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TORRENCE BID FALLS SHORT AT FINALS
Four-Time Top Fuel World Champ Settles for No. 6 Finish After Early Exit
POMONA, Calif. – Steve Torrence’s bid to extend his lengthy World Championship winning streak came to an abrupt end Sunday when the 39-year-old Texan and his Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster were upended in the opening round of the 57th Auto Club Finals at Auto Club Raceway.
FINAL ROUND RESULTS
Top Fuel – Austin Prock, Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster, 3.641, 336.23 mph, def. Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster, 3.701, 320.74 mph.
Funny Car – Cruz Pedregon, Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger, 3.839, 335.65 mph, def, Ron Capps, NAPA Toyota Supra, 3.850, 333.16 mph.
Pro Stock – Greg Anderson, HendrickCars.com Chevy Camaro, 6.516, 210.31 mph, def. Erica Enders, Melling Performance Chevy Camaro, 6.515, 210.01 mph.
Top Fuel – Austin Prock, Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster, 3.641, 336.23 mph, def. Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster, 3.701, 320.74 mph.
Funny Car – Cruz Pedregon, Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger, 3.839, 335.65 mph, def, Ron Capps, NAPA Toyota Supra, 3.850, 333.16 mph.
Pro Stock – Greg Anderson, HendrickCars.com Chevy Camaro, 6.516, 210.31 mph, def. Erica Enders, Melling Performance Chevy Camaro, 6.515, 210.01 mph.
The loss to No. 15 qualifier Ron August Jr. ended the 53-time tour winner’s quest for an historic fifth straight series championship and relegated him to the No. 6 position in the final Camping World tour standings behind champion Brittany Force.
The No. 2 qualifier after accelerating his Top Fuel Toyota to a career best time of 3.647 seconds at a finish line speed of 333.33 miles per hour on Saturday, Torrence began the day with at least a mathematical shot at successfully defending his championship.
However, after grabbing a .032 of a second starting line advantage in the first round, any fleeting hope of claiming the title evaporated in a cloud of tire smoke as August raced past him for the win.
“Very frustrating way to end it,” Torrence said, “but it’s kinda how this season’s been. I’m just glad to get it over with. I’m looking forward to some time away from racing with my family, re-energizing and then getting back after ‘em next year.
“With the challenges we’ve had with this new (engine/clutch) set-up, I couldn’t be more proud of these Capco Boys for keeping us in the game right up to the end,” said the only drag racer to have won NHRA series championships in both the Top Alcohol and Top Fuel divisions.
“I think we just experimented too long and dug ourselves such a big hole that we couldn’t dig out,” he said, “but I don’t want to take anything away from Brittany and Grubby (crew chief David Grubnic) and that team. They were bad to the bone all season and deserved to win it all.”
Torrence and Force now have won the last six Camping World Top Fuel championships. The last Top Fuel champion with a different surname was Antron Brown, who won his third series title in 2016.
CAPCO CONTRACTORS race summary
57th Auto Club Finals
Qualifying – Steve Torrence, No. 2 at 3.647 seconds, 333.33 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points – 8 total; 3 for second quick time in Q2, 1 for fourth quick time in Q3, 4 for quick time in Q4.
Round 1 – Steve Torrence, 4.267, 244.38 mph, lost to Ron August, 3.903, 316.67 mph.
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR Championship Points
TOP FUEL
(2022 FINAL STANDINGS)
1. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster 2596
2. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 2534
3. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 2514
4. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect/Vita C dragster 2510
5.. Mike Salinas, San Martin, Calif., Pep Boys/Scrappers Racing dragster 2461
6. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 2443
7. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers/Technet dragster 2419
8. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 2348
9. Shawn Langdon, Danville, Ind., CMR Roofing/Toyota dragster 2339
10. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Kalitta Air/Toyota dragster 2335
11. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Dodge Power Brokers dragster 2295
12. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, SCAG/Okuma dragster 2277
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
54th annual Amalie Gatornationals
March 10-12, 2023
Gainesville Raceway
Gainesville, Fla.
57th Auto Club Finals
Qualifying – Steve Torrence, No. 2 at 3.647 seconds, 333.33 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points – 8 total; 3 for second quick time in Q2, 1 for fourth quick time in Q3, 4 for quick time in Q4.
Round 1 – Steve Torrence, 4.267, 244.38 mph, lost to Ron August, 3.903, 316.67 mph.
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR Championship Points
TOP FUEL
(2022 FINAL STANDINGS)
1. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster 2596
2. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 2534
3. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 2514
4. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect/Vita C dragster 2510
5.. Mike Salinas, San Martin, Calif., Pep Boys/Scrappers Racing dragster 2461
6. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 2443
7. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers/Technet dragster 2419
8. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 2348
9. Shawn Langdon, Danville, Ind., CMR Roofing/Toyota dragster 2339
10. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Kalitta Air/Toyota dragster 2335
11. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Dodge Power Brokers dragster 2295
12. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, SCAG/Okuma dragster 2277
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
54th annual Amalie Gatornationals
March 10-12, 2023
Gainesville Raceway
Gainesville, Fla.
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.
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.
