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

 

TORRENCE RUNNER-UP AT 60TH ANNUAL U.S. NATIONALS
Capco Contractors Dragster Drops Narrow Final Round Decision at Indy

September 1, 2014 -- A new race car, new camouflage paint job and new helmet yielded some welcome new results Monday for Steve Torrence and the Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster which, for the second straight year, fell just short of winning drag racing’s oldest, largest and most prestigious event.

            In a classic final, Australian rookie Richie Crampton narrowly won the 60th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals by covering the 1,000 foot course at Lucas Oil Raceway in a best-of-eliminations 3.766 seconds at 327.98 miles per hour.

            Torrence trailed in 3.799 seconds at 327.82 mph in a disappointing end to a get well weekend.

            It was the first final round appearance of the year for the 31-year-old Texan who will carry a load of momentum into the Countdown to the Championship in which he will start just 60 points behind top seeded Doug Kalitta in a six-race showdown for a $500,000 Mello Yello bonus.

            “We had to do something to change our luck,” Torrence said of his car and helmet.  “I figure maybe we could sneak up on these guys.  I’ve got to credit all my guys.  They have worked their butts off and finally we saw some results here today. 

            “We’re disappointed.  You don’t get that many chances to win Indy,” said the four-time NHRA Mello Yello tour winner.  “But we know we’ve got a bad ass hot rod going to Charlotte (and the 7th annual Pep Boys Carolina Nationals, Sept. 12-14).  I think we can play in this game.”

            The 2005 NHRA World Champion in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, Torrence  qualified No. 2 in the quickest field in Top Fuel history, coaxing his red-and-black hybrid to a time of 3.753 seconds, a mark bested during the qualifying phase only by seven-time Top Fuel Champion Tony Pedregon (3.748).

            He used a 3.793 to take out J.R. Todd in round one, a 3.813 to beat three-time former World Champion Larry Dixon in round two and a 3.791 to turn back two-time 2014 winner Khalid alBalooshi in the semifinals. 

If Torrence deserved a better fate in the final, his dad, Billy, also did in round one where he lost to Crampton by .013 of a second even though he recorded the quickest run of his brief Top Fuel career at 3.795 seconds.  Crampton won at 3.782.

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