TORRENCE TITLE HOPES TAKE A HIT
Four-Time Reigning Top Fuel Champ Fifth in Points Entering Season Finale
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Following a difficult second round loss to Austin Prock in Sunday’s 22nd NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a disappointed Steve Torrence acknowledged that his dream of an historic fifth straight Top Fuel World Championship likely will not be realized.
“The door was open,” Torrence said, referring to point leader Justin Ashley’s first round loss to Clay Millican, “but we just couldn’t get through it.”
FINAL ROUND RESULTS
Top Fuel – Brittany Force, Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster, 3.705 seconds, 332.34 mph, def. Mike Salinas, Pep Boys/Scrappers dragster, 3.702, 324.90 mph.
Funny Car – Matt Hagan, Dodge Power Brokers Charger, 3.896, 330.23 mph, def. Robert Hight, Auto Club Chevy Camaro, 6.157, 111.12 mph.
Pro Stock – Erica Enders, Melling Performance Chevy Camaro, 6.640, 206.86 mph, def. Troy Coughlin Jr., JEG’s Chevy Camaro, 6.668, 206.48 mph.
Top Fuel – Brittany Force, Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster, 3.705 seconds, 332.34 mph, def. Mike Salinas, Pep Boys/Scrappers dragster, 3.702, 324.90 mph.
Funny Car – Matt Hagan, Dodge Power Brokers Charger, 3.896, 330.23 mph, def. Robert Hight, Auto Club Chevy Camaro, 6.157, 111.12 mph.
Pro Stock – Erica Enders, Melling Performance Chevy Camaro, 6.640, 206.86 mph, def. Troy Coughlin Jr., JEG’s Chevy Camaro, 6.668, 206.48 mph.
Although not mathematically eliminated from the title chase due to the NHRA’s points-and-a-half payout at the season-ending Auto Club Finals, Torrence understands the reality of the situation.
“If we just had to catch Brittany (Force) or Justin, that would be one thing,” he said, “but there are two other drivers ahead of us now. We’ll just go to Pomona and try to end it strong and build some momentum. I’m really proud of these Capco Boys. We had some issues this year, but we kept our heads up and we’re ending the season with a strong car.”
When qualifying begins Nov. 11 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Calif., the 39-year-old Texan will trail Force by 87 points and Ashley by 80 with Mike Salinas and Antron Brown also blocking his path to the top.
“It’s definitely not how we drew it up,” Torrence said of a 2022 season in which he and crew chiefs Richard Hogan and Bobby Lagana Jr. decided to make a change to the engine/clutch set-up that had propelled their Capco Contractors dragster to victory 43 times from 2017 through 2021.
Unfortunately, during the transition, the car lacked the consistency to which Torrence had become accustomed. As a result, he has won “only” three times this season, his least productive campaign since 2016.
“This can be a very humbling sport,” Torrence said. “We struggled early but credit Justin and Brittany and AB and Mike, in fact, credit everybody in Top Fuel. There are no more easy outs in this class and when you’re the champ, you get everybody’s best. That’s the way it is; that’s the way it should be.”
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR Championship Points
TOP FUEL (After the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship)
1. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster 2468
2. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect/Vita C dragster 2461
3.. Mike Salinas, San Martin, Calif., Pep Boys/Scrappers Racing dragster 2402
4. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 2390
5. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 2381
6. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 2342
7. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers/Technet dragster 2307
8. Shawn Langdon, Danville, Ind., CMR Roofing/Toyota dragster 2290
9. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Kalitta Air/Toyota dragster 2284
10. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 2269
11. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, SCAG/Okuma dragster 2224
12. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Dodge Power Brokers dragster 2211
CAPCO CONTRACTORS race summary
22nd Dodge Power Brokers Nationals
Qualifying – Steve Torrence, No. 7 at 3.698 seconds, 332.92 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points – 2 overall, 1 for third quick time in Q2, 1 for third quick time in Q3.
Round 1 – S. Torrence, 3.690, 331.85 mph, def. Josh Hart, 3.719, 331.77 mph.
Round 2 – S. Torrence, 3.733, 321.81 mph, lost to Austin Prock, 3.732, 327.19 mph
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
57th Auto Club Finals
Nov. 10-13, 2022
Auto Club Raceway
Pomona, Calif.
TOP FUEL (After the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship)
1. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster 2468
2. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect/Vita C dragster 2461
3.. Mike Salinas, San Martin, Calif., Pep Boys/Scrappers Racing dragster 2402
4. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 2390
5. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 2381
6. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 2342
7. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers/Technet dragster 2307
8. Shawn Langdon, Danville, Ind., CMR Roofing/Toyota dragster 2290
9. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Kalitta Air/Toyota dragster 2284
10. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 2269
11. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, SCAG/Okuma dragster 2224
12. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Dodge Power Brokers dragster 2211
CAPCO CONTRACTORS race summary
22nd Dodge Power Brokers Nationals
Qualifying – Steve Torrence, No. 7 at 3.698 seconds, 332.92 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points – 2 overall, 1 for third quick time in Q2, 1 for third quick time in Q3.
Round 1 – S. Torrence, 3.690, 331.85 mph, def. Josh Hart, 3.719, 331.77 mph.
Round 2 – S. Torrence, 3.733, 321.81 mph, lost to Austin Prock, 3.732, 327.19 mph
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
57th Auto Club Finals
Nov. 10-13, 2022
Auto Club Raceway
Pomona, Calif.
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.
