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TORRENCE’S NORWALK STREAK ENDS
Reigning Top Fuel World Champ Falls Short in Bid for Third Straight Victory

June 26, 2022 -- The frustration continued Sunday for four-time reigning Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence, who dropped a narrow second round decision at the 15th Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, ending his bid for a third straight victory at Summit Motorsports Park and keeping him winless for the season.

Despite the loss to Leah Pruett, the 39-year-old Texan moved back into third place in Camping World points in advance of the grueling, three-race Western Swing.

When he rolls his Capco Contractors Top Fuel Toyota to the line for the start of qualifying in the 42nd Dodge Mile-High Nationals at Denver on July 15, he will trail new point leader Mike Salinas by 109 points with just six races remaining before regular season champions are crowned and points are adjusted for the start of the Countdown.

After qualifying only seventh, Torrence made his quickest run of the weekend to beat his dad, Billy, in Sunday’s all-Capco first round.  Nevertheless, facing Pruett in round two for the second straight week, his car slowed ever so slightly to 3.802, just enough to reverse the outcome of last week’s match at Bristol, Tenn.

“Good drag race, just not a good result for the Capco Boys,” Torrence said after the loss.  “Better days ahead.  Just want to congratulate Mike Salinas and his guys on getting the win and the points lead.  Price of poker definitely is going up in Top Fuel.”

The Torrence-Torrence first round was the first meeting between the father and son teammates since Sept. 19, 2021 at Charlotte, N.C., largely because Billy has missed all but three races this season.

The founder and CEO of Capco Contractors, a Texas-based oil and gas pipeline construction and maintenance company, the elder Torrence was making his first appearance since April 24th when he was beaten by Brittany Force in the semifinals of the NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston, Texas.

Trying to implement a new set up designed to keep his hot rod at the front of pack, Torrence hasn’t won since Nov. 14 of last year when he prevailed in the Auto Club Finals at Pomona, Calif., to secure his fourth straight World Championship.

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