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

 

STEVE TORRENCE SETS RECORD, QUALIFIES FIRST AT DENVER

July 20, 2013 -- Steve Torrence thundered on Thunder Mountain Saturday to capture the No. 1 starting position for Sunday’s Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.

His very exciting 1,000-foot lap of 3.880 seconds at a track record 319.60 mph vaulted him over Doug Kalitta on the qualifying ladder and put an exclamation point on his qualifying performance in the oxygen deprived air at the highest track on the NHRA schedule. 

And it could have been even better.

“All weekend (crew chief) Lee Beard has been running hard,” said a very happy Torrence, “and that run was very impressive.  The tires wobbled a little at the start, but they cleared up and the car was really trucking. 

“But the engine dropped a cylinder just before the finish line.  I think it would’ve been a little faster, but it still was a great run.” 

Torrence said earlier this week that he believed crew chief Lee Beard would “have a good tune-up in our car this weekend,” and he certainly did after Friday’s two tune-up laps.

When it was the team’s turn Saturday, Torrence began with a 4.111-second run that was slowed by a balky motor that pushed out a head gasket.  He was confident he would improve on the last lap, but he didn’t expect to emerge with the weekend’s best time.

“We will be ready for Sunday’s eliminations,” added Torrence.  “We picked up some (Mello Yello Series) points with that run, and now we must add more points to see if we can move up in the standings.”

He begins action against Mike Strassburg, who qualified 16th, 4.147 seconds at 283.97 mph.

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