A SEASON TO REMEMBER (1 Viewer)

For Immediate Release
TEAM CAPCO’S SEASON TO REMEMBER
Steve Torrence Makes More History During Second Straight Title Run

KILGORE, Texas – Steve Torrence fell just short in his bid to become the first driver in NHRA Top Fuel drag racing history to win 30 races in 30 months, but the 36-year-old cancer survivor’s 2019 season added some significant achievements to his growing competitive portfolio.

Not only did he hoist the trophy after a second consecutive Mello Yello championship, joining an elite group of seven other Top Fuel drivers who have prevailed in back-to-back campaigns, he also became just the seventh driver, regardless of category, to win as many as 60 rounds of racing in a single season.

His 60-15 record over the course of the 24-race 2019 campaign made him just the third Top Fuel driver with 60-plus round wins in a season after Tony Schumacher, who reached that number in both 2004 and 2008, and Kenny Bernstein, who went 61-16 in 2001.

From April 30, 2017 through Oct. 30, 2019, 30 calendar months, Torrence drove his Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster into the winners’ circle on 29 occasions. No other Top Fuel or Funny Car driver has been more prolific.

In fact, only four-time Pro Stock Champion Greg Anderson can boast more production over a similar time frame with 31 wins in a 30-month span from Feb. 23, 2003 through August 23, 2005.

Perhaps even more impressive than his singular success was the production of Team Capco as a whole. That’s because Capco founder and CEO Billy Torrence made some history of his own as the first part-time pro to qualify for the Countdown, ultimately finishing fifth.

Although he raced in only 16 of 24 events overall, Billy Torrence advanced to six final rounds and won four races, two of them in the six-race Countdown to the Championship. Ironically, it was his victory in an all-Capco final round at the AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals at St. Louis that denied his son his 30th win in three years.

Significantly, there was at least one Capco car in the final round at 18 of the 24 events and, on two occasions, it was an all-Capco affair with Steve winning in Topeka, Kan., before Billy prevailed in St. Louis.


STEVE TORRENCE
Capco Contractors Top Fuel Dragster
2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Summary:
(LEGEND: Underlined figures indicate BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE EVENT; *indicates track record; **indicates NHRA
national record)
Best
DateEventSiteQualify/ResultPerformanceStanding

2-10Lucas Oil WinternationalsPomona, CA1st/Runner-Up3.657/331.612nd
2-24Magic Dry Arizona NationalsPhoenix, AZ14th/1st Round3.930/261.884th
3-17Amalie GatornationalsGainesville, FL3rd/2nd Round3.680/329.913rd
4-07Denso Four-Wide NationalsLas Vegas, NV2nd/2nd Quad3.721/327.593rd
4-14Mopar Express Lane Spring NationalsHouston, TX2nd/Semifinalist3.705/327.193rd
4-28NGK 4Wide NationalsCharlotte, NC6th/WINNER3.743/327.431st

5-05Arby’s Southern NationalsAtlanta, GA2nd/WINNER3.727/328.461st
5-19NHRA Virginia NationalsRichmond, Va.4th/WINNER3.773/325.141st
6-02NHRA Route 66 NationalsChicago, IL3rd/WINNER3.741/329.341st
6-09Menard’s Heartland NationalsTopeka, KS1st/WINNER3.721/329.831st

6-16NHRA Thunder Valley NationalsBristol, TN3rd/Runner-Up3.768/326.001st
6-23Summit Equipment NationalsNorwalk, OH5th/WINNER3.725/328.301st
7-07NHRA New England NationalsEpping, NH9th/WINNER3.756/328.621st
7-21Dodge Mile-High NationalsDenver, CO 1st/WINNER3.738/330.31^1st
7-28NHRA Sonoma NationalsSonoma, CA2nd/Semifinalist3.717/325.851st
8-04Cat Spot Northwest NationalsSeattle, WA3rd/Runner-Up3.705/328.461st
8-18Lucas Oil NationalsBrainerd, MN2nd/2nd Round3.738/328.701st
9-02Chevrolet U.S. NationalsIndianapolis, IN3rd/2nd Round3.656/331.121st



Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship:
9-15Mopar Express Lane Keystone NationalsReading, PA8th/1st Round3.697/330.153rd
9-29AAA Midwest NationalsSt. Louis, MO5th/Runner-Up3.708/327.902nd
10-13NHRA Carolina NationalsCharlotte, NC 1st/WINNER3.711/329.341st
10-20AAA Texas Fall NationalsDallas, TX4th/1st Round3.689/329.181st
11-03Dodge Nevada NationalsLas Vegas, NV5th/Runner-Up3.690/330.631st
11-17Auto Club FinalsPomona, CA1st/Semifinalist3.686/329.991st

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
Most rounds won, single season

76by Greg Anderson, Pro Stock, 2004 (76-8, 90.5%)
76by Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel, 2008 (76-9, 88.1%)
67 by Greg Anderson, Pro Stock, 2003 (67-11, 85.9%)
65by John Force, Funny Car, 1996 (65-6, 91.5%)
65by Jason Line, Pro Stock, 2016 (65-16, 80.2%)
64by Greg Anderson, Pro Stock, 2016 (64-16, 80.0%)
62by Jeg Coughlin Jr., Pro Stock, 2000 (62-13, 82.6%)
61by John Force, Funny Car, 1999 (61-11, 84.3%)
61by Kenny Bernstein, Top Fuel, 2001 (61-16, 77.7%)
60 by Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel, 2004 (60-13, 82.2%)
60 by Steve Torrence, Top Fuel, 2019 (60-15, 80.0%)


NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
Top Fuel Drivers with Consecutive Series Championships

Don Garlits1985-86
Joe Amato1990-92
Scott Kalitta1994-95
Gary Scelzi1998-99
Larry Dixon2002-03
Tony Schumacher2004-09
Antron Brown2015-16
Steve Torrence2018-19
 
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