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Point Leader Aims for Sixth Season Victory in Capco Contractors Dragster
SONOMA, Calif. – No matter what transpires at this week’s 31st annual Toyota Sonoma Nationals, no matter the track conditions, no matter who wins the race or who doesn’t, no matter whether it rains or shines, Steve Torrence will leave town Monday as the Mello Yello point leader.
Having driven the Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster to victory in more than a third of the NHRA races contested over the last two seasons (13 of 38) including last year’s Toyota Nationals, Torrence has grown accustomed to life at the top. After all, he’s been No. 1 following 23 of the last 28 NHRA tour events including 13 of 14 this year.
Nevertheless, the odds of the 35-year-old Texan growing complacent, even with a massive 173-point advantage, are astronomical.
“After what happened last year we don’t take anything for granted,” he said, recalling that he was in a similarly dominant position a year ago before fate intervened and snatched the championship from him on the final day of the season.
“In this sport, it doesn’t take long to go from zero to hero or hero to zero,” he said. “Last year we were close enough to taste it and when we didn’t win it, it was a big kick in the gut. But you know, when you get that close, you just want to win it that much more.”
The upshot is that Torrence has been on a mission this year. He’s won five times in the first 14 races (that’s three more victories than anyone else) and when he rolls his 10,000 horsepower hybrid to the starting line for Friday’s first qualifying session he’ll be roughly nine racing rounds ahead of Clay Millican and Leah Pritchett and 10 rounds ahead of eight-time series champion Tony Schumacher.
His plan is to keep the hammer down even though he knows the NHRA will reduce his advantage, however large, to just 20 points to start the Countdown.
“We’re not testing, we’re not preserving parts, we’re not coasting,” said the 21-time Top Fuel winner who is trying to become the first driver to win NHRA championships in both the Alcohol and Fuel divisions. “We go out there every run to try and crush ‘em. That’s what we’ve done all year. No reason to change now.”
STEVE at Sonoma Raceway
Last year: After qualifying sixth, Steve beat Troy Coughlin Jr., Doug Kalitta, Brittany Force and Antron Brown for his first win in Northern California.
Starts/Final Rounds/Wins/No. 1 Qualifier: 8/1/1/1
Steve’s quickest time at Sonoma Raceway: 3.671 seconds, July 29, 2016
Steve’s fastest speed at Sonoma Raceway: 331.04 mph, July 30, 2016
Steve’s won-lost record at Sonoma Raceway: 11-7
Steve’s best moment(s) at Sonoma Raceway: See “Last year” above.
Track records: 3.669 seconds by Leah Pritchett, July 28, 2017; 331.61 mph by Brittany Force, July 30, 2017.
* * * *
STEVE’S SEASON-TO-DATE
Date Site Qualifying position and race detail Points
Feb. 11 Pomona, CA 2. Beat Steve Faria; lost to Antron Brown 5th
Feb. 25 Phoenix, AZ 2. Beat Steve Chrisman, Blake Alexander,
Billy Torrence and Scott Palmer 1st
March 19 Gainesville, FL 2. Lost to Mike Salinas 1st
April 9 Las Vegas, NV 5. 4Wide WINNER over Tony Schumacher,
Doug Kalitta and Antron Brown 1st
April 22 Houston, TX 9. Beat Scott Palmer; lost to Leah Pritchett 1st
April 29 Charlotte, NC 4. 4Wide WINNER over Doug Kalitta, Terry
McMillen and Clay Millican. 1st
May 6 Atlanta, GA 3. Beat Terry Haddock, Doug Kalitta; lost to
Blake Alexander 1st
May 20/21 Topeka, KS 2. Beat Terry Haddock, Brittany Force; lost to
Terry McMillen 1st
June 3 Chicago, IL 1. Lost to Luigi Novelli 1st
June 10 Richmond, VA 6. Beat Scott Palmer, Terry McMillen, Antron
Brown and Doug Kalitta 1st
June 17 Bristol, TN 6. Beat Shawn Reed, Antron Brown; lost to
Tony Schumacher 1st
June 24 Norwalk, OH 3. Beat Chris Karamesines, Mike Salinas; lost
To Terry McMillen 1st
July 8 Epping, NH 3. Beat Dan Mercier, Shawn Reed, Tony
Schumacher and Antron Brown 1st
July 22 Denver 3. Beat Bill Litton; lost to Blake Alexander 1st
2018 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS
TOP FUEL
(NHRA Mello Yello points after 14 of 18 events leading up to the Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship)
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 1132
2. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 959
3. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Mopar Dodge dragster 949
4. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, U.S. Army dragster 930
5. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 893
6. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 750
7. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Oil dragster 696
8. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Monster Energy dragster 658
9. Richie Crampton, Avon, Ind., DHL/Kalitta Air dragster 576
10. Scott Palmer, Cassville, Mo., Cat Spot dragster 544
SONOMA, Calif. – No matter what transpires at this week’s 31st annual Toyota Sonoma Nationals, no matter the track conditions, no matter who wins the race or who doesn’t, no matter whether it rains or shines, Steve Torrence will leave town Monday as the Mello Yello point leader.
Having driven the Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster to victory in more than a third of the NHRA races contested over the last two seasons (13 of 38) including last year’s Toyota Nationals, Torrence has grown accustomed to life at the top. After all, he’s been No. 1 following 23 of the last 28 NHRA tour events including 13 of 14 this year.
Nevertheless, the odds of the 35-year-old Texan growing complacent, even with a massive 173-point advantage, are astronomical.
“After what happened last year we don’t take anything for granted,” he said, recalling that he was in a similarly dominant position a year ago before fate intervened and snatched the championship from him on the final day of the season.
“In this sport, it doesn’t take long to go from zero to hero or hero to zero,” he said. “Last year we were close enough to taste it and when we didn’t win it, it was a big kick in the gut. But you know, when you get that close, you just want to win it that much more.”
The upshot is that Torrence has been on a mission this year. He’s won five times in the first 14 races (that’s three more victories than anyone else) and when he rolls his 10,000 horsepower hybrid to the starting line for Friday’s first qualifying session he’ll be roughly nine racing rounds ahead of Clay Millican and Leah Pritchett and 10 rounds ahead of eight-time series champion Tony Schumacher.
His plan is to keep the hammer down even though he knows the NHRA will reduce his advantage, however large, to just 20 points to start the Countdown.
“We’re not testing, we’re not preserving parts, we’re not coasting,” said the 21-time Top Fuel winner who is trying to become the first driver to win NHRA championships in both the Alcohol and Fuel divisions. “We go out there every run to try and crush ‘em. That’s what we’ve done all year. No reason to change now.”
STEVE at Sonoma Raceway
Last year: After qualifying sixth, Steve beat Troy Coughlin Jr., Doug Kalitta, Brittany Force and Antron Brown for his first win in Northern California.
Starts/Final Rounds/Wins/No. 1 Qualifier: 8/1/1/1
Steve’s quickest time at Sonoma Raceway: 3.671 seconds, July 29, 2016
Steve’s fastest speed at Sonoma Raceway: 331.04 mph, July 30, 2016
Steve’s won-lost record at Sonoma Raceway: 11-7
Steve’s best moment(s) at Sonoma Raceway: See “Last year” above.
Track records: 3.669 seconds by Leah Pritchett, July 28, 2017; 331.61 mph by Brittany Force, July 30, 2017.
* * * *
STEVE’S SEASON-TO-DATE
Date Site Qualifying position and race detail Points
Feb. 11 Pomona, CA 2. Beat Steve Faria; lost to Antron Brown 5th
Feb. 25 Phoenix, AZ 2. Beat Steve Chrisman, Blake Alexander,
Billy Torrence and Scott Palmer 1st
March 19 Gainesville, FL 2. Lost to Mike Salinas 1st
April 9 Las Vegas, NV 5. 4Wide WINNER over Tony Schumacher,
Doug Kalitta and Antron Brown 1st
April 22 Houston, TX 9. Beat Scott Palmer; lost to Leah Pritchett 1st
April 29 Charlotte, NC 4. 4Wide WINNER over Doug Kalitta, Terry
McMillen and Clay Millican. 1st
May 6 Atlanta, GA 3. Beat Terry Haddock, Doug Kalitta; lost to
Blake Alexander 1st
May 20/21 Topeka, KS 2. Beat Terry Haddock, Brittany Force; lost to
Terry McMillen 1st
June 3 Chicago, IL 1. Lost to Luigi Novelli 1st
June 10 Richmond, VA 6. Beat Scott Palmer, Terry McMillen, Antron
Brown and Doug Kalitta 1st
June 17 Bristol, TN 6. Beat Shawn Reed, Antron Brown; lost to
Tony Schumacher 1st
June 24 Norwalk, OH 3. Beat Chris Karamesines, Mike Salinas; lost
To Terry McMillen 1st
July 8 Epping, NH 3. Beat Dan Mercier, Shawn Reed, Tony
Schumacher and Antron Brown 1st
July 22 Denver 3. Beat Bill Litton; lost to Blake Alexander 1st
2018 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS
TOP FUEL
(NHRA Mello Yello points after 14 of 18 events leading up to the Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship)
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 1132
2. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 959
3. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Mopar Dodge dragster 949
4. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, U.S. Army dragster 930
5. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 893
6. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 750
7. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Oil dragster 696
8. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Monster Energy dragster 658
9. Richie Crampton, Avon, Ind., DHL/Kalitta Air dragster 576
10. Scott Palmer, Cassville, Mo., Cat Spot dragster 544
