Nitromater

For Immediate Release
CAPCO STREAK ENDS AT BRAINERD
Neither Torrence Dragster Advances to Final Round at Lucas Oil Nationals

BRAINERD, Minn. – For the first time in 12 races and for just the fourth time all season long, there wasn’t a Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster in the final round of an NHRA national event Sunday when Leah Pritchett won the 38th annual Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.

Reigning series champion and runaway point leader Steve Torrence dropped a narrow second round decision to Doug Kalitta and dad Billy’s first foul start as a pro ended his bid in the same round, placing in peril his eleventh hour bid for a berth in the Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship.

When racing begins Labor Day weekend in the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Ind., Billy Torrence will trail Terry McMillen by 41 points in the battle for the 10th and final starting spot.

To make the playoffs, the elder Torrence would need to go...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Billy Torrence Defends at Brainerd
SON STEVE CHASES HISTORY IN OTHER CAPCO DRAGSTER

BRAINERD, Minn. – When the Mello Yello tour moves this week to Brainerd International Raceway for the 38th annual Lucas Oil Nationals, the focus briefly will shift from series champion Steve Torrence’s pursuit of drag racing history to dad Billy’s first title defense and his bid for a starting spot in the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

It’ll be a two-pronged assault by a Capco Contractors Top Fuel team that has won 10 of 16 races this season and 22 of the last 39.

Billy Torrence, the founder and CEO of Capco Contractors, a Texas-based oil-and-gas pipeline construction and maintenance business, earned his first professional victory just one year ago when he won the Lucas Oil Nationals from the No. 1 qualifying position, becoming one of an elite group of drivers who have won NHRA national events in both the pro and sportsman categories.

Now, he...

NHRA® Team Report
NHRA® Nationals - Brainerd
Pre-Race Report

After a trio of solid, low three-second runs, Cruz Pedregon and team are preparing for Brainerd with a win in mind. "As a team, we're confident in how the Snap-on Funny Car is performing on the track, and we're working hard to maximize every opportunity to showcase what the car and this team can do," Cruz says. "In my career, I've seen what making the most of every session can do when it comes to earning Countdown points, and we're ready to move up into that Top 10 spot."

For an extra event to tune and run the Snap-on Dodge® at this critical point in the season, Cruz and team participated in the popular Night Under Fire® in Norwalk before heading to Brainerd.

"The car is running so well right now, and we're looking forward to making it the best it can be for Cruz to earn the points needed in the next couple of NHRA races to secure a Countdown spot," says crew chief Glen Huszar.

"Even as we focus on racing...

TORRENCE FALLS IN FINAL ROUND
Point Leader Loses to Rookie Austin Prock at Cat Spot Northwest Nationals

SEATTLE, Wash. – Steve Torrence drove his Capco Contractors dragster into the final round for the 11th time this season before a loss of traction opened the door for rookie Austin Prock to win the 32nd annual Cat Spot Organic Absorbent NHRA Northwest Nationals Sunday at Pacific Raceways.

Although he had a big advantage at the start (.135 of a second), Torrence found himself engulfed in smoke at halftrack as his 11,000 horsepower hybrid began to spin the tires. Unable to regain traction, the reigning Mello Yello Champion and runaway point leader slowed to 4.984 seconds. Prock drove by him in 3.875 seconds at 307.86 miles per hour.

Despite the result, the 36-year-old Texan further extended his point lead. When the tour moves to Brainerd, Minn. for the 38th annual Lucas Oil Nationals on August 16-18, he will lead close friend and three-time series champion Antron Brown by...

NHRA® Team Report
NHRA® Northwest Nationals - Seattle
Pre-Race Report

Cruz Pedregon and team made a couple of notable stops on the way to Seattle and are refreshed and ready for the Northwest Nationals. "It's good for the team as a whole and for me as a driver to take a deep breath, do something fun off the track and prepare for the important races ahead," Cruz says. "We're so close to the Countdown Top 10, and these fun side trips got us even more revved to push the car and qualify better this weekend.”

Before heading to Washington, Cruz took time to watch the first full-pads practice of Cruz's favorite football team, the Oakland Raiders. This is the last season they'll play as Oakland's team before relocating to Las Vegas, so Cruz's team members took full advantage of their proximity to the Napa practice location, getting autographs and interacting with some of the players.

Crew chief Glen Huszar and assistant crew chief Nick Casertano stayed behind to focus on...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 1, 2019
Disturbed Racing signs RAD Torque Systems as major sponsor
KENT, Wash. – Defending NHRA Western Region Top Alcohol Funny Car Champion Chris Marshall recently announced the signing of RAD Torque Systems as a major sponsor to his and Alan Mascord’s Disturbed Racing Team. The team will be making their national event debut with the RAD colors during this weekend’s Magic Dry Nationals at Pacific Raceways just outside of Seattle.
Marshall, who runs Marshall’s Paint & Body in McMinnville, Ore., finalized the deal with RAD Owner Dan Provost, who also competes in NHRA Top Dragster, just before the recent Sonoma, Calif., Western Regional event.
“My wife Briana and I were enjoying the golf cart races after qualifying at the Woodburn [Ore.] race, and Dan came up and introduced himself to us,” stated Marshall. “He said he understood we were about to run out of funds and park the car for the rest of the year, and would like to see what he could do...

‘Modified’ Sweep Still Possible
TORRENCE TRIES TO REGAIN FORM AT CAT SPOT NATIONALS

SEATTLE, Wash. – Briefly stripped of his aura of invincibility, reigning Mello Yello champion Steve Torrence aims to reclaim it this week when he sends his Capco Contractors dragster after the Top Fuel championship at the 31st annual Cat Spot NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceway.

After winning eight times, forging a lead of more than 500 points and becoming the first driver to clinch a berth in the NHRA playoffs, Torrence saw his streak of consecutive final round appearances come to an end last week at Sonoma Raceway when he dropped a narrow semifinal decision not to Clay Millican or Antron Brown or Doug Kalitta or any of the other usual suspects, but to his dad, Billy.

The elder Torrence, who will miss this week’s race because of the demands of business, went on to win the race, keeping alive his hopes of joining his son as one of the 10 drivers eligible to compete for the...