Torrence Out Early in New Hampshire

The frustration continued Sunday for four-time Top Fuel World Champion Steve Torrence, who couldn’t overcome a poor qualifying position and fell to European champion Ida Zetterstrom in the first round of the 12th NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway.

Although he grabbed a .049 of a second advantage at the starting line, the 42-year-old Texan was victimized by a loss of traction that slowed his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota to 7.295 seconds, nowhere near his 3.664 second track record time in 2022 and well off Zetterstrom’s winning 3.720 Sunday.

It was another case of unrealized potential for the former Top Alcohol Dragster World Champ (2005) who this year is trying to win a tour event for the 11th straight season, the longest active streak in Top Fuel.

“We were looking okay after Q1,” he said, “but it went downhill after that and we’re out early, again.  No excuses.  We’re just going to have to be better if we’re going to be out here.” 

The only driver in history to have swept the races in the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship (2018), Torrence hasn’t reached a final round or a final quad since October of 2024 when he lost to Tony Schumacher in the final round of the NHRA Midwest Nationals at St. Louis. 

The last time the 55-time tour winner made nine straight starts without reaching the finals was 2015.

“There were some weather issues,” Torrence said, “but everybody had to deal with them.  We’re just not in sync right now and when you’ve won as much as these CAPCO boys have (50 wins in their last 194 starts in the Mission Foods Series), that’s hard to accept.”

Despite Sunday’s result, Torrence remains seventh in points even though he didn’t compete earlier this year at Phoenix.