CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN ONE MORE TIME
Torrence Aims to Be ‘King’ in Final Running of Dodge Mile-High Nationals
DENVER, Colo. – For the last time, Steve Torrence and his rivals for the Top Fuel World Championship will play “King of the Mountain” this week when the Camping World tour says goodbye to Bandimere Speedway with the 43rd running of the Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals.
Team CAPCO at the Mile-High Nationals
STEVE TORRENCE
Total appearances: 12
Final rounds: 3
Victories: 3 (2015, 2019, 2021)
No. 1 qualifier: 3 (2013, 2016, 2019)
Won-Lost record: 19-9
Noteworthy: Steve is the only driver to have accelerated beyond 330 miles per hour at Bandimere Speedway’s mile-high altitude.
Quickest time: 3.738 seconds, July 21, 2019
Fastest speed: 330.31 mph, July 19, 2019.
Track records – 3.717 seconds by Brittany Force, July 17, 2021; 330.31 mph by Steve Torrence, July 19, 2019.
While some may not mourn the passing of a track that, because of its rarefied air, has required major adjustments and specialized parts and pieces not applicable at any other venue, for Torrence and his CAPCO Contractors team, it’s like saying goodbye to an old friend.STEVE TORRENCE
Total appearances: 12
Final rounds: 3
Victories: 3 (2015, 2019, 2021)
No. 1 qualifier: 3 (2013, 2016, 2019)
Won-Lost record: 19-9
Noteworthy: Steve is the only driver to have accelerated beyond 330 miles per hour at Bandimere Speedway’s mile-high altitude.
Quickest time: 3.738 seconds, July 21, 2019
Fastest speed: 330.31 mph, July 19, 2019.
Track records – 3.717 seconds by Brittany Force, July 17, 2021; 330.31 mph by Steve Torrence, July 19, 2019.
“We’ve had a lot of success here,” acknowledged the four-time World Champion, “but even if we hadn’t, it’s just a neat track. There’s not any other place like it.”
Not only has Torrence won two of the last three races on Mt. Bandimere, not only is he the only driver to have broken the 330 mile per hour barrier 5,800 feet above sea level, but the Mile-High Nationals is the only race on the circuit he has won with two different crew chiefs.
Before hoisting the trophy in 2019 and 2021 thanks to the tune-up decisions of Richard Hogan and Bobby Lagana Jr., the talented Texan won the 2015 Mile-High Nationals with Lee Beard as his crew chief.
“It’d be pretty cool to be the last winner,” Torrence said, “but we’ll have our work cut out for us. We’re not the only ones who can run hard up there and you know everyone’s gonna have the same idea. Everyone wants to be able to tell their grandkids that they won the last race at Denver.”
Such a victory would be especially meaningful for Torrence considering the fact that he is winless this season, a drought that extends to October, 2022, when he and his “CAPCO Boys” prevailed in the NHRA Midwest Nationals at St. Louis. He’ll begin his latest quest in qualifying sessions at 5:30 and 9 p.m., Texas time, on Friday. Two Saturday sessions, one at 4:30 p.m., Texas time, the other at 8, will set the field for Sunday eliminations beginning at 12 noon, Texas time.
Photos by Mark Rebilas
Left photo: Either Steve Torrence, right, or rival Leah Pruett has hoisted the Top Fuel winner's trophy the last four times the NHRA Camping World tour has visited Bandimere Speedway. The two World Championship contenders will renew their rivalry this week in the 43rd and final running of the Dodge Mile-High Nationals.
Looking Back
Steve Torrence at the Mile-High Nationals
Year Qualifying Position/Racing Result
2008 Denver 14. Lost to Larry Dixon
2010 Denver 7. Beat Bob Vandergriff Jr.; lost to Doug Kalitta
2012 Denver 11. Beat Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta; lost to Antron Brown
2013 Denver 1. Lost to Mike Strasburg
2014 Denver 2. Beat Steve Chrisman; lost to J.R. Todd
2015 Denver 4. Beat Jenna Haddock, Richie Crampton, Larry Dixon and Tony Schumacher
2016 Denver 1. Beat Chris Karamesines; lost to Tony Schumacher
2017 Denver 3. Beat Rob Passey; lost to Brittany Force
2018 Denver 3. Beat Bill Litton; lost to Blake Alexander
2019 Denver 1. Bye, beat Richie Crampton, Brittany Force and Clay Millican
2020 Denver Event Not Contested
2021 Denver 2. Beat Rob Passey, bye, Mike Salinas and Joey Haas
2022 Denver 10. Lost to Austin Prock
Steve Torrence’s 2023 results
Event Qualifying Position/Racing Result
2023 Gainesville 2. Beat Scott Palmer, Tony Schumacher, Doug Kalitta; lost to Mike Salinas
2023 Phoenix 6. Beat Krista Baldwin, Austin Prock; lost to Justin Ashley
2023 Pomona1 6. Beat Josh Hart; lost to Austin Prock
2023 Las Vegas1 2. Runner-Up to Antron Brown (Brittany Force, Josh Hart)
2023 Charlotte1 4. Lost in final quad to Austin Prock, Leah Pruett, Josh Hart.
2023 Chicago 8. Lost to Leah Pruett
2023 Epping 8. Beat Austin Prock, Antron Brown; lost to Justin Ashley
2023 Bristol 3. Beat Shawn Langdon; lost to Doug Kalitta.
2023 Norwalk 2. Beat Doug Foley; lost to Justin Ashley
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR Championship Points
(After nine of 15 races setting the lineup for the Countdown to the Championship)
TOP FUEL
1. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect dragster 726
2. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, CAPCO Contractors dragster 629
3. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Rush Truck Centers dragster 620
4. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster 590
5. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 588
6. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 531
7. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 504
8. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster 487
9. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., MAC Tools/Toyota dragster 442
10. Shawn Langdon, Danville, Ind., CMR Roofing/Toyota dragster 398
11. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, SCAG Equipment dragster 389
12. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 373
Looking Ahead
2023 NHRA Camping World Tour Steve-O’s Highlights
7-23 FLAV-R-PAC Nationals Seattle, WA 2012 winner; 2019 runner-up
7-30 DENSO Sonoma Nationals Sonoma, CA 2017 and 2021 winner
8-13 Menard’s Nationals Topeka, KS 2019 winner; 2022 runner-up
8-20 Lucas Oil Nationals Brainerd, MN Won the last two years
9-4 Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals Indianapolis, IN 2017 and 2021 winner
Countdown to the Championship
9-17 Pep Boys Nationals Reading, PA 2018 winner
9-24 NHRA Carolina Nationals Charlotte, NC 2018, 2019 winner
10-1 NHRA Midwest Nationals St. Louis, MO 6 straight final rounds; wins in
2017, 2018, 2021, 2022
10-15 NHRA Texas Fall Nationals Dallas, TX 2018, 2020 winner
10-29 NHRA Nevada Nationals Las Vegas, NV 2016, 2018, 2021 winner
11-12 In-N-Out World Finals Pomona, CA 2018, 2021 winner
On TV (subject to change)
Qualifying highlights from 7-8:30 pm, ET, Friday on FS1. Final qualifying, 10:30-11:30 am, ET, Sunday on FS1 -4 pm, ET, Sunday, FS1.
Eliminations, 4-7 pm, ET, Sunday on FOX broadcast network.
Qualifying highlights from 7-8:30 pm, ET, Friday on FS1. Final qualifying, 10:30-11:30 am, ET, Sunday on FS1 -4 pm, ET, Sunday, FS1.
Eliminations, 4-7 pm, ET, Sunday on FOX broadcast network.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America (more than 39,000 of them in the U.S.). Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).
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.
