[coverattach=1]Steve Torrence’s NHRA media guide information lists hunting as one of his hobbies, and its season happens to come at a time when the Top Fuel driver from Kilgore, Texas has some spare time.
“Over the last few years, I’ve become an avid hunter,” he said. “I started hunting with my friends. My dad didn’t hunt at all, but last year I took him hunting for the first time. I like spending time in the woods; it’s life at its simplest . . . and that’s an enjoyable experience for me.”
It is, however, the antithesis of the sights, smells and booming sounds found only during the fast-paced action at the drag track. That quieter, simpler life is about to change for Torrence.
NHRA’s 23-race Full Throttle Drag Racing Series is only eight days away. That’s when Torrence sets in motion a far different style of hunting – one that rewards round wins with series points – as he competes for a coveted berth in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
For the first time in his 16-race Top Fuel career, Torrence’s duties begin at the opening event – the 50th Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals at Pomona, Calif., Feb. 11-14. He’ll be at the controls of the Torrence Racing/Tuttle Motorsports entry owned by drag racing veteran Dexter Tuttle.
It’s the next step in a career that began when Steve was just 15. “My dad, Billy, has been drag racing as long as I can remember,” said Torrence, of Kilgore, Texas. “And I started in 1998.
“All of us at Torrence Racing/Tuttle Motorsports are excited about the tasks ahead,” Torrence said. “This season is a family effort, running the car out of our pocket. We are very happy to have the opportunity to make a run for the Countdown, and I think it’s fitting that it is with Dexter’s team. I’ve never driven a Top Fuel dragster for anyone else. We are fortunate to still be associated with him. I obviously enjoy working with him.”
In 2006, Tuttle selected Torrence late in the season to be a three-race teammate of J.R. Todd’s, and tabbed him again for nine races midway through the 2008 campaign. Last year, when the Torrence family decided to take the next step, Tuttle was obviously their first choice.
The plan included using four of the last five national events – at Dallas, Memphis, Las Vegas and Pomona – as effective test sessions for their 2010 effort.
“We are going to run as hard as we can to make the Countdown,” Torrence said. “I think that’s a realistic goal. The car has the potential. We proved it was capable of running well at a few races last year. We were successful, too. I went to the semifinals at Memphis and we were number 2 qualifier in the October race at Las Vegas.
“Dexter has a pretty good tune-up and I think our key will be the car’s consistency. While our budget may not be as large as some of the other teams, I feel like we have what it takes to be a contender.”
Tuttle, who began his drag racing career in drag boats, says, “The key to this is it’s a family venture. We are going to go out and try to win some races. We have a good crew. I don’t know if we can contend for the championship, but I think we can win a few races.”
Billy Torrence, a 15-year Sportsman racer, likes what he sees. “I think they’ve done well,” he remarked. “They are not a big-funded team. You know these cars run on money, but they’ve been able to make everything count.”
The ability to make each series stop will also enable Steve Torrence to hone his driving skills and get as comfortable as possible for each quick 1,000-foot lap.
“I lack experience, so the big thing for me this year as a driver is the chance to be in the car week in and week out,” he said. “That is going to be a major confidence boost for me.
“Being relaxed and comfortable in the car allows you to think about what the car’s doing and what’s going on around you. Unless you’re in the car at every race, you never get into a routine and you never have the opportunity to make decisions without really thinking about them.
“Heck, these 1,000-foot races only last about four seconds – if everything goes well – so you don’t have time to think about what you should do . . . you just do it.”
Tuttle and the Torrences have done a lot of thinking about their 2010 racing program with the same result. They just did it, and hope a successful effort might attract a marketing partner hunting for a Top Fuel team.
“We are going to help them as much as we can,” Billy said, “and maybe they will get some exposure and somebody will say, ‘Hey, that’s a good team, I want to be on the side of that car.’
“We’ve always raced as a family and we’ve always been self-sufficient. We didn’t do it if we couldn’t afford it. It’s a fun time. It would be nice to be able to recoup some of your investment, but we put it in the context that we’re out there doing it for fun. If you could get paid for having fun . . . that would be great.”
“Over the last few years, I’ve become an avid hunter,” he said. “I started hunting with my friends. My dad didn’t hunt at all, but last year I took him hunting for the first time. I like spending time in the woods; it’s life at its simplest . . . and that’s an enjoyable experience for me.”
It is, however, the antithesis of the sights, smells and booming sounds found only during the fast-paced action at the drag track. That quieter, simpler life is about to change for Torrence.
NHRA’s 23-race Full Throttle Drag Racing Series is only eight days away. That’s when Torrence sets in motion a far different style of hunting – one that rewards round wins with series points – as he competes for a coveted berth in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
For the first time in his 16-race Top Fuel career, Torrence’s duties begin at the opening event – the 50th Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals at Pomona, Calif., Feb. 11-14. He’ll be at the controls of the Torrence Racing/Tuttle Motorsports entry owned by drag racing veteran Dexter Tuttle.
It’s the next step in a career that began when Steve was just 15. “My dad, Billy, has been drag racing as long as I can remember,” said Torrence, of Kilgore, Texas. “And I started in 1998.
“All of us at Torrence Racing/Tuttle Motorsports are excited about the tasks ahead,” Torrence said. “This season is a family effort, running the car out of our pocket. We are very happy to have the opportunity to make a run for the Countdown, and I think it’s fitting that it is with Dexter’s team. I’ve never driven a Top Fuel dragster for anyone else. We are fortunate to still be associated with him. I obviously enjoy working with him.”
In 2006, Tuttle selected Torrence late in the season to be a three-race teammate of J.R. Todd’s, and tabbed him again for nine races midway through the 2008 campaign. Last year, when the Torrence family decided to take the next step, Tuttle was obviously their first choice.
The plan included using four of the last five national events – at Dallas, Memphis, Las Vegas and Pomona – as effective test sessions for their 2010 effort.
“We are going to run as hard as we can to make the Countdown,” Torrence said. “I think that’s a realistic goal. The car has the potential. We proved it was capable of running well at a few races last year. We were successful, too. I went to the semifinals at Memphis and we were number 2 qualifier in the October race at Las Vegas.
“Dexter has a pretty good tune-up and I think our key will be the car’s consistency. While our budget may not be as large as some of the other teams, I feel like we have what it takes to be a contender.”
Tuttle, who began his drag racing career in drag boats, says, “The key to this is it’s a family venture. We are going to go out and try to win some races. We have a good crew. I don’t know if we can contend for the championship, but I think we can win a few races.”
Billy Torrence, a 15-year Sportsman racer, likes what he sees. “I think they’ve done well,” he remarked. “They are not a big-funded team. You know these cars run on money, but they’ve been able to make everything count.”
The ability to make each series stop will also enable Steve Torrence to hone his driving skills and get as comfortable as possible for each quick 1,000-foot lap.
“I lack experience, so the big thing for me this year as a driver is the chance to be in the car week in and week out,” he said. “That is going to be a major confidence boost for me.
“Being relaxed and comfortable in the car allows you to think about what the car’s doing and what’s going on around you. Unless you’re in the car at every race, you never get into a routine and you never have the opportunity to make decisions without really thinking about them.
“Heck, these 1,000-foot races only last about four seconds – if everything goes well – so you don’t have time to think about what you should do . . . you just do it.”
Tuttle and the Torrences have done a lot of thinking about their 2010 racing program with the same result. They just did it, and hope a successful effort might attract a marketing partner hunting for a Top Fuel team.
“We are going to help them as much as we can,” Billy said, “and maybe they will get some exposure and somebody will say, ‘Hey, that’s a good team, I want to be on the side of that car.’
“We’ve always raced as a family and we’ve always been self-sufficient. We didn’t do it if we couldn’t afford it. It’s a fun time. It would be nice to be able to recoup some of your investment, but we put it in the context that we’re out there doing it for fun. If you could get paid for having fun . . . that would be great.”
