STEVE TORRENCE SETS TOP FUEL PACE AFTER Q1 IN VEGAS

Written by Tracy Renck    Sat, 2021-04-17 13:00


Steve Torrence, the reigning three-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion, flexed his muscles again Friday in Q1 at the Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Torrence clocked a 3.741-second pass at 328.94 mph to capture the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot in the Capco Contractors family-owned dragster.

“That’s a best way to start a race, man, that’s cool,” Torrence said. “I saw (Doug) Kalitta go 76 and my dad (Billy) went 80 and Clay (Millican) went 78. I felt confident that there was something out there. Typically, you’re about 20 off whatever Funny Car does. Honestly, even though it has been a month off  offseason testing we go low 60s and then you to Gainesville (Fla., the site of the season-opening race, March 12-14) and you go 60s. I stepped on the gas (Friday) and it felt like a pig. It felt like it wasn’t going anywhere. I thought this has to be slow and we have been off a month. (Crew chief) (Richard) Hogan and (Bobby) Lagana get mad at me and I saw the 74 and I thought you have to be kidding me. This thing was running pretty good.”

Torrence spread the good news to his wife and their newborn baby.

“It is a good feeling,” Steve said. “I called my wife and FaceTimed my little girl and got to tell them that we did good. Unless you’re a parent you wouldn’t understand, you will never know that feeling and it is such a special feeling and something that makes you so proud. If your family is not here, you want to do good for them. We’re going to try and do the best we can. That was Q1 and we have two more (Saturday) and we will just try and race it out.”

With just three qualifying sessions, Torrence is happy his dad is his teammate.

“That’s the advantage of a multi-car team,” Torrence said. “That ultimately is why we brought him out is to get the data and do it as a family. We will look at that information and we will share that information and this format here you’re not going head-to-head you’re going against three other guys. There’s an opportunity for us to go out and do well and go all the way to the end so we will just see what we can do.”

Torrence qualified No. 1 at the Gatornationals and was upset by event race winner Josh Hart in the second round. Torrence has 40 national event wins and 28 career No. 1 qualifying spots in his career.

 

 

 
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