TORRENCE FOLLOWING FAMILIAR GAME PLAN
World Champ Bidding for Las Vegas Sweep in Dodge SRT NHRA Nationals
With only two events remaining in an expanded Countdown to the Championship, the 38-year-old Torrence leads second place Brittany Force by 73 points as he tries to join fellow Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher and five others who have won as many as four consecutive NHRA series titles.
Photos by Mark Rebilas
Texan Steve Torrence resumes his bid for a fourth straight NHRA Top Fuel drag racing championship this week at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“We learned in 2017 (when he lost the world championship on the final day of the season) that anything can happen,” he said. “We crashed a car at Dallas and had to go to a back-up. Then, I lost my focus and Brittany found hers and they got around us in the last race. It was a hard lesson, but it’s one we’ve remembered the last four years.
Point leader Steve Torrence, left, talks championships with NHRA announcer and radio show host Joe Castello. Torrence resumes his latest title bid at the wheel of the Capco Contractors dragster this weekend at Las Vegas.
“We’re on the same game plan we’ve been on all year,” said the only driver ever to sweep the Countdown (2018). “Go out and win rounds. Go out and win the race. If you do that, the points will take care of themselves.”
Although he’s won just once in five Countdown races, Torrence has benefitted from a consistency-of-performance envied by every other team in the series. After winning eight times in the regular season, he’s gone to the semifinals or beyond in every playoff event while winning at a 77.7 percent clip (14-4).
Nevertheless, the former Top Alcohol Dragster World Champ (2005) insists that right now the Top Fuel class is as competitive as it has ever been.
“Five different cars have won (Countdown races) so far,” he said, “plus Brittany and Grubby (crew chief David Grubnic) have been crushing it, performance-wise. Seems like they’re setting records every race.
“In the big picture, though, what matters is what you do round-by-round and I have the luxury of driving for the best team in the business. With Richard Hogan, Bobby Lagana and these Capco Boys, I always go up there knowing I’ve got a car that can win no matter who’s in the other lane,” he said, “and that’s the ultimate confidence-booster right there.”
World Champion Steve Torrence executes a burnout in the Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster in which he will compete this week at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Looking Back
Steve Torrence at the Dodge Nationals
Year Qualifying Position/Racing Result
2006 Las Vegas2 11. Beat Cory McClenathan; lost to J.R. Todd
2009 Las Vegas2 2. Beat Terry McMillen; lost to Spencer Massey
2010 Las Vegas2 5. Beat Chris Karamesines; lost to David Grubnic
2011 Las Vegas2 8. Lost to David Grubnic
2012 Las Vegas2 8. Beat Morgan Lucas; lost to Tony Schumacher
2013 Las Vegas2 2. Beat T.J. Zizzo; lost to Brandon Bernstein
2014 Las Vegas2 7. Lost to Shawn Langdon
2015 Las Vegas2 4. Lost to Doug Kalitta
2016 Las Vegas2 6. Beat Richie Crampton, Doug Kalitta, Leah Pritchett and J.R. Todd
2017 Las Vegas2 2. Beat Terry Haddock; lost to Shawn Langdon
2018 Las Vegas2 2. Beat Shawn Reed, Billy Torrence, Richie Crampton and Leah Pritchett
2019 Las Vegas2 5. Beat Scott Palmer, Mike Salinas, Doug Kalitta; lost to Brittany Force
2020 Las Vegas2 2. Beat Kebin Kinsley, Troy Buff Justin Ashley; lost to Antron Brown
Steve’s quickest time: 3.690 seconds, Nov. 3, 2019
Steve’s fastest speed: 333.33 mph, Oct. 27, 2018.
Track records – 3.652 seconds by Brittany Force, Nov. 3, 2019; 338.17 mph by Brittany Force, Nov. 1, 2019.
Steve Torrence at the DENSO Spark Plugs Nationals (spring race)
Year Qualifying Position/Racing Result
2010 Las Vegas1 DNQ
2011 Las Vegas1 16. Lost to Larry Dixon
2012 Las Vegas1 11. Beat Bob Vandergriff Jr., David Grubnic; lost to Spencer Massey
2013 Las Vegas1 8. Lost to Morgan Lucas (foul)
2014 Las Vegas1 3. Beat Terry McMillen, J.R. Todd; lost to Doug Kalitta
2015 Las Vegas1 4. Beat Terry McMillen; lost to Richie Crampton
2016 Las Vegas1 1. Lost to Steve Chrisman
2017 Las Vegas1 1. Bye; lost to Antron Brown
2018 Las Vegas 4Wide 5. WINNER over Tony Schumacher, Doug Kalitta and Antron Brown
2019 Las Vegas 4Wide 2. Won first quad; lost in 2nd
2020 Las Vegas 4Wide Event Not Contested
2021 Las Vegas 4Wide 2. WINNER over Doug Kalitta, Clay Millican and Antron Brown
Steve’s quickest time: 3.720 seconds, March 31, 2017
Steve’s fastest speed: 327.59 mph, April 6, 2019
Steve Torrence this season
March 14/Gainesville, FL 1. Beat Joe Morrison; lost to Josh Hart.
April 18/Las Vegas, NV 2. Four-Wide WINNER over Doug Kalitta
May 2/Atlanta, GA 2. Beat Buddy Hull, Justin Ashley, Shawn Langdon; lost to Antron Brown
May 16/Charlotte, NC 2. Four-Wide WINNER over Brittany Force.
May 23/Houston, TX 1. Beat Mitch King, bye, beat Clay Millican and Doug Kalitta.
June 13/Epping, N.H. 4. Beat Clay Millican, Leah Pruett; lost to Mike Salinas
June 27/Norwalk, OH 1. Beat Shawn Langdon, Leah Pruett, Austin Prock and Brittany Force
July 18/Denver, CO 2. Beat Rob Passey, bye, Mike Salinas and Joey Haas.
July 25/Sonoma, CA 2. Beat Cameron Ferre, Doug Kalitta, Antron Brown and Leah Pruett
Aug. 1/Pomona, CA 4. Lost to Antron Brown.
Aug. 15/Topeka, KS 4. Beat Leah Pruett, Justin Ashley; lost to Brittany Force
Aug. 22/Brainerd, MN 2. Beat Terry Totten, Justin Ashley, bye and Clay Millican
Sept. 5/Indianapolis, IN 2. Beat Antron Brown, Greg Carrillo, Billy Torrence and Brittany Force
Sept. 12/Reading, PA 2. Beat Joe Morrison, bye; lost to Justin Ashley.
Sept. 19/Charlotte, NC 5. Beat Doug Kalitta, Billy Torrence; lost to Brittany Force
Sept. 26 at St. Louis 3. Beat Shawn Langdon, Antron Brown, Josh Hart and Mike Salinas
Oct. 10/Dallas, TX 2. Beat Buddy Hull, Doug Kalitta, Josh Hart; lost to Justin Ashley
Oct. 17/Briston, TN 1. Beat Cameron Ferre, bye, Justin Ashley; lost to Mike Salinas
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR Championship Points
(After five of seven events in the Countdown to the Championship)
TOP FUEL
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 2575
2. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., FLAV-R-PAC/ Monster Energy dragster 2502
3. Justin Ashley, Plainview, N.Y., Smart Sanitizer/Vita C-Shot dragster 2428
4. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 2425
5. Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 2357
6. Leah Pruett, Avon, Ind., Mopar/Pennzoil dragster 2291
7. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 2265
8. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 2252
9. Shawn Langdon, Indianapolis, Ind., DHL/Kalitta Air dragster 2228
10. Doug Kalitta, Ann Arbor, Mich., Mac Tools/Mobil 1 dragster 2180
Looking Ahead
2021 NHRA Camping World Tour Countdown to the Championship
11-14 Auto Club Finals Pomona, CA
2022 NHRA Camping World Tour
2-20 Lucas Oil Winternationals Pomona, CA
2-27 NHRA Arizona Nationals Phoenix, AZ
3-13 Amalie Oil Gatornationals Gainesville, FL
