DALLAS, Texas – Leah Pruett ruined Steve Torrence’s near perfect weekend Sunday, denying the four-time Top Fuel World Champion a final round victory in the 38th annual NHRA Texas Fall Nationals and, in the process, keeping him from regaining the point lead with only two races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship.
Team CAPCO Competition Capsule
From the 38th annual Texas Fall Nationals at Dallas, Texas
STEVE TORRENCE
Qualifying position/performance: No. 1 at 3.636 seconds, 336.90 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points: Six, three for quick time in Q2 and three more for quick time in Q3.
Race finish: Runner-Up.
Current points position: 3rd.
Race detail: Beat Buddy Hull, 3.664 seconds, 333.21 mph, to 3.739, 324.42 mph, Antron Brown, 3.684, 333.19 mph, to 3.736, 311.76 mph, Billy Torrence, 3.697, 333.88 mph, to 3.715, 332.77 mph; lost to Leah Pruett, 3.662, 333.09 mph, to 3.684, 330.47 mph.
BILLY TORRENCE
Qualifying position/performance: No. 5 at 3.660 seconds, 334.57 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points: Two, one for third quick time in Q1 and one for third quick time in Q2.
Race finish: Semifinalist.
Race detail: Beat Tony Schumacher, 3.664, 335.42 mph, to 5.326, 133.84 mph, Spencer Massey, 3.713, 332.94 mph, to 3.752, 327.44 mph; lost to Steve Torrence, 3.715, 332.77 mph, to 3.697. 333.88 mph.
Despite the final round result, an agonizingly close .005 of a second decision that fell in Pruett’s favor, Torrence and his CAPCO Contractors team will move on to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals just 13 points out of the lead.From the 38th annual Texas Fall Nationals at Dallas, Texas
STEVE TORRENCE
Qualifying position/performance: No. 1 at 3.636 seconds, 336.90 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points: Six, three for quick time in Q2 and three more for quick time in Q3.
Race finish: Runner-Up.
Current points position: 3rd.
Race detail: Beat Buddy Hull, 3.664 seconds, 333.21 mph, to 3.739, 324.42 mph, Antron Brown, 3.684, 333.19 mph, to 3.736, 311.76 mph, Billy Torrence, 3.697, 333.88 mph, to 3.715, 332.77 mph; lost to Leah Pruett, 3.662, 333.09 mph, to 3.684, 330.47 mph.
BILLY TORRENCE
Qualifying position/performance: No. 5 at 3.660 seconds, 334.57 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points: Two, one for third quick time in Q1 and one for third quick time in Q2.
Race finish: Semifinalist.
Race detail: Beat Tony Schumacher, 3.664, 335.42 mph, to 5.326, 133.84 mph, Spencer Massey, 3.713, 332.94 mph, to 3.752, 327.44 mph; lost to Steve Torrence, 3.715, 332.77 mph, to 3.697. 333.88 mph.
“Well, bottom line is we wound up on the wrong end of a really good drag race,” said the 54-time Camping World tour winner.
“That’s the bad news,” Torrence said. “The good news is that we’re taking a bad ass race car to Vegas and Pomona for these last two races. I think we're peaking at the very best time to win a championship. We know the game. It’s all about the last six races. Now it’s about the last two.
“So, we’ll polish everything up and head out west. One round separates the three of us – me, Leah and Doug (Kalitta), so it all comes down to a two-race shootout and I wouldn’t want to go into it with anybody but these bad-to-the-bone CAPCO boys.”
The No. 1 qualifier at a track record 3.636 seconds, the quickest run of his career, Torrence took out fellow Texan Buddy Hull in round one and beat three-time former series champion Antron Brown in the second before lining up beside his dad, Billy, in all all-CAPCO semifinal from which he escaped with a .007 of a second victory.
“Great to have my dad back out here and, as usual, he did his best to whip my butt,” Torrence said. “Obviously, being away for a year didn’t effect him much.”
38th annual Texas Fall Nationals FINAL ROUND RESULTS
Top Fuel – Leah Pruett, Mobil 1 dragster, 3.684 seconds, 330.47 mph, def. Steve Torrence, CAPCO Contractors dragster, 3.662, 333.09 mph.
Funny Car – Matt Hagan, American Rebel Dodge Charger, 3.883, 332.25 mph, def. John Force, PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro, 6.818, 94.02 mph.
Pro Stock – Erica Enders, Melling Performance Chevy Camaro, 6.469, 211.55 mph, def. Dallas Glenn, RAD Torque Converters Chevrolet Camaro, 6.493, 210.40 mph.
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After four of six races in the Countdown to the Championship)
1. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Mobil 1 dragster 2414
2. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mobil1/MAC Tools dragster 2410
3. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, CAPCO Contractors dragster 2401
4. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect dragster 2306
5. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 2304
6. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Valley Services dragster 2283
8. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 2270
7. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy dragster 2249
9. Tony Schumacher, SCAG Power Equipment dragster 2195
Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 2195
11. Shawn Langdon, Kalitta Air Careers dragster 2166
12. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster 2129
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
23rd annual Dodge Power Brokers Nationals
Oct. 27-29, 2023
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, Nev.
Top Fuel – Leah Pruett, Mobil 1 dragster, 3.684 seconds, 330.47 mph, def. Steve Torrence, CAPCO Contractors dragster, 3.662, 333.09 mph.
Funny Car – Matt Hagan, American Rebel Dodge Charger, 3.883, 332.25 mph, def. John Force, PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro, 6.818, 94.02 mph.
Pro Stock – Erica Enders, Melling Performance Chevy Camaro, 6.469, 211.55 mph, def. Dallas Glenn, RAD Torque Converters Chevrolet Camaro, 6.493, 210.40 mph.
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After four of six races in the Countdown to the Championship)
1. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Mobil 1 dragster 2414
2. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mobil1/MAC Tools dragster 2410
3. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, CAPCO Contractors dragster 2401
4. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect dragster 2306
5. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 2304
6. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Valley Services dragster 2283
8. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 2270
7. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy dragster 2249
9. Tony Schumacher, SCAG Power Equipment dragster 2195
Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 2195
11. Shawn Langdon, Kalitta Air Careers dragster 2166
12. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster 2129
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
23rd annual Dodge Power Brokers Nationals
Oct. 27-29, 2023
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, Nev.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America (more than 49,000 of them in the U.S.). Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (including nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).
About CAPCO Contractors Inc.
Capco Contractors, Inc. is a family owned-and-operated construction company specializing in the oil and gas industries. A proud American company based in Texas with clients around the world, Capco was founded in 1995 by Billy Torrence and initially operated from a small office and one job-site trailer with a staff of only 12 employees. From those humble beginnings, Capco Contactors, Inc. has developed into a full-service pipeline company, capable of all aspects of pipeline work including site work, creation of compressor stations, mainline pipeline construction and pipeline integrity projects. It employs more than 200 people with main offices in Henderson, Texas.
