BROWN HALTS TORRENCE WIN STREAK
Despite Semifinal Exit, Four-Time Champ Retains Top Fuel Point Lead
SONOMA, Calif. – Steve Torrence took his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota to the semifinals for the third straight week and for the eighth time in 12 races this season, but his bid for back-to-back victories on the Camping World tour fell just short Sunday in the 35th DENSO Sonoma Nationals contested in California’s wine country.
Team CAPCO Competition Capsule
From the 35th DENSO Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma, Calif.
STEVE TORRENCE
Qualifying position/performance: No. 2 at 3.706 seconds, 329.67 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points: Five, two for second quick in Q2, three for quickest in Q3.
Mission 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge points (event/season): 3/8
Race finish: Semifinalist
Current points position: Second
Race detail: Beat Ron August, 3.751, 331.94 mph, to 3.878, 321.12 mph; advanced on earned bye run; lost to Antron Brown, 3.810, 328.78 mph, to 3.794, 329.83 mph.
From the 35th DENSO Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma, Calif.
STEVE TORRENCE
Qualifying position/performance: No. 2 at 3.706 seconds, 329.67 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points: Five, two for second quick in Q2, three for quickest in Q3.
Mission 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge points (event/season): 3/8
Race finish: Semifinalist
Current points position: Second
Race detail: Beat Ron August, 3.751, 331.94 mph, to 3.878, 321.12 mph; advanced on earned bye run; lost to Antron Brown, 3.810, 328.78 mph, to 3.794, 329.83 mph.
The four-time World Champion, the only driver ever to sweep the races in the Countdown, dropped a narrow semifinal decision to close friend and fellow World Champ Antron Brown and, as a result, once again relinquished the point lead to Justin Ashley.
Brown covered the 1,000-foot Sonoma Raceway course in 3.794 seconds at 329.83 miles per hour for the win; Torrence trailed in 3.810 seconds with a finish line speed of 328.78 mph.
As the No. 2 qualifier, the Texas rancher and businessman breezed past part-time pro Ron August in the first round, a victory that automatically propelled him into the penultimate round thanks to a bye run he earned in a field of only 13 cars.
However, it was on that bye run that his double-up bid began to unravel when the 11,000 horsepower engine in his CAPCO entry suffered a catastrophic failure that brought the car to a halt before it ever reached the finish line and cost him lane choice against Brown.
Photo by Mark Rebilas
Steve Torrence and his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota went one-for-two at Sonoma Raceway, winning Saturday’s Mission Foods 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge before losing a narrow semifinal decision to Antron Brown in Sunday’s DENSO Sonoma Nationals.
After a one week break, Torrence will begin qualifying for the 34th Menard’s Nationals at Topeka’s Heartland Motorsports Park trailing Ashley by 32 points with just three races remaining before the points are adjusted for the start of the Countdown to the Championship.
35th DENSO Sonoma Nationals
FINAL ROUND RESULTS
Top Fuel – Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect dragster, 3.778, 328.78 mph, def. Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster, 3.787, 327.90 mph.
Funny Car – J.R. Todd, DHL Toyota Supra, 3.972, 322.81 mph, def. Chad Green, Primitive Grind Ford Mustang, 4.039, 314.17 mph.
MISSION 2FAST/2TASTY TOP FUEL CHALLENGE (Saturday)
Semifinals – Steve Torrence, CAPCO Contractors dragster, 3.765, 328.94 mph, def. Shawn Langdon, Kalitta Air Careers dragster, 5.899, 106.19 mph; Clay Millican, Parts Plus dragster, 3.793, 330.88 mph, def. Doug Kalitta, MAC Tools dragster, 4.537, 151.15 mph.
FINAL – Torrence, 3.788, 326.08 mph, def. Millican, 3.781, 326.32 mph.
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After 12 of 15 events leading up to the Countdown to the Championship)
1. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect dragster 935
2. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, CAPCO Contractors dragster 903
3. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Flav-R-Pac dragster/ Monster Energy 736
4. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 721
5. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Dodge Direct Connection dragster 718
6. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 715
7. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., MAC Tools/Toyota dragster 672
8. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 654
9. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster 651
10. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 604
11. Shawn Langdon, Danville, Ind., Kalitta Air Careers dragster 598
12. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, SCAG Equipment dragster 485
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
34th Menard’s Nationals
Aug. 11-13, 2023
Heartland Park
Topeka, Kan.
FINAL ROUND RESULTS
Top Fuel – Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect dragster, 3.778, 328.78 mph, def. Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster, 3.787, 327.90 mph.
Funny Car – J.R. Todd, DHL Toyota Supra, 3.972, 322.81 mph, def. Chad Green, Primitive Grind Ford Mustang, 4.039, 314.17 mph.
MISSION 2FAST/2TASTY TOP FUEL CHALLENGE (Saturday)
Semifinals – Steve Torrence, CAPCO Contractors dragster, 3.765, 328.94 mph, def. Shawn Langdon, Kalitta Air Careers dragster, 5.899, 106.19 mph; Clay Millican, Parts Plus dragster, 3.793, 330.88 mph, def. Doug Kalitta, MAC Tools dragster, 4.537, 151.15 mph.
FINAL – Torrence, 3.788, 326.08 mph, def. Millican, 3.781, 326.32 mph.
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After 12 of 15 events leading up to the Countdown to the Championship)
1. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect dragster 935
2. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, CAPCO Contractors dragster 903
3. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Flav-R-Pac dragster/ Monster Energy 736
4. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 721
5. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Dodge Direct Connection dragster 718
6. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 715
7. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., MAC Tools/Toyota dragster 672
8. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 654
9. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster 651
10. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 604
11. Shawn Langdon, Danville, Ind., Kalitta Air Careers dragster 598
12. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, SCAG Equipment dragster 485
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
34th Menard’s Nationals
Aug. 11-13, 2023
Heartland Park
Topeka, Kan.
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.
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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.
