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

 

TORRENCE LOOKING FOR DÉJÀ VU (ALL OVER AGAIN)
Capco Contractors Dragster After Second Win in Three Years in Seattle

July 31, 2014 -- On a Pacific Raceways track on which he celebrated a victory just two years ago, Steve Torrence tries to move a step closer to securing a starting spot in the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship this week when he sends his Capco Contractors dragster after the Top Fuel title in the 27th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Northwest Nationals.

            Torrence’s season has been one of peaks and valleys.  He began the year by reaching the semifinals in six of the first seven races.  He followed with five straight first round exits.  Now, as the regular season winds down, the 31-year-old is back on the upswing at the wheel of race car that always is capable of putting up record-setting performance numbers.

            The highest-ranking of the Top Fuel independents, Torrence currently is fifth in Mello Yello Series points.  His goal this week is a simple one: don’t slip any further before the Countdown lineup is finalized and the points are adjusted after the Labor Day Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis.

            “Obviously, we’d like to move up a spot or two,” said the 2005 NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion, “but if the Countdown started tomorrow, we’d only be 60 points behind.  If you got on a little streak, you could make that up pretty quick.

            “Right now, though, we’re just going to focus on Seattle and getting this bad ass hot rod qualified back in the top half of the field (after an uncharacteristic No. 11 start last week at Sonoma, Calif.) and going rounds.”

            Although he’s been shut out of the final round thus far this season, Torrence knows he has a better race car than he had a year ago when he won at Bristol, Tenn., and was runner-up at Indy. 

            The proof is in the performance.  With three races remaining in the regular season and six in the Countdown, he already has won as many competitive rounds (15) as he did all of last year. 

            Moreover, he and 2012 World Champion Antron Brown have earned qualifying bonus points in more races than any other Top Fuel drivers (13) and Torrence has earned more total qualifying bonus points (49) than anyone other than season-long points leader Doug Kalitta (64).

            All that’s left to do?  Just win, baby. 

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