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ANOTHER SEMIFINAL FOR TORRENCE
Capco Contractors Driver Retains Big Lead in Mello Yello Point Standings
NORWALK, Ohio – Steve Torrence’s Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster suffered a rare engine failure in the semifinals of the 12th annual Summit Racing Equipment Nationals Sunday and it denied the point leader a shot at his second straight victory at Summit Motorsports Park.
Despite the loss, it basically was a “no harm, no foul” weekend for the 35-year-old Texan who came in leading the Mello Yello driver standings by 110 points and left Sunday evening having extended that advantage over second place Clay Millican to 117 at the mid-point of the season.
“It got pretty hot in there,” Torrence said after the engine let go three-quarters of the way down the course in his race with Terry McMillen.
“I didn’t wait till it got completely stopped to bail out,” he said. “I was getting out of there. That was a mess. This Capco crew is gonna have some work to do but thankfully we’ve got a week off before we go to Epping (N.H., for the sixth running of the New England Nationals).”
Torrence qualified third behind Clay Millican and Brittany Force but neither of those heavy-hitters survived beyond the second round in an event in which unheralded Blake Alexander, the No. 12 qualifier, won for the first time in his career.
Torrence, meanwhile, made it to another semifinal largely on his own driving ability after his usually dominant hybrid slowed to 4.027 seconds at only 269.89 miles per hour in a second round race with Mike Salinas. His .045 of a second reaction time, best of the day in Top Fuel, got him to the finish a narrow .007 of a second ahead of his opponent.
Unfortunately, after that, the 20-time NHRA tour winner had no magic remaining for the semifinal.
2018 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After 12 of 18 races leading into the Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship)
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 964
2. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 847
3. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, U.S. Army dragster 817
4. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 749
5. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Mopar Dodge dragster 736
6. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Oil dragster 643
7. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 622
8. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Monster Energy dragster 594
9. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 475
10. Scott Palmer, Cassville, Mo., Cat Spot dragster 471
CAPCO CONTRACTORS race summary:
12th annual Summit Racing Equipment Nationals:
Qualify – Steve Torrence, No. 3 at 3.786 seconds, 328.62 mph.
Round 1 – S. Torrence, 3.800 seconds, 329.99 mph, def. Chris Karamesines, 4.052 seconds, 300.06 mph.
Round 2 – S. Torrence, 4.027 seconds, 269.89 mph, def. Mike Salinas, 4.001 seconds, 232.07 mph.
Semifinals – S. Torrence, 3.929 seconds, 302.96 mph, lost to Terry McMillen, 3.854 seconds, 317.57 mph.
FINAL – Blake Alexander, 4.011 seconds, 297.81 mph, def. Terry McMillen, 4.155 seconds, 289.30 mph.
NEXT RACE:
Sixth annual NHRA New England Nationals
July 6-8, 2018
New England Dragway
Epping, N.H.
Capco Contractors Driver Retains Big Lead in Mello Yello Point Standings
NORWALK, Ohio – Steve Torrence’s Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster suffered a rare engine failure in the semifinals of the 12th annual Summit Racing Equipment Nationals Sunday and it denied the point leader a shot at his second straight victory at Summit Motorsports Park.
Despite the loss, it basically was a “no harm, no foul” weekend for the 35-year-old Texan who came in leading the Mello Yello driver standings by 110 points and left Sunday evening having extended that advantage over second place Clay Millican to 117 at the mid-point of the season.
“It got pretty hot in there,” Torrence said after the engine let go three-quarters of the way down the course in his race with Terry McMillen.
“I didn’t wait till it got completely stopped to bail out,” he said. “I was getting out of there. That was a mess. This Capco crew is gonna have some work to do but thankfully we’ve got a week off before we go to Epping (N.H., for the sixth running of the New England Nationals).”
Torrence qualified third behind Clay Millican and Brittany Force but neither of those heavy-hitters survived beyond the second round in an event in which unheralded Blake Alexander, the No. 12 qualifier, won for the first time in his career.
Torrence, meanwhile, made it to another semifinal largely on his own driving ability after his usually dominant hybrid slowed to 4.027 seconds at only 269.89 miles per hour in a second round race with Mike Salinas. His .045 of a second reaction time, best of the day in Top Fuel, got him to the finish a narrow .007 of a second ahead of his opponent.
Unfortunately, after that, the 20-time NHRA tour winner had no magic remaining for the semifinal.
2018 NHRA MELLO YELLO POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After 12 of 18 races leading into the Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship)
1. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 964
2. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 847
3. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, U.S. Army dragster 817
4. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 749
5. Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Mopar Dodge dragster 736
6. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Oil dragster 643
7. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 622
8. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Monster Energy dragster 594
9. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 475
10. Scott Palmer, Cassville, Mo., Cat Spot dragster 471
CAPCO CONTRACTORS race summary:
12th annual Summit Racing Equipment Nationals:
Qualify – Steve Torrence, No. 3 at 3.786 seconds, 328.62 mph.
Round 1 – S. Torrence, 3.800 seconds, 329.99 mph, def. Chris Karamesines, 4.052 seconds, 300.06 mph.
Round 2 – S. Torrence, 4.027 seconds, 269.89 mph, def. Mike Salinas, 4.001 seconds, 232.07 mph.
Semifinals – S. Torrence, 3.929 seconds, 302.96 mph, lost to Terry McMillen, 3.854 seconds, 317.57 mph.
FINAL – Blake Alexander, 4.011 seconds, 297.81 mph, def. Terry McMillen, 4.155 seconds, 289.30 mph.
NEXT RACE:
Sixth annual NHRA New England Nationals
July 6-8, 2018
New England Dragway
Epping, N.H.
