- Joined
- Apr 3, 2009
- Messages
- 2,556
- Age
- 70
- Location
- Wilburn, Arkansas
TEXAN SENDS CAPCO DRAGSTER AFTER THIRD STRAIGHT WIN
RICHMOND, Va. – Steve Torrence sends his Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster after its third straight tour victory this week when he defends his title in the 12th NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.
On the strength of consecutive victories at Charlotte and Atlanta, the talented Texan has roared back into the Top Fuel point lead and put his rivals on notice that, despite a couple of stumbles early in the campaign, he fully intends to repeat as Mello Yello Champion.
When you’ve won 21 of the last 50 NHRA tour events, as Torrence has, it’s hard to be humble, but the 36-year-old cancer survivor is doing his best.
"I’m very confident,” he said, “(and) I think that maybe some of my confidence comes off as cockiness. Looking back on it, maybe some of the ways that I've acted weren’t a true indication of who I really am, and I regret that.
"But, really, I don’t have anything to be cocky about,” he explained. “I’ve got a really good group of guys over here that have stuck with me through thick and thin and work their tails off day-in and day-out to give me a race car that can win on every track.
“Then, when I go home to work at Capco (an oil a gas pipeline construction and maintenance company founded by his dad, Billy, who’ll be back in the cockpit of a second Capco dragster this week), I’ve got a great group of guys there that make it possible for me to go off weekends and do what I love to do. It’s very humbling to have that kind of a situation. I’m very blessed.”
The level of Torrence’s domination the last three seasons is remarkable. The only Top Fuel driver to have won more often in any 50-race stretch was eight-time series champ Tony Schumacher, who won 23 times in 50 races from 2006-2008.
Torrence’s streak is the more amazing, however, because it has been forged in defiance of conventional wisdom. Torrence Racing doesn’t build its own chassis or engines or superchargers or cylinder heads. It doesn’t even own its own shop. Every piece on the 10,000 horsepower hybrid was bought “off the shelf.”
“At the end of the day, all the parts and pieces are virtually the same,” Torrence said of his philosophy. “It’s the guys that are putting them together and tuning them that make the difference and I have the best guys out here. I simply can’t give them enough credit for our success out here.”
2019 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After 7 of 18 races leading into the Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship)
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 579
2. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Advance Auto Parts dragster 483
3. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 464
4. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Mopar Dodge dragster 433
5. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 427
6. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 384
7. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 373
8. Richie Crampton, Brownsburg, Ind., DHL/Kalitta Air dragster 329
9. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Intimigator dragster 319
10. Austin Prock, Indianapolis, Ind., Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 288
12. Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 265
The Champ at Virginia Motorsports Park:
Last year at the NHRA Virginia Nationals: Racing at Richmond for the first time since 2008, Steve qualified No. 6 and then chopped down Scott Palmer, Terry McMillen, Antron Brown and Doug Kalitta for his fourth win of the season.
Starts/Final Rounds/Wins/No. 1 Qualifier: 2/1/1/0
Steve’s quickest time at Virginia Motorsports Park: 3.799 seconds, June 10, 2018
Steve’s fastest speed at Virginia Motorsports Park: 325.85 mph, June 10, 2018
Steve’s won-lost record at Virginia Motorsports Park: 4-1
Steve’s best moment(s) at Virginia Motorsports Park: See “Last year” above.
Track records: 3.770 seconds by Tony Schumacher, June 8, 2018; 327.51 mph by Tony Schumacher, June 8, 2018.
So far, so good…. (A 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
April 28 Charlotte, NC 6. WINNER over Clay Millican (Terry McMillen, Leah Pritchett) 1st
May 5 Atlanta, Ga. 2. Beat Luigi Novelli, Scott Palmer, Shawn Reed and Brittany Force 1st
* * * *
Looking Ahead
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.
June 23 13th Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Norwalk, Ohio
July 7 +7TH NHRA New England Nationals Epping, N.H.
+Indicates events won by Steve Torrence in 2018
-www.torrenceracing.com-
RICHMOND, Va. – Steve Torrence sends his Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster after its third straight tour victory this week when he defends his title in the 12th NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.
On the strength of consecutive victories at Charlotte and Atlanta, the talented Texan has roared back into the Top Fuel point lead and put his rivals on notice that, despite a couple of stumbles early in the campaign, he fully intends to repeat as Mello Yello Champion.
When you’ve won 21 of the last 50 NHRA tour events, as Torrence has, it’s hard to be humble, but the 36-year-old cancer survivor is doing his best.
"I’m very confident,” he said, “(and) I think that maybe some of my confidence comes off as cockiness. Looking back on it, maybe some of the ways that I've acted weren’t a true indication of who I really am, and I regret that.
"But, really, I don’t have anything to be cocky about,” he explained. “I’ve got a really good group of guys over here that have stuck with me through thick and thin and work their tails off day-in and day-out to give me a race car that can win on every track.
“Then, when I go home to work at Capco (an oil a gas pipeline construction and maintenance company founded by his dad, Billy, who’ll be back in the cockpit of a second Capco dragster this week), I’ve got a great group of guys there that make it possible for me to go off weekends and do what I love to do. It’s very humbling to have that kind of a situation. I’m very blessed.”
The level of Torrence’s domination the last three seasons is remarkable. The only Top Fuel driver to have won more often in any 50-race stretch was eight-time series champ Tony Schumacher, who won 23 times in 50 races from 2006-2008.
Torrence’s streak is the more amazing, however, because it has been forged in defiance of conventional wisdom. Torrence Racing doesn’t build its own chassis or engines or superchargers or cylinder heads. It doesn’t even own its own shop. Every piece on the 10,000 horsepower hybrid was bought “off the shelf.”
“At the end of the day, all the parts and pieces are virtually the same,” Torrence said of his philosophy. “It’s the guys that are putting them together and tuning them that make the difference and I have the best guys out here. I simply can’t give them enough credit for our success out here.”
2019 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After 7 of 18 races leading into the Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship)
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 579
2. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Advance Auto Parts dragster 483
3. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 464
4. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Mopar Dodge dragster 433
5. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 427
6. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 384
7. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 373
8. Richie Crampton, Brownsburg, Ind., DHL/Kalitta Air dragster 329
9. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Intimigator dragster 319
10. Austin Prock, Indianapolis, Ind., Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 288
12. Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 265
The Champ at Virginia Motorsports Park:
Last year at the NHRA Virginia Nationals: Racing at Richmond for the first time since 2008, Steve qualified No. 6 and then chopped down Scott Palmer, Terry McMillen, Antron Brown and Doug Kalitta for his fourth win of the season.
Starts/Final Rounds/Wins/No. 1 Qualifier: 2/1/1/0
Steve’s quickest time at Virginia Motorsports Park: 3.799 seconds, June 10, 2018
Steve’s fastest speed at Virginia Motorsports Park: 325.85 mph, June 10, 2018
Steve’s won-lost record at Virginia Motorsports Park: 4-1
Steve’s best moment(s) at Virginia Motorsports Park: See “Last year” above.
Track records: 3.770 seconds by Tony Schumacher, June 8, 2018; 327.51 mph by Tony Schumacher, June 8, 2018.
So far, so good…. (A 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
April 28 Charlotte, NC 6. WINNER over Clay Millican (Terry McMillen, Leah Pritchett) 1st
May 5 Atlanta, Ga. 2. Beat Luigi Novelli, Scott Palmer, Shawn Reed and Brittany Force 1st
* * * *
Looking Ahead
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.
June 23 13th Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Norwalk, Ohio
July 7 +7TH NHRA New England Nationals Epping, N.H.
+Indicates events won by Steve Torrence in 2018
-www.torrenceracing.com-
