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For Immediate Release
Contact: Dave Densmore, denswood@aol.com / 214-244-0008, mobile

 

TORRENCE TRIES TO ‘BITE BACK’ AT EPPING
Texan’s Capco Contractor’s Dragster Tries to Regain Momentum

           June 19, 2014 --As an outdoorsman, Top Fuel drag racer Steve Torrence is familiar with the phrase “sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you.”

            Unfortunately, over the last month-or-so, the “bear” has taken some pretty big chunks out of the backside of the 31-year-old Texas title contender who this week tries to reverse the trend in his second career appearance at New England Dragway.

            Still solidly in fifth place in the NHRA Mello Yello driver standings, Torrence will try to extend an impressive season-long streak when qualifying begins on Friday.  More than halfway into the regular season, he is one of only three drivers to have qualified in the Quick 8 at each of the first 10 events. 

            The only other members of that exclusive fraternity are current point leader Doug Kalitta and reigning series champion Shawn Langdon. 

            At the wheel of a Capco Contractors dragster that has posted one of the year’s fastest 1,000 foot speeds at 329.07 miles per hour, Torrence also is one of only four drivers to have qualified No. 1 this season.

            Nevertheless, the reality is that championships aren’t won in qualifying and while he has averaged starting from the No. 5 position, recent race days have been a source of frustration.

            In fact, the former Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion (2005) will roll onto New England’s all-concrete track for the second of four consecutive tour events having bowed out in the first round at the last three.

            “I feel like we still have a hot rod good enough to where we can go out there this week and win a race,” Torrence said.  “We need to get back to where we were (when the Capco entry reached the semifinals in six of seven races).  Qualifying just gives you an opportunity.  We’ve got to take advantage of that.”

            One good thing about the bang-bang-bang nature of the current schedule is that there’s little time to dwell on what might have been.

            “I feel good about where we are (in points),” said the four-time Top Fuel winner, “but there’s still a lot of racing to do.”

 

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