BILLY TORRENCE MAKES IT A DOUBLE (1 Viewer)

Capco Founder Matches Son’s Top Fuel Win with Super Comp Victory at Topeka

TOPEKA, Kan. – While three-time reigning World Top Fuel Champion Steve Torrence was keeping alive his hopes of becoming just the eighth driver in any pro discipline to sweep the NHRA’s prestigious Western Swing, dad Billy was hoisting a Wally trophy of his own Sunday halfway across the country at Heartland Park.
Although the founder and CEO of Capco Contractors, Inc., is taking a short break from his duties as driver of the second Torrence Racing Top Fuel dragster, he never considered stepping away from racing altogether. Far from it, in fact.
Returning to his sportsman roots, the elder Torrence waded through a field of more than 100 Super Comp drivers from 13 states to put his “Capco Junior” entry into the winners’ circle in a Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at the same track on which he and his son will race their Capco Contractors Top Fuel cars in next month’s Menard’s NHRA Nationals.
On the way to his seven-round victory, Torrence won twice on hole shots and on three other occasions forced opponents into breakout fouls. His average reaction time for the seven rounds was .014 of a second with a best of .005 against Mark Grame of Overland Park, Kan., in the semifinals.
The narrowest win for the 1999 South Central Division Super Comp Champion was a double-breakout nail-biter with Mitch Withers of Pratt, Kan., in the third round. At 8.879 seconds, Torrence was .021 under the 8.90 Super Comp target. Fortunately, Withers was even further under at 8.864 seconds.
A two-time Super Comp winner on the NHRA national tour (Las Vegas in 2011 and Atlanta in 2016) before he won the first of his seven Top Fuel titles, Torrence used a .010 final round reaction time to force Matt Rose of Gretna, Neb., under by .011 of a second in the final round.
Meanwhile, after winning Sunday’s Sonoma NHRA Nationals, son Steve will take a broom to Pomona, Calif., this week where he will try to become just the sixth Top Fuel driver to “sweep the Swing” by winning the long-delayed, summertime version of the 61st annual Lucas Oil Winternationals.
Winner of six of nine Camping World tour events this season including three in succession, the younger Torrence will begin the qualifying process on Friday 349 points ahead of second place Antron Brown with just four races remaining before points are adjusted for the start of the Countdown to the championship.

TOPEKA, Kansas – Super Comp results from Sunday’s West Central Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Heartland Park:

Qualifying round – Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster, def. Austin McClure, Topeka, Kan., to earn No. 39 qualifying position.
Round 2 – Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, 8.928, 179.16 mph, def. Shannon Brinkley, Highlands, Texas, 8.930, 173.45 mph.
Round 3 – Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, 8.879, 191.13 mph, def. Mitch Withers, Pratt, Kan., 8.864, 166.95 mph.
Round 4 – Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, 8.935, 180.48 mph, def. Gary Wamboldt, Arvada, Colo., 8.904, 175.37 mph.
Round 5 – Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, 8.921, 183.27 mph, def. Tony Leonard, Inner Grove Heights, Minn., 8.907, 165.89 mph.
Semifinals – Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, 8.911, 185.87 mph, def. Mark Grame, Overland Park, Kan., 8.887, 186.05 mph.
FINAL – Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, 8.924, 181.23 mph, def. Matt Rose Gretna, Neb., 8.889, 173.38 mph.
 
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