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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
He May Not Like It, But….
MELLO YELLO CHAMP GOES FOR ANOTHER 4WIDE WIN
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – World Champion Steve Torrence has the same kind of relationship with four-wide drag racing that Matthew Quigley, protagonist of the 1990 Australian-American western “Quigley Down Under,” had with handguns.
An expert marksman with a long rifle, a skill for which he was hired by bigoted Australian rancher Elliot Marston, Quigley admitted early-on that he didn’t have much use for the revolvers favored by his employer, a wannabe gunfighter.
Imagine Marston’s surprise when Quigley, deprived of his trusty rifle, wins the climatic shootout with the antagonist and two of his henchmen using a handgun supplied by the villains themselves. Standing over his incredulous victims, Quigley uttered the movie’s most famous line “said I didn’t have much use for ‘em, never said I didn’t know how to use ‘em.”
Torrence is that way when drag racing goes four-wide as it does again this week in the 10th renewal of the NGK Spark Plugs 4Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. He doesn’t particularly like the format, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t good at it.
The fact is he is very good indeed having driven his Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster into the winners’ circle in three of the last four events contested four across including the last two at zMAX, the original four-wide racetrack.
“To succeed (in four-wide racing) you really have to concentrate on the job at hand,” said the 36-year-old Texan. “There are distractions you don’t have (in the traditional two-driver format) but, really, when you’ve had the kind of success we’ve had, winning three of these things and being runner-up in another (at zMAX in 2015), it’s hard to be too critical. It’s just another challenge to get to the ultimate goal – and that’s winning another Mello Yello (championship) trophy.”
The truth is, whether it’s two-wide, four-wide or however many-wide, Torrence and his “Capco Boys” have established themselves as the gold standard in Top Fuel racing. Moreover the Torrence Racing business model has been adopted by a slew of new Top Fuel teams including the one anchored by California businessman Mike Salinas, winner earlier this month of the Denso Four-Wide in Las Vegas.
"We’re not some big powerhouse that’s building our own parts," Torrence said. “We buy everything off the shelf and put it on the race car. (The success) is all about the boys that put these things together and Richard (Hogan) and Bobby (Lagana Jr.) making the right calls tuning it.
2019 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After 5 of 18 races leading into the Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship)
1. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 367
2. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Advance Auto Parts dragster 349
3. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 343
4. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 320
5. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Mopar Dodge dragster 303
6. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 302
7. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 278
8. Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 265
9. Richie Crampton, Brownsburg, Ind., DHL/Kalitta Air dragster 264
10. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Intimigator dragster 231
* * * *
The Champ at zMAX Dragway:
Last year at the NGK Spark Plugs 4Wide Nationals: After qualifying No. 4, Steve advanced to the final quad where he outran Doug Kalitta, Terry McMillen and Clay Millican.
Last year at the NHRA Carolina Nationals: The No. 2 qualifier behind Brittany Force, Steve beat Chris Karamesines, Leah Pritchett, Tony Schumacher and the aforementioned No. 1 qualifier to claim his fourth straight playoff win on the way to a six-race sweep.
Starts/Final Rounds/Wins/No. 1 Qualifier: 17/4/3/2 (9/3/2/2 in the 4Wide)
Steve’s quickest time at zMAX Dragway: 3.703 seconds, Oct. 14, 2018
Steve’s fastest speed at zMAX Dragway: 331.53 mph, April 29, 2018 and Oct. 12, 2018
Steve’s won-lost record at zMAX Dragway: 21-14 (11-7 in the 4Wide)
Steve’s best moment(s) at zMAX Dragway: See “Last year at the NGK” and “Last year at the Carolina Nationals” above; in 2017, as the No. 4 starter, Steve beat Tony Schumacher, Leah Pritchett and Terry McMillen for his first 4Wide victory.
Track records: 3.689 seconds by Brittany Force, April 27, 2018; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April 15, 2012.
* * * *
The Champ, 4Wide:
Races: 11 (nine at zMAX and two at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway)
Starts: 11
No. 1 qualifier: 2
Quads won: 10*
Final Four: 4
Wins: 3**
Runner-up: 1
Advanced/Did Not Advance Record: 15-8
*Tied with Antron Brown, Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan and Andrew Hines for most ever
**Tied with Andrew Hines for most ever
* * * *
So far, so good…. (Steve’s season summary)
Date Site Qualifying position and race detail Points
Feb. 10 Pomona, CA 1. Beat Steve Faria, bye, Mike Salinas; lost to Doug Kalitta. 2nd
Feb. 24 Phoenix, AZ 14. Lost to Antron Brown 4th
March 10 Gainesville, FL 3. Beat Dom Lagana; lost to Doug Kalitta 3rd
April 7 Las Vegas, NV 2. Lost in 2nd Quad 3rd
April 14 Houston, TX 2. Beat Kebin Kinsley, Austin Prock; lost to Antron Brown 3rd
* * * *
Looking Ahead
May 5 39th Arby’s NHRA Southern Nationals Atlanta, Ga.
May 19 +12th NHRA Virginia Nationals Richmond, Va.
June 2 22nd NHRA Route 66 Nationals Chicago, Ill.
June 9 31st Menard’s NHRA Heartland Nationals Topeka, Kan.
June 16 19th NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Bristol, Tenn.
+Indicates events won by Steve Torrence in 2018
-www.torrenceracing.com-
He May Not Like It, But….
MELLO YELLO CHAMP GOES FOR ANOTHER 4WIDE WIN
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – World Champion Steve Torrence has the same kind of relationship with four-wide drag racing that Matthew Quigley, protagonist of the 1990 Australian-American western “Quigley Down Under,” had with handguns.
An expert marksman with a long rifle, a skill for which he was hired by bigoted Australian rancher Elliot Marston, Quigley admitted early-on that he didn’t have much use for the revolvers favored by his employer, a wannabe gunfighter.
Imagine Marston’s surprise when Quigley, deprived of his trusty rifle, wins the climatic shootout with the antagonist and two of his henchmen using a handgun supplied by the villains themselves. Standing over his incredulous victims, Quigley uttered the movie’s most famous line “said I didn’t have much use for ‘em, never said I didn’t know how to use ‘em.”
Torrence is that way when drag racing goes four-wide as it does again this week in the 10th renewal of the NGK Spark Plugs 4Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. He doesn’t particularly like the format, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t good at it.
The fact is he is very good indeed having driven his Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster into the winners’ circle in three of the last four events contested four across including the last two at zMAX, the original four-wide racetrack.
“To succeed (in four-wide racing) you really have to concentrate on the job at hand,” said the 36-year-old Texan. “There are distractions you don’t have (in the traditional two-driver format) but, really, when you’ve had the kind of success we’ve had, winning three of these things and being runner-up in another (at zMAX in 2015), it’s hard to be too critical. It’s just another challenge to get to the ultimate goal – and that’s winning another Mello Yello (championship) trophy.”
The truth is, whether it’s two-wide, four-wide or however many-wide, Torrence and his “Capco Boys” have established themselves as the gold standard in Top Fuel racing. Moreover the Torrence Racing business model has been adopted by a slew of new Top Fuel teams including the one anchored by California businessman Mike Salinas, winner earlier this month of the Denso Four-Wide in Las Vegas.
"We’re not some big powerhouse that’s building our own parts," Torrence said. “We buy everything off the shelf and put it on the race car. (The success) is all about the boys that put these things together and Richard (Hogan) and Bobby (Lagana Jr.) making the right calls tuning it.
2019 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After 5 of 18 races leading into the Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship)
1. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 367
2. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Advance Auto Parts dragster 349
3. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 343
4. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 320
5. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Mopar Dodge dragster 303
6. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 302
7. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 278
8. Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 265
9. Richie Crampton, Brownsburg, Ind., DHL/Kalitta Air dragster 264
10. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Intimigator dragster 231
* * * *
The Champ at zMAX Dragway:
Last year at the NGK Spark Plugs 4Wide Nationals: After qualifying No. 4, Steve advanced to the final quad where he outran Doug Kalitta, Terry McMillen and Clay Millican.
Last year at the NHRA Carolina Nationals: The No. 2 qualifier behind Brittany Force, Steve beat Chris Karamesines, Leah Pritchett, Tony Schumacher and the aforementioned No. 1 qualifier to claim his fourth straight playoff win on the way to a six-race sweep.
Starts/Final Rounds/Wins/No. 1 Qualifier: 17/4/3/2 (9/3/2/2 in the 4Wide)
Steve’s quickest time at zMAX Dragway: 3.703 seconds, Oct. 14, 2018
Steve’s fastest speed at zMAX Dragway: 331.53 mph, April 29, 2018 and Oct. 12, 2018
Steve’s won-lost record at zMAX Dragway: 21-14 (11-7 in the 4Wide)
Steve’s best moment(s) at zMAX Dragway: See “Last year at the NGK” and “Last year at the Carolina Nationals” above; in 2017, as the No. 4 starter, Steve beat Tony Schumacher, Leah Pritchett and Terry McMillen for his first 4Wide victory.
Track records: 3.689 seconds by Brittany Force, April 27, 2018; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April 15, 2012.
* * * *
The Champ, 4Wide:
Races: 11 (nine at zMAX and two at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway)
Starts: 11
No. 1 qualifier: 2
Quads won: 10*
Final Four: 4
Wins: 3**
Runner-up: 1
Advanced/Did Not Advance Record: 15-8
*Tied with Antron Brown, Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan and Andrew Hines for most ever
**Tied with Andrew Hines for most ever
* * * *
So far, so good…. (Steve’s season summary)
Date Site Qualifying position and race detail Points
Feb. 10 Pomona, CA 1. Beat Steve Faria, bye, Mike Salinas; lost to Doug Kalitta. 2nd
Feb. 24 Phoenix, AZ 14. Lost to Antron Brown 4th
March 10 Gainesville, FL 3. Beat Dom Lagana; lost to Doug Kalitta 3rd
April 7 Las Vegas, NV 2. Lost in 2nd Quad 3rd
April 14 Houston, TX 2. Beat Kebin Kinsley, Austin Prock; lost to Antron Brown 3rd
* * * *
Looking Ahead
May 5 39th Arby’s NHRA Southern Nationals Atlanta, Ga.
May 19 +12th NHRA Virginia Nationals Richmond, Va.
June 2 22nd NHRA Route 66 Nationals Chicago, Ill.
June 9 31st Menard’s NHRA Heartland Nationals Topeka, Kan.
June 16 19th NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Bristol, Tenn.
+Indicates events won by Steve Torrence in 2018
-www.torrenceracing.com-
