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For Immediate Release
Contact: Dave Densmore, denswood@aol.com / 214-244-0008, mobile

 

DESPITE EARLY EXIT, TORRENCE REMAINS 5TH IN POINTS
Capco Contractors Driver Re-Directs Focus to Auto-Plus New England Nationals

           June 12, 2014 --After bowing out in the initial round of Sunday’s 14th annual Ford Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, Mello Yello title contender Steve Torrence was understandably disappointed. 

            Fortunately, the 31-year-old Texan has the benefit of perspective.  His third straight first round loss at the wheel of the Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster may have been painful but, in the grand scheme, it was the equivalent of a stubbed toe. 

            After winning a battle with Hodgkins lymphoma as a teenager, Torrence knows that losing at sports, however frustrating, is not life-or-death.   He’ll quickly put Bristol behind him and move on to Epping, N.H., where he begins qualifying for the second annual Auto-Plus New England Nationals on Friday.

            “It’s a long season,” said the four-time Top Fuel winner.  “You’re gonna have peaks and valleys.  Right now I guess we’re in the valley and we’re gonna have to climb out.  We’ve still got a good hot rod.  I’m proud of my team and even though we didn’t repeat (as Bristol champions), I got to spend Fathers’ Day racing with my dad, so it’s not all bad.”

            Indeed, Billy Torrence, the 56-year-old founder and owner of Capco Contractors, made his 2014 debut at the wheel of the team’s second car, losing to seven-time series champion Tony Schumacher in the first round while serving, in his words, “as a test dummy for some deals they’re working on.” 

            Despite his Sunday loss to Bob Vandergriff Jr., the younger Torrence remained fifth in points.  More important, his performance at Bristol did little to dispel the belief that his Capco entry is one of the quickest, fastest and most consistent cars on the circuit.

            The fact that he lost one Friday qualifying run to mechanical issues and another to the weather was not in the least bit perplexing to the Kilgore College graduate and his Richard Hogan-led team. 

            With no valid time on the board after the first day, Torrence was second quickest in Saturday’s initial qualifying session and third quickest in the final, insuring a No. 6 start and extending his streak of consecutive Top 8 qualifying performances to 10.

 

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