Torrence Aims to Repeat at Seattle

Steve Torrence doesn’t race his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota on any track farther from his Texas home (1,778 miles) than Pacific Raceways, site this week of the 35 th NHRA Northwest Nationals. However, in a season of struggle, at least by his standards, there’s not a venue in the Mission Foods series to which the four-time Top Fuel World Champion has been more anxious to return.

That’s because Pacific Raceways was the last track at which the 41-year-old Texan hoisted an NHRA winner’s trophy, the result of outdueling reigning champ Doug Kalitta in the 2023 final. Although he’s not been out of the Top 5 in points in the 20 events contested since last year’s Northwest Nationals, Torrence effectively has been stuck in the semifinals, reaching that plateau 12 times without once closing the deal. “We’ve had a car that can win,” Torrence said, “but we just haven’t been on the same page with the driver and the car. We need to figure that out before the Countdown.”

The newest member of the 500 Club, reserved for pro drivers who have won at least that many competitive rounds on the Mission Foods tour, Torrence hasn’t gone this many events without reaching the winners’ circle since 2015 when his victory at Denver ended a 51-race drought.

“We just have to keep putting ourselves in position (to win),” he said. “These CAPCO boys have fought the fight. They know what’s ahead and there’s no one I’d rather have with me. Our goal right now is to move up (in points) and get a better starting spot for the Countdown. If we win while we’re doing that, that’s just gravy.”

However, before he defends his title in the Northwest Nationals, the 54-time tour winner will race for his fifth title in the Mission Foods 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge contested in conjunction with qualifying on Saturday. He will race Kalitta in one semifinal while Antron Brown will oppose Justin Ashley in the other.