EARLY EXIT FOR TORRENCE AT CHARLOTTE
Four-Time Reigning Top Fuel Champ Drops Narrow Decision to Ashley
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – For Steve Torrence, the road to an historic fifth straight NHRA Top Fuel championship grew a little more treacherous Sunday when his Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster was ousted in the second round of the 14th Betway Carolina Nationals at ZMax Dragway by No. 1 qualifier and point leader Justin Ashley.
Ashley grabbed a narrow lead at the start and never lost it, winning in 3.697 seconds at a finish line speed of 332.43 miles per hour, a couple ticks better than Torrence who stopped the timers in 3.725 seconds at 316.08 mph.
Photos by Mark Rebilas
Steve Torrence and his Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster, far lane, dropped a close decision to point leader Justin Ashley in Sunday's Betway Carolina Nationals at Charlotte. The NHRA pro tour moves this week to St. Louis for the third of six races in the Countdown to the Camping World Championship.
FINAL ROUND RESULTS
Top Fuel – Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster, 3.672, 335.73 mph, def. Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect/Vita C dragster, 3.671, 333.99 mph.
Funny Car – Ron Capps, NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Supra, 3.967, 267.32 mph, def. Alexis DeJoria, Rokit Phones Toyota Supra, 3.985, 266.85 mph.
Pro Stock – Aaron Stanfield, Janac Brothers Racing Chevy Camaro, 6.567, 210.21 mph, def. Matt Hartford, Total Seal Chevy Camaro, 6.569, 209.82 mph.
FINAL ROUND RESULTS
Top Fuel – Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster, 3.672, 335.73 mph, def. Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect/Vita C dragster, 3.671, 333.99 mph.
Funny Car – Ron Capps, NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Supra, 3.967, 267.32 mph, def. Alexis DeJoria, Rokit Phones Toyota Supra, 3.985, 266.85 mph.
Pro Stock – Aaron Stanfield, Janac Brothers Racing Chevy Camaro, 6.567, 210.21 mph, def. Matt Hartford, Total Seal Chevy Camaro, 6.569, 209.82 mph.
The early exit sends the 39-year-old Texan to World Wide Technology Raceway outside St. Louis to defend his title in this week’s NHRA Midwest Nationals trailing Ashley by 105 points with four races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship.
“When I said we were going to hurt some feelings in the Countdown, I didn’t mean our own,” said an obviously disappointed Torrence. “We’ve dug ourselves a nice hole, but we can still dig out of it. We’ll just have to double down at St. Louis and Dallas and see what happens.
“You know, when you have the Capco Boys behind you, you always have a chance. We had a good opportunity to make up some ground today, but we just didn’t take advantage,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll have some more chances moving forward.
“But credit my Toyota teammates, Justin and Antron. They’re in the driver’s seat right now and the rest of us are just playing catch up.”
It was an uncharacteristically short day for Torrence and his team on an all-concrete ZMax track on which they had won six times in the last five years. Pre-race optimism quickly gave way to concern after the very first qualifying session.
“We didn’t get down the track when the conditions were best on Friday night,” Torrence said. “That put us behind and we never really caught up. (Winning the championship) is gonna be a challenge now but we have historically responded well to challenges. On paper, it doesn’t look good but thankfully, we don’t run these races on paper; we run them on concrete and asphalt.”
Steve Torrence acknowledged that his team let an opportunity get away Sunday after losing to point leader Justin Ashley in the second round of the Betway Carolina Nationals in Charlotte.
CAPCO CONTRACTORS race summary
14th NHRA Carolina Nationals
Qualifying – Steve Torrence, No. 8 at 3.715 seconds, 328.86 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points – None.
Round 1 – S. Torrence, 3.690, 331.61 mph, def. Billy Torrence, no time.
Round 2 – S. Torrence, 3.725, 316.08 mph, lost to Justin Ashley, 3.697, 332.43 mph.
Qualifying – Billy Torrence, No. 9 at 3.720 seconds, 326.08 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points – None.
Round 1 – B. Torrence, no time, lost to Steve Torrence, 3.690, 331.61 mph.
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR Championship Points
TOP FUEL (After the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship)
1. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect/Vita C dragster 2272
2. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 2229
3. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster 2220
4. Mike Salinas, San Martin, Calif., Pep Boys/Scrappers Racing dragster 2198
5. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 2167
6. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Kalitta Air/Toyota dragster 2140
7. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers/Technet dragster 2139
8. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 2129
9. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 2125
10. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Dodge Power Brokers dragster 2094
11. Shawn Langdon, Danville, Ind., CMR Roofing/Toyota dragster 2084
12. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, SCAG/Okuma dragster 2064
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
26th NHRA Midwest Nationals
Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2022
World Wide Technology Raceway
Madison, Ill. (St. Louis)
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
About Capco Contractors Inc.:
Capco Contractors, Inc. is a family owned-and-operated construction company specializing in the oil and gas industries. A proud American company based in Texas with clients around the world, Capco was founded in 1995 by Billy Torrence and initially operated from a small office and one job-site trailer with a staff of only 12 employees. From those humble beginnings, Capco Contactors, Inc. has developed into a full-service pipeline company, capable of all aspects of pipeline work including site work, creation of compressor stations, mainline pipeline construction and pipeline integrity projects. It employs more than 200 people with main offices in Henderson, Texas.
