CAN TORRENCE BEAT THE ODDS ONCE AGAIN?
Four-Time Champ Trails Force, Three Others Entering 57th Auto Club Finals
POMONA, Calif. – The fact that oddsmakers have determined that Steve Torrence has virtually no chance of winning an historic fifth straight NHRA Top Fuel Championship when the Camping World tour moves this week to Auto Club Raceway for the season-ending 57th Auto Club Finals has become a source of motivation for the talented Texan and his “Capco Boys.”
Steve at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Total appearances: 25
Final rounds: 4
Tour victories: 3 (2018 and 2021 at the Auto Club Finals)
No. 1 qualifier: 3 (2019 at the Auto Club Finals)
Won-Lost record: 29-22 (14-11 at the Auto Club Finals after an 0-6 start)
Quickest time: 3.657 seconds, Feb. 9, 2019
Fastest speed: 333.00 mph, Feb. 11, 2018
Track records – 3.628 seconds by Clay Millican, Feb. 10, 2018; 333.58 mph by Brittany Force, Nov. 10, 2018.
As a teenager, he battled Hodgkins lymphoma to a standoff, in the process becoming an advocate for others facing difficult physical and emotional challenges.
As a team owner, he defied conventional wisdom and came within two rounds of winning the 2017 Top Fuel world championship with a single car operation that, instead of proprietary equipment, used over-the-counter parts and pieces readily available to all.
In 2018, he obliterated the laws of probability when he swept the Countdown on the way to hoisting the championship trophy for the first time. Last year, he became just the seventh driver in pro drag racing history to win as many as four straight NHRA series titles while also becoming the first in any pro class to win more than half the races in the series (11 of 20) since Tony Schumacher did so in 2008.
As a result, the fact that he starts this week 87 points off the lead enjoyed by Brittany Force, that he also trails Justin Ashley, Mike Salinas and Antron Brown and that he’s won just two times all season, his fewest victories in the last eight campaigns, is of little or no concern to him and his team.
Photo by Will Lester
Reigning champion Steve Torrence, left, and point leader Brittany Force, winners of the last five Top Fuel World Champions, will be at it again this week at Pomona, Calif., where they’ll lock up in the decisive Auto Club Finals.
“All we can control is what we do,” Torrence said. “Our plan is to go out there and win the race. That’s all we can do. If we do that (as he has in two of his last three Finals’ appearances), then we’ve given ourselves a chance and, regardless of what happens, we’ll have momentum to carry over into ‘23.
“With points-and-a-half on the table, we’re just two rounds behind Brittany and Justin and in a dead heat with Mike and Antron,” said the 53-time tour winner. “That means it’ll all come down to what happens in qualifying and the first couple rounds.
Photo by Will Lester
Texan Steve Torrence will drive his Capco Contractors dragster in pursuit of the Top Fuel title and a possible fifth straight series championship at this week’s season-ending Auto Club Finals at Pomona, Calif.
“No matter what, there’s nobody I’d rather have with me down the stretch than these Capco Boys,” Torrence said. “They’ve put us in position to win a championship for the sixth straight year. I know I’ll have a race car that can win. We’ll just have to see how it plays out.”
If everything goes his way, the prize for Torrence is joining Schumacher, John Force and Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden as the only pro drivers to win as many as five consecutive titles.
Qualifying for the Auto Club Finals begins with sessions at 3 and 6:15 p.m., Texas time, Friday and concludes with sessions at 2:30 and 6 p.m., Texas time, Saturday. Single elimination finals begin at 1 p.m., Texas time, Sunday.
Television coverage includes an all-encompassing qualifying show airing from 1-3 p.m., Texas time, Sunday on FS1. It will be followed immediately by three hours of race coverage, also on FS1.
Photo by Mark Rebilas
Coming at you! When he's not sighing autographs and interacting with fans, World Champion Steve Torrence will drive his Capco Contractors dragster after the Top Fuel championship at this week’s 57th Auto Club Finals at Pomona, Calif.
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR Driver Points
(After five of six events in the Countdown to the Championship)
TOP FUEL
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
Looking Back
Steve Torrence at the Auto Club Finals
Year Qualifying Position/Racing Result
2006 Pomona2 13. Lost to Melanie Troxel
2008 Pomona2 9. Lost to Rod Fuller
2009 Pomona2 11. Lost to Doug Kalitta
2010 Pomona2 9. Lost to Antron Brown
2012 Pomona2 8. Lost to Bob Vandergriff Jr.
2013 Pomona2 15. Lost to Shawn Langdon
2014 Pomona2 13. Beat Doug Kalitta; lost to J.R. Todd
2015 Pomona2 8. Beat Dave Connolly; lost to Antron Brown
2016 Pomona2 7. Beat Wayne Newby; lost to Shawn Langdon
2017 Pomona2 5. Beat Troy Buff; lost to Antron Brown
2018 Pomona2 2. Beat Cameron Ferre, Billy Torrence, Brittany Force and Tony Schumacher
2019 Pomona2 1. Beat Cameron Ferre, Brittany Force; lost to Richie Crampton
2020 Pomona2 Event Not Contested due to COVID-19
2021 Pomona2 2. Beat Brandon Welch, Doug Kalitta, Cameron Ferre and Antron Brown
Steve Torrence at the Winternationals
2010 Pomona1 6. Lost to Antron Brown
2011 Pomona1 10. Lost to Doug Kalitta
2012 Pomona1 9. Lost to Shawn Langdon
2013 Pomona1 8. Beat Spencer Massey; lost to Tony Schumacher
2014 Pomona1 6. Beat Terry McMillen, Clay Millican; lost to Khalid alBalooshi
2015 Pomona1 5. Beat Troy Buff; lost to Spencer Massey
2016 Pomona1 1. Beat Steve Faria, Morgan Lucas, Richie Crampton and Doug Kalitta
2017 Pomona1 8. Beat Troy Buff; lost to Leah Pritchett
2018 Pomona1 2. Beat Steve Faria; lost to Antron Brown
2019 Pomona1 1. Beat Steve Faria, bye, Mike Salinas; lost to Doug Kalitta
2020 Pomona1 Did Not Compete
2021 Pomona1 4. Lost to Antron Brown
2022 Pomona1 6. Beat Doug Foley, Mike Salinas; lost to Justin Ashley
Steve Torrence’s 2022 results
Pomona1 6. Beat Doug Foley, Mike Salinas; lost to Justin Ashley
Phoenix 3. Beat Doug Foley, Brittany Force; lost to Mike Salinas
Gainesville 3. Beat Tony Schumacher; lost to Justin Ashley
Vegas 4Wide 7. Runner-Up to Brittany Force (Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown)
Houston 1. Beat Buddy Hull, Mike Salinas; lost to Justin Ashley
Charlotte 4Wide 3. Lost in 1st Quad (Clay Millican, Josh Hart, Shawn Langdon)
Richmond 3. Beat Scott Palmer, Tony Schumacher, Austin Prock; lost to Brittany Force
Epping 1. Lost to Scott Farley
Bristol 2. Beat Lex Joon, Leah Pruett; lost to Justin Ashley
Norwalk 7. Beat Billy Torrence; lost to Leah Pruett
Denver 10. Lost to Austin Prock
Sonoma 4. Beat Tony Schumacher; lost to Brittany Force
Seattle 2. Beat Ron Smith; lost to Justin Ashley
Topeka 4. Beat Kyle Wurtzel, Tony Schumacher, Mike Salinas; lost to Antron Brown
Brainerd 4. Beat Mike Salinas, Antron Brown, Brittany Force and Tony Schumacher
Indianapolis 3. Beat Austin Prock; lost to Antron Brown
Reading 5. Beat Shawn Langdon; lost to Austin Prock
Charlotte2 8. Beat Billy Torrence; lost to Justin Ashley
St. Louis 1. Beat Buddy Hull, Clay Millican, Doug Kalitta and Josh Hart
Dallas 6. Lost to Shawn Langdon.
Las Vegas2 7. Beat Josh Hart; lost to Austin Prock
Looking Ahead
2023 NHRA Tour
3-12 Amalie Gatornationals and Pep Boys Call Out Gainesville, FL
3-26 NHRA Arizona Nationals Phoenix, AZ
4-2 Lucas Oil Winternationals Pomona, CA
4-16 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Las Vegas, NV
4-30 NHRA 4Wide Nationals Charlotte, NC
5-21 NHRA Route 66 Nationals Chicago, IL
6-4 NHRA New England Nationals Epping, NH
6-11 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Bristol, TN
6-25 Summit Racing Equipment Nationals Norwalk, OH
7-16 Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals Denver, CO
7-23 Flav-R-Pac Northwest Nationals Seattle, WA
7-30 DENSO Sonoma Nationals Sonoma, CA
8-13 Menard’s Nationals Topeka, KS
8-20 Lucas Oil Nationals Brainerd, MN
9-4 Dodge Power Brokers US Nationals Indianapolis, IN
9-17 Pep Boys Nationals Reading, PA
9-24 NHRA Carolina Nationals Charlotte, NC
10-1 NHRA Midwest Nationals St. Louis, MO
10-15 NHRA Texas Fall Nationals Dallas, TX
10-29 NHRA Nevada Nationals Las Vegas, NV
11-12 In-N-Out World Finals Pomona, CA
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.
