TORRENCE GOES MOUNTAIN-CLIMBING
Point Leader Plans to Keep Pressure on Rivals at the Dodge Mile-High Nationals
DENVER, Colo. – His Mello Yello point lead is so big that Texan Steve Torrence could have stayed home this week, not turned a tire at the 39th annual Dodge Mile-High Nationals and still been four rounds ahead of his nearest rival when the NHRA drag racing tour moved next week to Sonoma, Calif.
He could have caught up on the paperwork at his day job at Capco Contractors, hung out with his dogs, Gus and Cuatro, relaxed with girlfriend Natalie Jahnke, indulged in one of his several hobbies or maybe donned his cowboy hat and done a little calf-roping.
Instead, he’ll be back in the cockpit of his 10,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragster Friday when qualifying begins at Bandimere Speedway in the first of three races-in-three-weeks that comprise the NHRA’s grueling Western Swing.
Skipping an event never was an option for the 35-year-old point leader who has been a man on a mission since losing the championship last year in the second round of the final race of the season.
After dominating all year long, as he has done again this season, seeing the title slip away as it did was agonizing for the cancer survivor who is trying to become the first driver in NHRA history to win championships in both the Fuel and Alcohol divisions. He was the Top Alcohol Dragster champion in 2005.
“When you get to that point,” Torrence said of the 2017 campaign, “when you get so close that you can taste it and it doesn’t happen, it makes you want it even more. Maybe my attitude wasn’t right then (when he was openly critical of the NHRA’s Countdown format), but it is now.”
That attitude has been one of focus and determination.
“Our goal is the crush ‘em every race,” said the 21-time pro tour winner. “Leave nothing to chance. Take no prisoners.”
While he hasn’t won every race this year, it must seem so to some of his rivals for the $500,000 championship.
Not only has he won five times, more often than anyone else in the class including eight-time series champion Tony Schumacher, he hasn’t gone more than two events without celebrating in the winners’ circle. Coming off a triumph in the most recent race in the series two weeks ago at Epping, N.H., Torrence now has won 13 times in his last 33 starts and has been No. 1 in points after 22 of the last 27 events including 12 of 13 this season.
“I give all the credit to God and to the guys that work on this race car,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade any one of them. Hoagie (crew chief Richard Hogan), Bobby (Lagana Jr.), everybody. We’re a band of brothers committed to one goal and that’s to close the deal and win this thing.”
2018 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS
TOP FUEL
(NHRA Mello Yello points after 13 of 18 events leading up to the Countdown to the
Mello Yello Championship)
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 1086
2. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, U.S. Army dragster 896
3. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 881
4. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Mopar Dodge dragster 820
5. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 801
6. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 717
7. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Oil dragster 679
8. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Monster Energy dragster 634
9. Richie Crampton, Avon, Ind., DHL/Kalitta Air dragster 522
10. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 506
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
STEVE at Bandimere Speedway
Last year: The No. 3 qualifier, Steve beat Rob Passey before losing to Brittany Force.
Starts/Final Rounds/Wins/No. 1 Qualifier: 8/1/1/2
Steve’s quickest time at Bandimere Speedway: 3.775 seconds, July 21, 2017
Steve’s fastest speed at Bandimere Speedway: 325.30 mph, July 22, 2017
Steve’s won-lost record at Bandimere Speedway: 10-7
Steve’s best moment(s) at Bandimere Speedway: In 2015, as the No. 4 qualifier, Steve beat Jenna Haddock, Richie Crampton, Larry Dixon and Tony Schumacher for the win.
Track records: 3.733 seconds by Leah Pritchett, July 22, 2017; 326.95 mph by Brittany Force, July 24, 2015.
NEXT EVENTS
July 29, 2018 31st Toyota Sonoma Nationals Sonoma, Calif.
August 5, 2018 31st NHRA Northwest Nationals Seattle, Wash.
August 19, 2018 37th Lucas Oil Nationals Brainerd, Minn.
Sept. 3, 2018 64th Chevrolet U.S. Nationals Indianapolis, Ind.
Countdown to the Championship
Sept. 16, 2018 34th Dodge Nationals Reading, Pa.
Sept. 23, 2018 21st AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals St. Louis, Mo.
Oct. 7, 2018 33rd AAA Texas Fall Nationals Dallas, Texas
Oct. 21, 2018 11th NHRA Carolina Nationals Charlotte, N.C.
Oct. 28, 2018 18th Toyota Nationals Las Vegas, Nev.
Nov. 11, 2018 54th Auto Club Finals Pomona, Calif.
Point Leader Plans to Keep Pressure on Rivals at the Dodge Mile-High Nationals
DENVER, Colo. – His Mello Yello point lead is so big that Texan Steve Torrence could have stayed home this week, not turned a tire at the 39th annual Dodge Mile-High Nationals and still been four rounds ahead of his nearest rival when the NHRA drag racing tour moved next week to Sonoma, Calif.
He could have caught up on the paperwork at his day job at Capco Contractors, hung out with his dogs, Gus and Cuatro, relaxed with girlfriend Natalie Jahnke, indulged in one of his several hobbies or maybe donned his cowboy hat and done a little calf-roping.
Instead, he’ll be back in the cockpit of his 10,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragster Friday when qualifying begins at Bandimere Speedway in the first of three races-in-three-weeks that comprise the NHRA’s grueling Western Swing.
Skipping an event never was an option for the 35-year-old point leader who has been a man on a mission since losing the championship last year in the second round of the final race of the season.
After dominating all year long, as he has done again this season, seeing the title slip away as it did was agonizing for the cancer survivor who is trying to become the first driver in NHRA history to win championships in both the Fuel and Alcohol divisions. He was the Top Alcohol Dragster champion in 2005.
“When you get to that point,” Torrence said of the 2017 campaign, “when you get so close that you can taste it and it doesn’t happen, it makes you want it even more. Maybe my attitude wasn’t right then (when he was openly critical of the NHRA’s Countdown format), but it is now.”
That attitude has been one of focus and determination.
“Our goal is the crush ‘em every race,” said the 21-time pro tour winner. “Leave nothing to chance. Take no prisoners.”
While he hasn’t won every race this year, it must seem so to some of his rivals for the $500,000 championship.
Not only has he won five times, more often than anyone else in the class including eight-time series champion Tony Schumacher, he hasn’t gone more than two events without celebrating in the winners’ circle. Coming off a triumph in the most recent race in the series two weeks ago at Epping, N.H., Torrence now has won 13 times in his last 33 starts and has been No. 1 in points after 22 of the last 27 events including 12 of 13 this season.
“I give all the credit to God and to the guys that work on this race car,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade any one of them. Hoagie (crew chief Richard Hogan), Bobby (Lagana Jr.), everybody. We’re a band of brothers committed to one goal and that’s to close the deal and win this thing.”
2018 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS
TOP FUEL
(NHRA Mello Yello points after 13 of 18 events leading up to the Countdown to the
Mello Yello Championship)
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 1086
2. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, U.S. Army dragster 896
3. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 881
4. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Mopar Dodge dragster 820
5. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 801
6. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 717
7. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Oil dragster 679
8. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Monster Energy dragster 634
9. Richie Crampton, Avon, Ind., DHL/Kalitta Air dragster 522
10. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 506
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
STEVE at Bandimere Speedway
Last year: The No. 3 qualifier, Steve beat Rob Passey before losing to Brittany Force.
Starts/Final Rounds/Wins/No. 1 Qualifier: 8/1/1/2
Steve’s quickest time at Bandimere Speedway: 3.775 seconds, July 21, 2017
Steve’s fastest speed at Bandimere Speedway: 325.30 mph, July 22, 2017
Steve’s won-lost record at Bandimere Speedway: 10-7
Steve’s best moment(s) at Bandimere Speedway: In 2015, as the No. 4 qualifier, Steve beat Jenna Haddock, Richie Crampton, Larry Dixon and Tony Schumacher for the win.
Track records: 3.733 seconds by Leah Pritchett, July 22, 2017; 326.95 mph by Brittany Force, July 24, 2015.
NEXT EVENTS
July 29, 2018 31st Toyota Sonoma Nationals Sonoma, Calif.
August 5, 2018 31st NHRA Northwest Nationals Seattle, Wash.
August 19, 2018 37th Lucas Oil Nationals Brainerd, Minn.
Sept. 3, 2018 64th Chevrolet U.S. Nationals Indianapolis, Ind.
Countdown to the Championship
Sept. 16, 2018 34th Dodge Nationals Reading, Pa.
Sept. 23, 2018 21st AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals St. Louis, Mo.
Oct. 7, 2018 33rd AAA Texas Fall Nationals Dallas, Texas
Oct. 21, 2018 11th NHRA Carolina Nationals Charlotte, N.C.
Oct. 28, 2018 18th Toyota Nationals Las Vegas, Nev.
Nov. 11, 2018 54th Auto Club Finals Pomona, Calif.
