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For Immediate Release
Contact: Joe Sherk, jlsherk@aol.com/360-981-4806, mobile

 

TORRENCE: WIN WOULD BE PERFECT WAY TO END WESTERN SWING

NighttimeAugust 2, 2012 -- While his crew was busy Tuesday getting acquainted with Pacific Raceways, Steve Torrence was visiting renowned Top Fuel chassis builder Brad Hadman at his Puyallup shop. 

Torrence, from Kilgore, Texas, wasn’t a frequent Northwest visitor until he and his family decided last year the only way to assuage their need for speed was to go Top Fuel racing.  Hadman built the Torrence Racing/Capco Contractors Inc. dragsters Torrence drove in three 2011 races and has piloted this year to surprising success in the team’s first season of NHRA Full Throttle Series action.

“I wanted to go to Brad’s shop to visit with him and see how our new dragster is looking,” said Torrence.  “The car we’re using has been running well, but we want to make sure we are prepared for the upcoming Countdown to the Championship.”

Before the season, Torrence’s goal was to run well against Top Fuel’s multi-car teams and contend for a playoff spot.  A combination of crew chief Richard Hogan’s adept tune-ups and Torrence’s driving skills has produced two victories (Atlanta and Englishtown. N.J.), and he was runner-up in Joliet, Ill. and Norwalk, Ohio.

He is fourth in points (984) going into the O’Reilly Northwest Nationals, Friday through Sunday, at Pacific Raceways.  He will officially clinch a Countdown berth by simply qualifying.

This is the third and final event in the demanding three-races-in three weeks Western Swing that included stops in Denver and Sonoma, Calif.

“I have been enjoying a little time off between races,” Torrence commented.  “As a driver, I do like racing back-to-back-weekends.  It keeps my mind on what it takes to drive one of these 8,000-horsepower cars.

“We haven’t done that well on the Swing so far (a semifinal finish and first-round loss), but we’d sure like to finish it with a trip to the winner’s circle in Seattle.”

This is the 15th regular-season event.  Two more remain (Brainerd, Minn. and Indianapolis) before the Countdown begins at Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 14-16.

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