Torrence Rides Momentum into Sonoma

Coming off a welcome victory last week at Seattle, Wash., one that ended an agonizing 20-race winless streak, Steve Torrence is beginning to get that feeling again, the one that carried him to four straight World Championships and an unprecedented 2018 sweep of the races in the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship. 

With renewed confidence in the mechanical changes made to his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota after the 2021 season by crew chiefs Richard Hogan and Bobby Lagana Jr., the 41- year-old Texan’s comfort level is at a two-year high entering this week’s 36^th DENSO Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.

“When we were dominant, when we were winning all those championships, we could go down any racetrack in any condition and make a competitive run,” said the 55-time pro tour winner, “but everybody caught up (performance-wise) and we needed to make changes to stay ahead of the curve.  

“Unfortunately (the transition to a new combination) was harder than we expected.  We lost our edge,” he said.  “We’ve had flashes (of our old form), but it wasn’t until last week, when we got that black hat (awarded to Mission Foods event winners) that I felt like we were really close.”

The Seattle win propelled him into third place in the driver standings just three races before points are adjusted for the Countdown.  

“We've struggled (over the last three seasons),” Torrence admitted, “but, at the end of the day, we’ve been there when we needed to be there.  We could’ve won the championship last year (when he finished second to Doug Kalitta after leading the points into the season’s final event), but we didn’t have the driver to do it.  We had the car; didn’t have the driver. I know I have to step up my game if we’re going to win this thing.”

Although he has not yet put together a win streak like those he enjoyed in his four championship seasons (five wins in a row in one stretch, six in a row in another), he has regained a bit of the swagger he believes is essential for success.

“It’s all about confidence,” Torrence said.  “When your car is running the numbers and running consistent, it just makes you a better driver.  You look at (Funny Car point leader) Austin Prock.  Right now, that team has the whole package.  I kind of see some of the cockiness and drive and fire of myself in (Prock) and I think it's great for the sport because if you don’t believe in yourself, it’s hard for anyone else to believe in you.”

Nevertheless, he knows that one win does not a championship make.  

“We've put ourselves in a hole of our own creation,” he said.  “I think we're beginning to see some light, but I hope it starts getting brighter pretty quickly because it's been dark for about a year and a half, two years, now.”

Before he launches his bid for a third victory in the Sonoma Nationals, Torrence will race Saturday in the Mission Foods 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge in which he will oppose point leader Doug Kalitta with the winner advancing to face either Shawn Langdon or Clay Millican for bonus money and Countdown points.

Qualifying begins Friday with Texas time sessions at 7:30 p.m. and 10:15 p.m.  Saturday’s qualifying sessions, each one concluding with rounds of the 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge, are at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., Texas time.  Final eliminations begin Sunday at 12:30 p.m., Texas time.