Torrence to Semifinals at Norwalk

After some recent struggles, Steve Torrence was back on his starting line game Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park, but his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota was not quite up to the challenge posed by No. 1 qualifier Doug Kalitta and his MAC Tools dragster in the semifinal round of the 17th Summit Racing Equipment Nationals.

The No. 4 qualifier on the all-concrete track on which he had won three times in the last six years, Torrence had to use all his starting line skill just to get past first round foe Shawn Reed, who actually posted a quicker time than did the four-time World Champion.

Reed’s car stopped the timers in 3.746 seconds, but Torrence’s .066 reaction time made his 3.749 a winner.

After easily dispatching rookie Jasmine Salinas in round two, the 54-time Mission Foods tour winner was first off the starting line in his semifinal showdown with a .062 reaction, but Kalitta was able to turn him back with a time of 3.771.

The other CAPCO Toyota, driven by the oil-and-gas pipeline construction company’s founder and CEO, Billy Torrence, posted the quickest time of the day (3.717 seconds) in a first round win over No. 8 qualifier Doug Foley but, like his son, was victimized by Kalitta in round two.

When qualifying begins July 19 for the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Seattle, Wash., Steve will be fifth and Billy seventh in Mission Foods points.

“We’ve got some work to do,” the younger Torrence said.  “Obviously we’ve got to get the car and the driver on the same page on the same day.  Plus, we’re running out of races to move up before NHRA shuffles the points.

“The good thing is, Seattle (a year ago) was the last time we raised the trophy.  We need to do that again and that’ll be our mindset when we head up to the Northwest.”