Despite Track Issues, Texan Takes Capco Dragster to Semifinals in Bristol
BRISTOL, Tenn. – On a weekend during which he failed to earn a single qualifying bonus point for just the sixth time in the last 59 events, Steve Torrence managed to wrestle his Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster all the way to the semifinals Sunday in the 18th annual Fitzgerald USA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
Ultimately, though, a 143-degree racetrack and the loss of the lane choice option denied the 35-year-old Texan a bookend Father’s Day victory to match the one he claimed in 2011.
Although he stopped Shawn Reed in round one and close friend and three-time series champ Antron Brown in round two, Torrence couldn’t get around eight-time champ Tony Schumacher in the semifinals after being relegated to the less-favored lane.
Schumacher advanced with a time of 4.038 seconds at 297.02 miles per hour while Torrence trailed at 4.104 at 254.04 mph, times and speeds to which neither driver is accustomed. However, neither is accustomed to the kind of track temperatures that greeted them on Sunday, either.
The 143 degree temperature was just four degrees off the hottest track temp tour officials could recall.
Torrence quickly turned his attention to this week’s 12th annual Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio, where he will start qualifying Friday as the defending Top Fuel champion.
“These Capco guys did a great job in some awful conditions,” said the cancer survivor and former Top Alcohol Dragster champion. “They kept chipping away at it and finally got me a pretty good race car on Sunday. We’ll just regroup and head to Norwalk where we’ll defend our championship and we’ll go in there with a bigger point lead than we had when we started at Bristol. So that ain’t all bad.
2018 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After 11 of 18 races leading into the Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship)
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 896
2. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 786
3. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, U.S. Army dragster 760
4. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 717
5. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Mopar Dodge dragster 663
6. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 588
7. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Monster Energy dragster 552
Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Oil dragster 552
9. Scott Palmer, Cassville, Mo., Cat Spot dragster 461
10. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers dragster 421
* * * *
CAPCO CONTRACTORS race summary:
18th annual Fitzgerald USA Thunder Valley Nationals:
Qualify – Steve Torrence, 3.879 seconds, 321.81 mph.
Round 1 – S. Torrence, 3.970, 303.71 mph, def. Shawn Reed, 4.018, 238.25 mph.
Round 2 – S. Torrence, 4.232, 253.33 mph, def. Antron Brown, 5.090, 155.65 mph.
Semifinals – S. Torrence, 4.104, 254.04 mph, lost to Tony Schumacher, 4.038, 297.02 mph.
FINAL – Tony Schumacher, 3.946 seconds, 313.58 mph, def. Mike Salinas, 5.251 seconds, 152.18 mph.
* * * *
NEXT RACE:
Summit Racing Equipment Nationals
June 21-23, 2018
Summit Motorsports Park
Norwalk, Ohio
BRISTOL, Tenn. – On a weekend during which he failed to earn a single qualifying bonus point for just the sixth time in the last 59 events, Steve Torrence managed to wrestle his Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster all the way to the semifinals Sunday in the 18th annual Fitzgerald USA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
Ultimately, though, a 143-degree racetrack and the loss of the lane choice option denied the 35-year-old Texan a bookend Father’s Day victory to match the one he claimed in 2011.
Although he stopped Shawn Reed in round one and close friend and three-time series champ Antron Brown in round two, Torrence couldn’t get around eight-time champ Tony Schumacher in the semifinals after being relegated to the less-favored lane.
Schumacher advanced with a time of 4.038 seconds at 297.02 miles per hour while Torrence trailed at 4.104 at 254.04 mph, times and speeds to which neither driver is accustomed. However, neither is accustomed to the kind of track temperatures that greeted them on Sunday, either.
The 143 degree temperature was just four degrees off the hottest track temp tour officials could recall.
Torrence quickly turned his attention to this week’s 12th annual Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio, where he will start qualifying Friday as the defending Top Fuel champion.
“These Capco guys did a great job in some awful conditions,” said the cancer survivor and former Top Alcohol Dragster champion. “They kept chipping away at it and finally got me a pretty good race car on Sunday. We’ll just regroup and head to Norwalk where we’ll defend our championship and we’ll go in there with a bigger point lead than we had when we started at Bristol. So that ain’t all bad.
2018 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After 11 of 18 races leading into the Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship)
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 896
2. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 786
3. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, U.S. Army dragster 760
4. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 717
5. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Mopar Dodge dragster 663
6. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 588
7. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Monster Energy dragster 552
Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Oil dragster 552
9. Scott Palmer, Cassville, Mo., Cat Spot dragster 461
10. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers dragster 421
* * * *
CAPCO CONTRACTORS race summary:
18th annual Fitzgerald USA Thunder Valley Nationals:
Qualify – Steve Torrence, 3.879 seconds, 321.81 mph.
Round 1 – S. Torrence, 3.970, 303.71 mph, def. Shawn Reed, 4.018, 238.25 mph.
Round 2 – S. Torrence, 4.232, 253.33 mph, def. Antron Brown, 5.090, 155.65 mph.
Semifinals – S. Torrence, 4.104, 254.04 mph, lost to Tony Schumacher, 4.038, 297.02 mph.
FINAL – Tony Schumacher, 3.946 seconds, 313.58 mph, def. Mike Salinas, 5.251 seconds, 152.18 mph.
* * * *
NEXT RACE:
Summit Racing Equipment Nationals
June 21-23, 2018
Summit Motorsports Park
Norwalk, Ohio
