TORRENCE SUFFERS RARE FOUL START (1 Viewer)

TORRENCE OUT EARLY AT SONOMA

Point Leader Guilty of Rare Foul Start in Opening Round of Toyota Nationals

SONOMA, Calif. – A rare foul start sent Steve Torrence to the sidelines Sunday in the very first round of the 31st annual Toyota Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway but the talented Texan will move on to Seattle for this week’s conclusion to the arduous Western Swing with his 100-plus point lead still intact.
“There’s no way to put lipstick on this one and make it look any better,” a disappointed-but-philosophical Torrence said after leaving the starting line too early against Doug Kalitta. “When you’re racing those Kalitta boys, you know you have to squeeze every little bit of performance out of the race car and the driver. Today the driver just squeezed a little too hard.
“All you can do is put this one in the rearview mirror and move on down the road and that’s what we’re gonna do,” said the driver of the Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster. “We’ll regroup, get Hoagie (crew chief Richard Hogan) healthy again and get after ‘em in Seattle.”
The dominant driver in the category over the last two seasons during which he has won 13 times, Torrence hadn’t exited a tour event via the foul start in almost five years. The last time he did so was at Brainerd, Minn., in 2013.
“They say if you don’t red light every now and then you’re not trying hard enough,” Torrence said, “but that don’t make you feel any better about it. The only good thing is I’ll be strapped back into this thing in five days with a chance to redeem myself.”
When qualifying begins Friday at Pacific Raceways, Torrence will lead eight-time series champion Tony Schumacher by 137 points in his bid to win the NHRA’s regular season championship for the second consecutive year.
“Our goal is the same as it was before,” said the 35-year-old cancer survivor “and that is to win the rest of the races and go into the Countdown with some momentum. We’ve been on a mission all year and that mission isn’t over. Today was just one of those little speed bumps that helps keep you humble and focused.”


2018 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS

TOP FUEL

(After 15 of 18 races leading into the Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship)



1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 1168

2. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, U.S. Army dragster 1031

3. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 1025

4. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Palomar Homes dragster 989

5. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 951

6. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 809

7. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Oil dragster 728

8. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., PEAK/Monster dragster 697

9. Scott Palmer, Cassville, Mo., Cat Spot dragster 617

10. Richie Crampton, Avon, Ind., DHL/Kalitta Air dragster 608

CAPCO CONTRACTORS race summary:

31st annual Toyota Sonoma Nationals



Qualify – Steve Torrence, No. 8 at 3.785 seconds, 330.55 mph.

Round 1 – S. Torrence, foul start, lost to Doug Kalitta, 3.746, 332.26k mph.

FINAL – Blake Alexander, 4.004 seconds, 287.41 mph, lost to Tony Schumacher, 4.345 seconds, 219.65 mph.
 
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