Torrence at the Four-Front at ZMax

If he is going to extend Top Fuel drag racing’s longest active winning streak, one spanning the last 10 seasons, Steve Torrence won’t have a much better opportunity than the one presented by this week’s 15th running of the American Rebel Light 4Wide Nationals at ZMax Dragway.

The stars appear to be in perfect alignment for the five-time NHRA World Champion and his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota.    

After all, the just-turned-42-year-old Texan is racing this week on an all-concrete track on which he has won six times in the last eight years in a four-wide discipline in which he has won six times during that same span.

“We’ve had a lot of success at the four-wides, especially at Charlotte,” Torrence acknowledged.  “I know that whatever lane I wind up in, these CAPCO boys will give me a car that has a chance.  Our comfort level is really high.  We’ve won some big races (at Charlotte) and I feel like we can win a few more.”     

The only driver ever to sweep the races in the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship (drag racing’s equivalent of baseball’s World Series), the 55-time tour winner has had a car this year good enough to put him back in the winners’ circle for an 11th straight season. 

He has been a Top 5 qualifier every time he has raced this year (he opted not to compete in the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Phoenix).  The problem has been the inability to transform qualifying potential into race day success – at least to this point.  

The only driver to have won World Championships in both the Top Fuel and Top Alcohol categories (he was the 2005 Top Alcohol Dragster Champion), Torrence will begin his current quest in qualifying sessions at 4:15 and 6:45 p.m., Texas time, on Friday.  Qualifying continues with sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., Texas time, Saturday.  Eliminations start at 11 a.m., Texas time, Sunday.