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TORRENCE NOT READY TO CONCEDE TITLE
Four-Time Reigning Top Fuel Champ Looking for Repeat Win at Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Although he would be the first to acknowledge that he and his Capco Boys have dug themselves a pretty deep hole, Steve Torrence is by no means ready to concede the Top Fuel World Championship as the Camping World tour moves this week to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor speedway for the 22nd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals.
Steve at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Total appearances: 26 (14 in the fall race; 12 in the spring including 4 in four-wide format)
Final rounds:8 (6 in the fall race)
Tour victories: 5 (fall race wins in 2016, 2018 and 2021; four-wide wins in 2018 and 2021)
No. 1 qualifier: 2 (both in the spring, pre-four-wide; has started 2nd seven times in the fall)
Won-Lost record: 39-20 (24-11 in the fall)
Quickest time: 3.688 seconds, Oct. 31, 2021
Fastest speed: 333.33 mph, Oct. 27, 2018
Track records – 3.652 seconds by Brittany Force, Oct. 3, 2019; 338.17 mph by Brittany Force, Oct. 1, 2019.
Photos by Mark Rebilas
Steve Torrence will send his Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster after a second straight victory in the NHRA Nevada Nationals this week at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Steve Torrence talks titles with FOX Sports. Seeking an historic fifth straight Top Fuel championship, the Texan is the defending champion in the NHRA Nevada Nationals beginning Friday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
After all, the 39-year-old Texan has won three of the last six renewals of the series’ penultimate event and last October drove his Capco Contractors Top Fuel Toyota to a victory that included a semifinal conquest of the man he currently is chasing for the title, Justin Ashley.
Nevertheless, the path to becoming just the fourth pro driver (after Bob Glidden, John Force and Tony Schumacher) to win as many as five consecutive titles became far more challenging two weeks ago when he was ousted in a heart-wrenching first round duel at the Texas Fall Nationals by 2013 champ Shawn Langdon.
That stumble, in which he lost by a scant .021 of a second, was just the third time in his last 32 Countdown starts that the 53-time tour winner had failed to advance beyond round one. Nevertheless, it sent him tumbling from second place, just 12 points behind Ashley, to fourth, 96 points off the lead.
“We lost a close, tough race to Shawn and we’ve dug ourselves a hole,” Torrence said, “but I know these Capco Boys and what they can do. The climb may be tough, but that makes the reward even sweeter.”
Torrence is encouraged by the fact that the last time he exited a playoff race in the first round (2019), he still rallied to win the championship. The key to duplicating that performance is reducing his deficit this week to something a little more manageable in advance of the season-ending Auto Club Finals in which extra points will be available.
Burned in the past by a controversial NHRA playoff format that essentially penalizes those who are most successful in races preceding the Countdown, Torrence hopes this year to turn the tables and use the system to his own advantage, especially the points-and-a-half payout at the finale.
Despite the long odds, in a town in which one can bet on just about anything, there still are very few who would bet against the only driver in any category to have swept all the races in the Countdown in a single season (2018).
A determined Steve Torrence will drive the Capco Contractors dragster in pursuit of a repeat Top Fuel victory this week in the NHRA Nevada Nationals at Las Vegas.
A former Top Alcohol Dragster World Champ (2005) and the only driver to have won titles in both Top Fuel and Top Alcohol, Torrence has reached the final round in seven of his last eight appearances at The Strip. Most recently, he was runner-up to Brittany Force in last April’s four-wide race after winning the Vegas four-wide in both 2018 and 2021
Nitro qualifying sessions at 3:30 and 6:15 p.m., Texas time, Friday and 3 and 4:30 p.m., Texas time, Saturday will set the stage for Sunday eliminations beginning at 1 p.m., Texas time.
As has been the case throughout the Countdown, television coverage will be a race day only affair on FS1 with qualifying highlight shows from 8:30-9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Texas time, Sunday. Final eliminations will air from 3-6 p.m., Texas time, also on FS1.
Looking Back
Steve Torrence at Nevada 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
2021 Las Vegas2 2. Beat Jim Maroney, Tripp Tatum, Justin Ashley and Mike Salinas
Steve Torrence at the 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
Switched to four-wide format in 2018
2018 Las Vegas 5. WINNER over Tony Schumacher, Doug Kalitta and Antron Brown
2019 Las Vegas 2. Won first quad; lost in 2nd
2020 Las Vegas Event Not Contested
2021 Las Vegas 2. WINNER over Doug Kalitta, Clay Millican and Antron Brown
2022 Las Vegas 7. Runner-Up to Brittany Force (Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown)
Steve Torrence’s 2022 results
Event Qualifying Position/Racing Result
Pomona1 6. Beat Doug Foley, Mike Salinas; lost to Justin Ashley
Phoenix 3. Beat Doug Foley, Brittany Force; lost to Mike Salinas
Gainesville 3. Beat Tony Schumacher; lost to Justin Ashley
Vegas 4Wide 7. Runner-Up to Brittany Force (Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown)
Houston 1. Beat Buddy Hull, Mike Salinas; lost to Justin Ashley
Charlotte 4Wide 3. Lost in 1st Quad (Clay Millican, Josh Hart, Shawn Langdon)
Richmond 3. Beat Scott Palmer, Tony Schumacher, Austin Prock; lost to Brittany Force
Epping 1. Lost to Scott Farley
Bristol 2. Beat Lex Joon, Leah Pruett; lost to Justin Ashley
Norwalk 7. Beat Billy Torrence; lost to Leah Pruett
Denver 10. Lost to Austin Prock
Sonoma 4. Beat Tony Schumacher; lost to Brittany Force
Seattle 2. Beat Ron Smith; lost to Justin Ashley
Topeka 4. Beat Kyle Wurtzel, Tony Schumacher, Mike Salinas; lost to Antron Brown
Brainerd 4. Beat Mike Salinas, Antron Brown, Brittany Force and Tony Schumacher
Indianapolis 3. Beat Austin Prock; lost to Antron Brown
Reading 5. Beat Shawn Langdon; lost to Austin Prock
Charlotte2 8. Beat Billy Torrence; lost to Justin Ashley
St. Louis 1. Beat Buddy Hull, Clay Millican, Doug Kalitta and Josh Hart
Dallas 6. Lost to Shawn Langdon.
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR Driver Points
(After four of six events in the Countdown to the Championship)
TOP FUEL
1. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect/Vita C dragster 2422
2. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster 2340
3. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 2338
4. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 2326
5. Mike Salinas, San Martin, Calif., Pep Boys/Scrappers Racing dragster 2304
6. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers/Technet dragster 2275
7. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 2262
8. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Kalitta Air/Toyota dragster 2251
9. Shawn Langdon, Danville, Ind., CMR Roofing/Toyota dragster 2234
10. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 2218
11. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Dodge Power Brokers dragster 2179
12. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, SCAG/Okuma dragster 2149
2022 NHRA Camping World Tour
11-13 Auto Club Finals Pomona, CA
2023 NHRA Tour
3-12 Amalie Gatornationals and Pep Boys Call Out Gainesville, FL
3-26 NHRA Arizona Nationals Phoenix, AZ
4-2 Lucas Oil Winternationals Pomona, CA
4-16 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Las Vegas, NV
4-30 NHRA 4Wide Nationals Charlotte, NC
5-21 NHRA Route 66 Nationals Chicago, IL
6-4 NHRA New England Nationals Epping, NH
6-11 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Bristol, TN
6-25 Summit Racing Equipment Nationals Norwalk, OH
7-16 Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals Denver, CO
7-23 Flav-R-Pac Northwest Nationals Seattle, WA
7-30 DENSO Sonoma Nationals Sonoma, CA
8-13 Menard’s Nationals Topeka, KS
8-20 Lucas Oil Nationals Brainerd, MN
9-4 Dodge Power Brokers US Nationals Indianapolis, IN
9-17 Pep Boys Nationals Reading, PA
9-24 NHRA Carolina Nationals Charlotte, NC
10-1 NHRA Midwest Nationals St. Louis, MO
10-15 NHRA Texas Fall Nationals Dallas, TX
10-29 NHRA Nevada Nationals Las Vegas, NV
11-12 NHRA World Finals Pomona, CA
Steve Torrence at Nevada 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
2021 Las Vegas2 2. Beat Jim Maroney, Tripp Tatum, Justin Ashley and Mike Salinas
Steve Torrence at the 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
Switched to four-wide format in 2018
2018 Las Vegas 5. WINNER over Tony Schumacher, Doug Kalitta and Antron Brown
2019 Las Vegas 2. Won first quad; lost in 2nd
2020 Las Vegas Event Not Contested
2021 Las Vegas 2. WINNER over Doug Kalitta, Clay Millican and Antron Brown
2022 Las Vegas 7. Runner-Up to Brittany Force (Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown)
Steve Torrence’s 2022 results
Event Qualifying Position/Racing Result
Pomona1 6. Beat Doug Foley, Mike Salinas; lost to Justin Ashley
Phoenix 3. Beat Doug Foley, Brittany Force; lost to Mike Salinas
Gainesville 3. Beat Tony Schumacher; lost to Justin Ashley
Vegas 4Wide 7. Runner-Up to Brittany Force (Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown)
Houston 1. Beat Buddy Hull, Mike Salinas; lost to Justin Ashley
Charlotte 4Wide 3. Lost in 1st Quad (Clay Millican, Josh Hart, Shawn Langdon)
Richmond 3. Beat Scott Palmer, Tony Schumacher, Austin Prock; lost to Brittany Force
Epping 1. Lost to Scott Farley
Bristol 2. Beat Lex Joon, Leah Pruett; lost to Justin Ashley
Norwalk 7. Beat Billy Torrence; lost to Leah Pruett
Denver 10. Lost to Austin Prock
Sonoma 4. Beat Tony Schumacher; lost to Brittany Force
Seattle 2. Beat Ron Smith; lost to Justin Ashley
Topeka 4. Beat Kyle Wurtzel, Tony Schumacher, Mike Salinas; lost to Antron Brown
Brainerd 4. Beat Mike Salinas, Antron Brown, Brittany Force and Tony Schumacher
Indianapolis 3. Beat Austin Prock; lost to Antron Brown
Reading 5. Beat Shawn Langdon; lost to Austin Prock
Charlotte2 8. Beat Billy Torrence; lost to Justin Ashley
St. Louis 1. Beat Buddy Hull, Clay Millican, Doug Kalitta and Josh Hart
Dallas 6. Lost to Shawn Langdon.
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR Driver Points
(After four of six events in the Countdown to the Championship)
TOP FUEL
1. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect/Vita C dragster 2422
2. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster 2340
3. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 2338
4. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 2326
5. Mike Salinas, San Martin, Calif., Pep Boys/Scrappers Racing dragster 2304
6. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers/Technet dragster 2275
7. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 2262
8. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Kalitta Air/Toyota dragster 2251
9. Shawn Langdon, Danville, Ind., CMR Roofing/Toyota dragster 2234
10. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 2218
11. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Dodge Power Brokers dragster 2179
12. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, SCAG/Okuma dragster 2149
2022 NHRA Camping World Tour
11-13 Auto Club Finals Pomona, CA
2023 NHRA Tour
3-12 Amalie Gatornationals and Pep Boys Call Out Gainesville, FL
3-26 NHRA Arizona Nationals Phoenix, AZ
4-2 Lucas Oil Winternationals Pomona, CA
4-16 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Las Vegas, NV
4-30 NHRA 4Wide Nationals Charlotte, NC
5-21 NHRA Route 66 Nationals Chicago, IL
6-4 NHRA New England Nationals Epping, NH
6-11 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Bristol, TN
6-25 Summit Racing Equipment Nationals Norwalk, OH
7-16 Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals Denver, CO
7-23 Flav-R-Pac Northwest Nationals Seattle, WA
7-30 DENSO Sonoma Nationals Sonoma, CA
8-13 Menard’s Nationals Topeka, KS
8-20 Lucas Oil Nationals Brainerd, MN
9-4 Dodge Power Brokers US Nationals Indianapolis, IN
9-17 Pep Boys Nationals Reading, PA
9-24 NHRA Carolina Nationals Charlotte, NC
10-1 NHRA Midwest Nationals St. Louis, MO
10-15 NHRA Texas Fall Nationals Dallas, TX
10-29 NHRA Nevada Nationals Las Vegas, NV
11-12 NHRA World Finals Pomona, CA
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships. Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
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.
