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For Immediate Release
Contact: Joe Sherk, jlsherk@aol.com/360-981-4806, mobile

Steve Torrence eagerly awaiting pre-season test sessions in Florida

January 16, 2012 -- It is referred to as the “off season” when, in reality, there is very little “off” about it for NHRA professional race teams.

When the last race cars went down the Pomona, Calif. race track on Nov. 13 and officially closed the sanctioning body’s 60th year, it was the ceremonial goodbye to the 22-race campaign and the unofficial start of “get ready for 2012.”

Now, two months later, it’s time for Steve Torrence, crew chief Richard Hogan and the Torrence Racing/Capco Contractors Inc. Top Fuel team to crank up the car’s 8,000 horsepower motor – something that will occur January 16 when pre-season testing begins at Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway.   Four days of short runs and full 1,000-foot laps will follow as Hogan collates his tune-up ideas to suit the Brad Hadman chassis and Torrence reacquaints himself with his “office” duties.

The goal, of course, is to prepare the crew, car and driver for the Feb. 9 start of the 2012 season-opening 42nd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Winternationals at Pomona, Calif. and the remaining 22 races.

Torrence and Hogan debuted the new dragster team late last season, qualifying for all three races that provided tuning data and an impressive semifinal finish at Phoenix. 

“The off-season really wasn’t an off-season at all,” said Torrence.  “The team did at lot of catching up during the winter along with getting everything ready for testing and the season.  Richard has put together a good group of guys.”

Hogan pointed out that the crew finished assembling a new Hadman chassis – one he hopes to put laps on this week – and completed a second team trailer that will haul spare parts and hospitality paraphernalia. 

“We have a couple new crew members and they have been working with everyone,” Hogan commented.  “Everything has progressed very well.  We didn’t have many problems . . . except we needed to take along more equipment.”

Torrence, meanwhile, is eagerly awaiting his first green light at Palm Beach.  “I’m ready to get going,” he remarked.  “I’m excited and ready to pick up where we left it last year.

“I think we are going to be starting (the season) a lot further ahead of where we expected to be.  When you have the right people and the right parts, you get the best results.  I think everybody on the team is looking forward to going racing and having a good season.”

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