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

 

TORRENCE ON A FATHERS’ DAY MISSION
Texan Aims to Take Celebration to the Winners’ Circle

June 17, 2015 -- For Texan Steve Torrence, the perfect Fathers’ Day is sharing time with his dad Billy at the drag races.  Any race will do; any venue, too.  Nevertheless, it is particularly special when Fathers’ Day falls on a Mello Yello pro tour weekend as it does this Sunday at Bristol Dragway.

            According to Torrence, the only thing better than hanging with his dad this week would be hanging with his dad in the winners’ circle at the conclusion of the 15th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, which begins with two qualifying sessions on Friday.

            That’s more than just a pipe dream for the 32-year-old graduate of Kilgore College whose most recent tour victory came at Bristol on Fathers’ Day, 2013.  Unfortunately, Billy Torrence missed that celebration because of responsibilities related to the family’s oil pipeline business, Capco Contractors, Inc.

            With his dad back in camp a year ago, Torrence misfired in his bid to repeat.  He hopes to make amends on Sunday. 

            Of course, a Bristol victory would do much more than just apply icing to the Torrence family’s Fathers’ Day celebration.  For one thing, it would end the longest victory drought the younger Torrence has endured since he went winless in his first 53 Top Fuel races.

            For another, it would earn him the final starting spot in the Traxxas Nitro Shootout in which he was runner-up two years ago.  Finally, it would send him roaring back into the Top 10 in Mello Yello driver points with just seven races remaining before the start of the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship.

            Although his Capco Contractors dragster put up impressive performance numbers at the last two tour events, Torrence has little to show for it. 

            Two weeks ago, he had the second quickest car on average behind point leader Antron Brown when the tour stopped at Englishtown, N.J.  Last week at Epping, N.H., he earned more qualifying bonus points than any driver except seven-time series champ Tony Schumacher.

            Nevertheless, while Brown and Schumacher went on to win those respective events, Torrence bowed out in the first round both times.

            “We just need to get a round win and build on that,” said the 2005 World Champion in the Top Alcohol Dragster class.  “It’s frustrating because you work just as hard or harder than you do when you’re winning.  We just need to get a little momentum.”

            Torrence and his dad share a passion for fast cars.  Both have won races on the NHRA national tour – Billy in Super Comp; Steve in both Top Alcohol and Top Fuel.  But they also share the bond born of battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the cancer with which Steve was diagnosed as a teenager and for which he still undergoes annual exams.

            “That’s the biggest win I’ve ever had,” Torrence said, “and I wouldn’t have gotten through it without my dad and my mom.”

            That’s a victory that stoked Torrence’s desire to help others in their own battles, which is the cornerstone of his effort to help raise awareness for the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, which provides assistance to the families of first responders and soldiers returning from deployment.

            “It puts things in perspective,” Torrence said.  “Racing is what we get to do because of the sacrifices others made to protect the freedom some people seem to take for granted.  Chris can’t spend Fathers’ Day with his kids.  I’m lucky that I can.”

 

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