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TORRENCE DROPS CLOSE DECISION TO BROWN
Dad Billy Claims Second Career Win in Super Comp
May 15, 2016 -- On an Atlanta Dragway track on which he won his first pro race just four years ago, Steve Torrence lost an exasperating second round decision to reigning series champion Antron Brown that sent him to spectator status much earlier than he had expected at the 28th annual Summit Southern Nationals.
In a race in which both drivers stopped the 1,000 foot timers in 3.772 seconds, Brown got the nod based on a .050-.058 starting line advantage. The difference at the finish line was an almost indiscernible .0087 of a second.
“Sometimes you just lose,” Torrence said. “Everybody did their job – the crew chief, the crew, A.J. (tuning consultant Alan Johnson), even the driver. We gave ourselves a chance to win. Antron was just a little better and that’s why he’s the champ.
“I never like to lose but when it’s that close against a team of that caliber, it’s hard to feel too bad. We’ll just regroup and try to give him some payback at Topeka. It was still a good weekend with my dad winning Super Comp.”
Billy Torrence, the 58-year-old founder and C.E.O. of Capco Contractors and an occasional teammate to his son in a second Capco-backed Top Fuel dragster, drove his Super Comp dragster past Joe Tankersley in the final round to earn his second national event victory. He previously won Super Comp at Las Vegas in 2011.
Despite his early loss, the younger Torrence will send his Capco Contractors/Rio Ammunition dragster into this week’s 28th annual Kansas Nationals in fourth place in points.
“We’re still in a really good spot,” said the 2005 NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion, “and we know we have a race car that can run with anyone whether it’s on a hot track or a cool one.”
Torrence’s streak of consecutive No. 1 starts ended at three. He started fourth on Sunday and now has qualified eighth or better in 15 consecutive races.
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