The glory days of drag racing.

Often times, when someone talks about the glory days, they are talking about a time before corporate sponsorships and public relations teams ruled the day, a time when drivers could be drivers and if that meant a few choice words, or a punch or two following a disagreement out on the track, that is just how it went.

But those days are long gone. Today, drivers watch every word that comes out of their mouth and they practice, race after race, plugging every sponsor, every crew member, and make sure to congratulate every competitor without missing a beat.

And then there is Steve Torrence.

A throwback to those wild, wild west days, a time when raw emotion and excitement ruled the day, Torrence revels in the opportunity to say exactly how he feels to anyone - and about anyone - at the racetrack.

“A lot of this out here has turned into very corporate, very vanilla,” Torrence said. “Thank this guy, thank that guy. You don’t get any raw emotion. It is not that I am trying to do anything different, or be somebody that I am not. When you jump out of one of these things and they stick a microphone in your face, it is difficult to tone everything down.

“We all race out there with a lot of heart and a lot of passion for what we do. I don’t try to refrain from that or disguise that. When we win, we are excited. When we lose, we are usually pissed off.”

So far, Torrence has taken the opportunity to take little jabs at a number of his competitors, most famously being the driver of the Papa John’s dragster, Leah Pritchett. The two have traded barbs - and the championship lead - and both are enjoying the opportunity to be who they are and try and find that little edge on the track.

“That just encompasses competition, being out here and wanting to beat your opponent. I am not going to act like I am happy. You are out here to win races, win championships,” Torrence said. “We can be buddies some other time, but when we are racing, you are not my buddy.

“That is what is missing, that is what is lacking out here. You can’t believe the amount of feedback and support that I have received just from ruffling the feathers on a few teams. I enjoy doing it. It is fun.”