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TORRENCE DOMINATES VEGAS QUALIFYING
Texan Claims Second No. 1 of Season for CAPCO, RIO Ammo

April 3, 2016 -- With one of the most dominant qualifying performances in drag racing history, Steve Torrence secured the No. 1 qualifying position for Sunday’s 17th annual Denso Nationals.  The talented Texan directed his Capco Contractors/Rio Ammo Top Fuel dragster to a best 1,000 foot time of 3.728 seconds at 326.48 miles per hour.

In qualifying at the top of the Top Fuel ladder for the seventh time in his pro career and for the third time in the last nine NHRA Mello Yello Series events, the 32-year-old gobbled up all 12 available qualifying bonus points at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  His best time was just .006 off the track record set last year by reigning World Champion Antron Brown.

The former Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion (2005) was quickest in all four Friday and Saturday qualifying sessions in a variety of conditions with times of 3.736, 3.728, 3.800 and 3.740 seconds.  The six-time tour winner will oppose fellow Texan Troy Buff in Sunday’s opening round. 

“Coming in on Friday, we’d changed so much stuff on the car we didn’t really know what it would do,” Torrence said.  “We thought we were setting it up a little conservative and then it went out and ran a 3.73.  That put us ahead of the curve and set it up to be a very good weekend so far. 

“This new Morgan Lucas Racing chassis has been flawless,” he said.  “The car moves well early and we haven’t smoked the tires with it very much at all.  It’s showing a lot of promise but to have that much of a dominating performance in qualifying is huge for our confidence going into tomorrow. 

“We have the best car out here right now,” he admitted. “We’re the only guys that can screw it up but it gives you huge confidence when you’re going into a race with a car that has run that well.  I’m excited about tomorrow.”

Winner of six tour events since founding Torrence Racing in 2012, the former Top Alcohol Dragster world champ will start Sunday from second place in Mello Yello driver points after leapfrogging rivals Doug Kalitta and Clay Millican solely on the strength of his qualifying performance. 

The last time Torrence qualified No. 1 was Feb. 13 at Pomona, Calif., where he went on to win the season-opening NHRA Circle K Winternationals.

 

 

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