NORWALK, Ohio – The odds abandoned Steve Torrence Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park where his bid for a fourth straight odd-year victory in the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals ended in an excruciatingly narrow second round loss to point leader Justin Ashley.
Steve Torrence puts his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota through its paces during Friday night qualifying for the 16th Summit Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio. Torrence was ousted in Sunday's second round by point leader Justin Ashley.
Competition Capsule
From the 16th Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio
STEVE TORRENCE
Qualifying position/performance: No. 2 at 3.688 seconds, 332.10 miles per hour.
Qualifying bonus points: Three, 2 for second quick time in Q1; 1 for third quick time in Q3.
Mission 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge points (event/season): 0/1
Race finish: Second round.
Current points position: Second
Race detail: Beat Doug Foley; 3.735 seconds, 330.55 mph, to 4.237, 195.55 mph; lost to Justin Ashley, 3.703, 331.77 mph, to 3.721, 328.06 mph.
16th Summit Racing Equipment Nationals
FINAL ROUND RESULTS
Top Fuel – Leah Pruett, Dodge Direct Connection dragster, 3.761, 326.79 mph, def. Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect dragster, 4.497, 198.90 mph.
Funny Car – Blake Alexander, Head Racing/Pronto Ford Mustang, 3.935, 321.95 mph, def. Matt Hagan, Direct Connection Dodge Charger, 3.991, 327.90 mph.
Pro Stock – Matt Hartford, Total Seal Piston Rings Chevy Camaro, 6.624, 207.02 mph, def. Dallas Glenn, RAD Torque Systems Chevy Camaro, 17.599, 67.65 mph.
Torrence’s shootout with Ashley was decided at the starting line where the latter used a .039 of a second reaction time to get an early lead that held to the finish.
Ashley won in 3.721 seconds at 328.06 mph. Torrence was quicker at 3.703, the quickest time of eliminations, but couldn’t make up the starting line deficit in a CAPCO Contractors dragster that was closing fast, posting a finish line speed of 331.77 miles per hour.
When qualifying begins July 14th for the 43rd and final Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals, Torrence will trail Ashley by 97 points with six races remaining before the totals are adjusted for the Countdown to the Championship.
“I’ve just got to do a better job,” said the 53-time NHRA tour winner and only pro driver ever to sweep the six races in the Countdown. “The CAPCO boys gave me a car that could win – and I didn’t get the job done. The only good thing is that there’s still a lot of racing ahead of us.
“We’ll just reload and get ready for the Western Swing,” he said. “Our car is rock solid and we have a lot of history at Denver. So, we’ll just line up and do it again in two weeks. Hats off to Justin and his team. They’re on a roll, but we’ll try to have something for ‘em up on the mountain.”
Torrence has won two of the last three races contested at Bandimere Speedway, the most elevated track on the circuit (5,800 feet).
NHRA CAMPING WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
TOP FUEL
(After nine of 15 events leading up to the Countdown to the Championship)
1. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect dragster 726
2. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, CAPCO Contractors dragster 629
3. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Rush Truck Centers dragster 620
4. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster 590
5. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 588
6. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 531
7. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 504
8. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster 487
9. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., MAC Tools/Toyota dragster 442
10. Shawn Langdon, Danville, Ind., CMR Roofing/Toyota dragster 398
11. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, SCAG Equipment dragster 389
12. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 373
16th Summit Racing Equipment Nationals
Natalie Torrence, wife of four-time Top Fuel World Champion Steve, and daughter Haven Charli enjoy the fireworks show at Summit Motorsports Park following Friday qualifying for the Summit Nationals. Steve Torrence was ousted in the second round Sunday but held onto second place in points.
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
43rd Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals
July 14-16, 2023
Bandimere Speedway
Denver, Colo.
TOP FUEL
(After nine of 15 events leading up to the Countdown to the Championship)
1. Justin Ashley, Farmingdale, N.Y., Phillips Connect dragster 726
2. Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, CAPCO Contractors dragster 629
3. Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Rush Truck Centers dragster 620
4. Brittany Force, Aberdeen, N.C., Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster 590
5. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster 588
6. Antron Brown, Pittsboro, Ind., Matco Tools dragster 531
7. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster 504
8. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster 487
9. Doug Kalitta, Saline, Mich., MAC Tools/Toyota dragster 442
10. Shawn Langdon, Danville, Ind., CMR Roofing/Toyota dragster 398
11. Tony Schumacher, Lakeway, Texas, SCAG Equipment dragster 389
12. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Parts Plus dragster 373
16th Summit Racing Equipment Nationals
Natalie Torrence, wife of four-time Top Fuel World Champion Steve, and daughter Haven Charli enjoy the fireworks show at Summit Motorsports Park following Friday qualifying for the Summit Nationals. Steve Torrence was ousted in the second round Sunday but held onto second place in points.
Next Scheduled CAMPING WORLD TOUR Event:
43rd Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals
July 14-16, 2023
Bandimere Speedway
Denver, Colo.
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 48,000 people in North America (more than 39,000 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 (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.
