A Torrence won the Top Fuel title at Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Sunday.

It just wasn’t the Torrence most would have thought.

Billy Torrence, the father of Top Fuel standout Steve Torrence, captured his first career Top Fuel Wally by upending three-time world champion Antron Brown with a holeshot in the final round.

Torrence, who drives the Capco Contractors entry, clocked a 3.756-second elapsed time at 329.99 mph to edge Brown’s 3.751-second lap at 329.10 mph.

The difference was at the starting line. Torrence had a .037 reaction time, while Brown was .045 on the tree.

Torrence’s victory set off a wild celebration by his team.

“I didn’t realize how tired I was until I got dogpiled,” he said. “Just to come out here and race with my family, win, lose or draw that’s just a blessing to be able to do that. But, to come out here and be able to win an event and give back something to those guys who work so hard to have me a good operation when I come out. There are only three guys on that team who are full-time, the rest of those guys have day jobs and come out whenever I can.”

This was Billy Torrence’s 27th career Top Fuel start and his first since Chicago (May 31-June 3). His best Top Fuel effort – before Sunday – were three semifinal performances, the last coming in Phoenix earlier this season.

Torrence became the 106th person in NHRA history to win a Top Fuel race since 1963, Don Garlits being the first. Torrence also was the first driver since 1997 to qualify No. 1 and get his first national event win. Gary Scezli was the last driver to accomplish the feat.

Torrence’s victory parade consisted of wins over Terry Totten, Scott Palmer, Mike Salinas and then Brown, who defeated Steve Torrence in the semifinals.

“At this level, there is pressure on everyone to win for your sponsors and people who you are promoting out here,” Torrence said. “I just wanted to win because we race for fun and Antron is a tremendous racer and you have to be on your game and get after him. There are oil pipeliners all over the country who are hoopin’ and hollerin’ right now. That’s what we are and that’s a demographic of people who root that Capco Contractors from coast to coast.

The win by Billy Torrence may have surprised some, but not him.

“I do expect to win ,” Torrence said. “We have a great team put together and a great car and we have all the right parts and pieces and frankly, I’m the one who would be the first link in the equation.”