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TORRENCE SURGES INTO POINT LEAD
Four-Time Series Champ Uses Runner-Up Finish at Reading to Pass Ashley
READING, Pa. – Doug Kalitta denied him a victory in Monday’s rain-delayed wrap-up to the 38th Pep Boys Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, but Steve Torrence will begin qualifying for this week’s 15th Betway Carolina Nationals at ZMax Dragway as the Top Fuel point leader.
Team CAPCO Competition Capsule
From the 38th Pep Boys Nationals at Reading, Pa.
STEVE TORRENCE
Qualifying position/performance: No. 4 at 3.698 seconds, 333.99 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points: Three for quick time in Q3.
Race finish: Runner-Up
Current points position: First
Race detail: Beat Mike Salinas, 3.701, 325.45 mph to 3.739, 332.59 mph, Antron Brown, 3.701, 325.45 mph to 3.639, 332.59 mph, Tony Schumacher, 3.685, 329.34 mph to 4.420, 196.42 mph; lost to Doug Kalitta, 3.695, 332.34 mph to 3.662, 336.99 mph.
Left Photo: It was a good weekend for Steve Torrence at Maple Grove Raceway, but not a perfect one as evidenced by the engine detonation suffered by his potent CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota during the Pep Boys Nationals.From the 38th Pep Boys Nationals at Reading, Pa.
STEVE TORRENCE
Qualifying position/performance: No. 4 at 3.698 seconds, 333.99 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points: Three for quick time in Q3.
Race finish: Runner-Up
Current points position: First
Race detail: Beat Mike Salinas, 3.701, 325.45 mph to 3.739, 332.59 mph, Antron Brown, 3.701, 325.45 mph to 3.639, 332.59 mph, Tony Schumacher, 3.685, 329.34 mph to 4.420, 196.42 mph; lost to Doug Kalitta, 3.695, 332.34 mph to 3.662, 336.99 mph.
Right photo: Steve Torrence, left, shared a Maple Grove moment with Tony Schumacher after Schumacher's upset of Justin Ashley enabled the Texan to take the point lead in his bid for a fifth Top Fuel World Championship.
The 40-year-old Texan surged past regular season champion and No. 1 seed Justin Ashley, who was upset in the second round by former champion Tony Schumacher.
Torrence subsequently took out Schumacher but, in the final, couldn’t get his CAPCO Contractors dragster past Kalitta’s MAC Tools entry despite a stellar 3.695 elapsed time.
In winning for the first time in more than two years, Kalitta put up the two quickest times of the race including a 3.662 in that crucial final.
The No. 4 qualifier at 3.698 seconds, Torrence ran 3.701 to beat Mike Salinas in round one, 3.701 a second time to dispatch close friend Antron Brown (to whom he lost in the final round of the Labor Day U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Ind.) and 3.685 to turn back Schumacher.
“We didn’t get the ‘W,’ but it was still a good weekend,” Torrence said. “These CAPCO boys gave us a chance, but we just ran up against a Kalitta buzzsaw in the final. Doug and A.J. (tuner Alan Johnson) and that team deserve all the credit. They’ve had some issues, but they didn’t have many this week.
“Now it’s ‘game on’ for the championship with Doug up to third (in points) and only three rounds separating six of us going to Charlotte,” Torrence said, “but, like I’ve said before, the only time it matters if you’re on top in points is late Sunday afternoon at Pomona (at the conclusion of the season-ending In-N-Out Finals, the concluding event in the six-race Countdown).”
With a car that averaged 3.697 seconds during Maple Grove eliminations (second only to Kalitta’s 3.674), Torrence is anxious to throw down on an all-concrete surface at ZMax on which he has won six times over the last seven seasons.
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After the first of six races in the Countdown to the Camping World Championship)
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, CAPCO Contractors dragster 2189
2. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect dragster 2182
3. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., MAC Tools dragster 2163
4. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Mobil 1 dragster 2135
5. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 2133
6. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Flav-R-Pac/ Monster Energy dragster 2118
7. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 2064
8. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 2058
9. Tony Schumacher, SCAG Power Equipment dragster 2055
10. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 2050
11. Shawn Langdon, Kalitta Air Careers dragster 2048
12. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster 2031
38th Pep Boys Nationals FINAL ROUND RESULTS
Top Fuel – Doug Kalitta, MAC Tools dragster, 3.662, 336.99 mph, def. Steve Torrence, CAPCO Contractors dragster, 3.695, 332.34 mph.
Funny Car – Robert Hight, Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevy Camaro, 3.854, 330.39 mph, def. Chad Green, Bond-Coat Ford Mustang, 3.928, 327.27 mph.
Pro Stock – Matt Hartford, Total Seal Chevy Camaro; 6.532, 208.91 mph, def. Kyle Koretsky, Lucas Oil Chevy Camaro,.7.133, 208.26 mph.
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
15th Betway Carolina Nationals
Sept. 22-24, 2023
ZMax Dragway
Charlotte, N.C.
TOP FUEL
(After the first of six races in the Countdown to the Camping World Championship)
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, CAPCO Contractors dragster 2189
2. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect dragster 2182
3. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., MAC Tools dragster 2163
4. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Mobil 1 dragster 2135
5. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 2133
6. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Flav-R-Pac/ Monster Energy dragster 2118
7. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 2064
8. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 2058
9. Tony Schumacher, SCAG Power Equipment dragster 2055
10. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 2050
11. Shawn Langdon, Kalitta Air Careers dragster 2048
12. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster 2031
38th Pep Boys Nationals FINAL ROUND RESULTS
Top Fuel – Doug Kalitta, MAC Tools dragster, 3.662, 336.99 mph, def. Steve Torrence, CAPCO Contractors dragster, 3.695, 332.34 mph.
Funny Car – Robert Hight, Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevy Camaro, 3.854, 330.39 mph, def. Chad Green, Bond-Coat Ford Mustang, 3.928, 327.27 mph.
Pro Stock – Matt Hartford, Total Seal Chevy Camaro; 6.532, 208.91 mph, def. Kyle Koretsky, Lucas Oil Chevy Camaro,.7.133, 208.26 mph.
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
15th Betway Carolina Nationals
Sept. 22-24, 2023
ZMax Dragway
Charlotte, N.C.
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.
