now once again an exclusive member of the team. He builds chassis, mounts bodies, fabricates parts and repairs, and assists in many other phases of the operation.

The New Zealander also makes time to drive his own Nitro Funny Car, which he built, assembled, and licensed in with the help of the rest of the Team CSK organization. He remains the quickest and fastest New Zealander in the world.

He and his wife Lynne live in Fullerton, California.

---

Nick Puglisi - General Assistance
Nick walked up and introduced himself to Del and Chuck Worsham at the Englishtown event in 1991, and has been part of the team ever since 1992.

“New Jersey Nick” brings his well known outgoing personality and dedicated work ethic to this team and has been a valuable part of the operation since he joined the ranks. As owner of NLM Electrical, he attends as many races as his busy schedule permits and assists with blower preparation, general maintenance, and the electrical system which powers the team’s transporters.

Nick and his son Nicholas live in North Haledon, New Jersey.

Bob Wilber - Team Manager
Bob will complete his 12th season with Worsham Racing in 2008, as he oversees the program's needs in the areas of media and public relations, sponsor coordination, additional business development, promotions, and management. At the race track, Bob assists by video taping every lap from the starting line, while he also finds time to shoot digital still photos for the team's website, which he manages.

Unlike most team members, Bob did not grow up around race cars. As the son of former Major League Baseball catcher Del Wilber, Bob grew up aspiring to follow in his father’s footsteps, hoping for a career at the ballpark. Though never a big leaguer, he did spend 6 years in professional baseball as a player, coach, and scout (for the Detroit Tigers, Oakland A’s, and Toronto Blue Jays) after completing his college career at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, where he earned his degree in TV/Radio Broadcasting.

After leaving baseball, Bob embarked on a sports marketing career which included projects with various USA Olympic teams, Major League Baseball, the NCAA, as well as two stints as General Manager for professional indoor soccer teams.

David Jacobsen - Marketing Representative
Dave joined the team in late 2007, coming to the organization with more than 20 years of international sales, marketing, and product development under his belt. Having worked in a variety of industries, Dave entered the optical field in 1987, and by 1997 was President of Australian Optical Company.

From 1999 to 2007, Dave was Owner and CEO of Global Optical Resources, as he traveled the world in the eyeglass business, maintaining strong sales and client relationships in China and Italy.Now, as part of the Worsham Racing organization, Dave will work closely with Team Manager Bob Wilber to expand the program’s sponsor base, develop new business partnerships, and position the team for growth and strength for years to come.

Dave was born and raised in the small community of Sherburn, Minn., and is a 1983 graduate of Minnesota State University - Mankato.

Connie Worsham - Business Manager
Connie’s important role on the team took an “official” turn in 2000, when she joined the program to help manage the ever growing business.

In 2008, Connie will again coordinate the team payroll system and accounts receivable/payable, while she expands her involvement in the creative areas of merchandise design and souvenir sales.Her experience as a Human Resources specialist for seven years helped the team cope with its rapid growth since 2000, and she continues to oversee many critical issues on a weekly basis. Connie and Del, along with Kate and Maddy, now live in Chino Hills, California.