During the last four seasons of NHRA competition there’s been no driver more dominating than Top Fuel's Steve Torrence.

The Kilgore, Texas, native won four consecutive world championships on the strength of 34 victories in 78 races.

Those are mind-boggling numbers for sure, but some that Torrence’s crew member Dom Lagana keeps in perspective.

“We just put pressure on ourselves to perform well,” Lagana said. “We really just try and enjoy it as much as we can because you never know when it could be your last race win or anything. We just try and enjoy each other’s company and try and be successful as we can and do the best we can for ‘Mama Kay,’ Billy (Torrence) and Steve. Honestly, we try and help out as many as the lower buck racers as we can also because we need them.”

Bobby Lagana, Dom’s older brother, and Richard Hogan are the co-crew chiefs on Steve Torrence’s dragster. 

Dom knows all about perspective.

On Aug. 9, 2020, Dom’s life changed forever as a highway car accident led to severe burns and the amputation of both legs of the longtime Top Fuel driver, tuner, and teacher. 

In what can only be seen as a miracle, nearly two months later, Dom began to awake and came back as the same person. In the 2021 NHRA season, Dom was a key member of Torrence’s championship Capco team. 

“I work on both cars and try and work on Billy’s car as much as I can and we are not really big on job titles,” Dom said. “It doesn’t matter if a motor needs to be built or heads need to be built or the bathroom needs to be dumped in the trailer, nobody is above or beyond any kind of job. We want the ultimate success for the team, whatever it takes.”

Dom acknowledged maintaining the Capco team’s level of consistency in the highly unpredictable world of nitro Top Fuel dragsters has many components.

“First and foremost, obviously we have great team owners and Steve and Billy do a great job driving,” Lagana said. “They have the want to go out there and do good attitude and then we have great teams with really good guys, especially all the full-time guys on Steve’s car. They are unbelievable.

“Obviously, I guess I’m not going to say it is luck on our side, but there is a little luck on your side always because there’s so many factors in a race car, no matter how much homework you do or whatever, there’s still some kind of luck to make that thing work well. I’m not going to call it luck, but we are fortunate that everything has been working out well.”

Another element in the Capco operation's success that Dom addressed is team chemistry.

“You can have the best-of-the best parts and the best-of-the best driver, but if you don’t have good team chemistry it isn’t going to work,” he said. “All the guys on Steve’s car are full-ime and then we have fly-in guys who come work on Billy’s car because it is part-time and each guy on the car, they don’t concentrate on just their area.”  

Dom said having notes on every track on NHRA Camping World Series Drag Racing season also is a plus, especially when they have been a road map for success.

“As every team does, we take really good notes and look back on our data from the previous years for whatever track we are going to,” Dom said. “The other thing to is we really don’t change a lot. We’re sticking with our set-up and all the stuff we buy is off the shelf stuff from Alan Johnson to CNC clutches and Darren Mayer blowers and Lucas chassis. It is all off the shelf stuff literally. We try and make sure everything is prepared perfectly and there’s no margin for error parts-wise. Obviously, the human error we try and take out of it as much as we can also.”

According to Dom, Steve Torrence will make some laps in his dragster at the test session the second week in February at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix.

The season-opening event, the Lucas Oil Winternationals, will take place Feb. 17-20 in Pomona, Calif.

“Gainesville (Fla., March 10-13) will be the first race for Billy’s car and Steve’s car will go out testing (in Phoenix),” Lagana said. “As we have done in the past, we don’t really wear out the car testing. We will go out to Phoenix and make, four, six, maybe eight runs. We don’t change a lot. We are going there and make sure we get the guys freshened back up and make sure all the stuff is working properly and get Steve comfortable and head on to Pomona.”

The Laganas – Bobby and Dom – were born into a racing family as their father, Bobby Lagana Sr. was a Funny Car driver and a fan-favorite on the East Coast. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 72.

“Me and Bob worked our whole lives and our dad sacrificed everything to race just to potentially one day have a full-time sponsor for our own team,” Dom said. “Honestly, this whole situation is better than me and Bob finding a fulltime sponsor for our family team that we ran. This is awesome. Steve, Billy, and Kay are 100 percent family racing, and they race simply because they love drag racing. They want to succeed, and they really enjoy the group of guys we have. When we go to the Texas races, they have us over at their house and they take us out to eat. A lot of team chemistry is what we strive for, and I wouldn’t work anywhere else. I love this place.”

Dom did say he and Bobby will run their family-owned Nitro Ninja once in 2022. 

“We did one match race in Martin, Mich. (in August of last year) and we will do the same again this August.” Dom said. “We still have all the equipment and keep everything fresh and serviced. Me and Bob grew up match racing so we will do it again in Martin.”