Steve Torrence – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Torrence blasts to provisional No. 1 at NHRA Topeka Nationals

Four-time Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence made the only run in the 3.70s on Friday at Heartland Motorsports Park, driving to the provisional No. 1 spot at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor. Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Greg …

Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 13th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. It is also the final NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series national event at Heartland Motorsports Park.

Torrence put together a run of 3.764s at 326.24mph in his Capco Contractors/Toyota dragster to close out the opening round of qualifying in a thrilling side-by-side run with points leader Justin Ashley. If it holds, Torrence, who is currently second in points, would pick up his first No. 1 qualifier this season and 35th in his career as he also gets closer and closer to getting into championship form. Torrence won in Seattle and ran well in Sonoma, and will look to build on that this weekend in Topeka.

“This is a huge confidence booster, just for getting the momentum going early in the weekend and getting us set up to go into tomorrow for the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge,” Torrence said. “We needed to have a good qualifying run tonight to set us up to go into that race tomorrow with a competitive car and try to compete for those three points.

“That’s going to be huge going into the Countdown, where we’re able to kind of cut that lead down or see if we can cut it to nothing between now and then with Justin Ashley being so far ahead of us. These guys, we’ve been working hard. Everybody is putting in a whole lot of blood sweat and tears in this thing.”

Clay Millican, who has a pair of wins this season, is currently second with his 3.813s at 316.15mph and Ashley’s run of 3.818s at 322.88mph puts him third. Ashley currently has five victories this season.

After a Western Swing that didn’t go according to plan, Funny Car’s Robert Hight appeared to bounce back on Friday, powering to the provisional No. 1 position with a run of 3.948s at 321.19mph in his Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. If that holds, the multi-time world champ would earn his third No. 1 qualifier this season and 80th in his career. Hight enjoyed a strong start to the season, winning in both Phoenix and Charlotte, but hasn’t been past the semifinals since. That makes Topeka a big weekend as Hight and his team look to get back in championship form.

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“This was definitely much needed,” Hight said. “We kind of went off of last year when we ran [3.93s] here in similar conditions. We’ve been struggling, and the car hasn’t been cooperating with every adjustment (crew chief) Jimmy [Prock] makes. He’s really set on this new clutch combination, but he believes that he’s the one that’s been making the mistakes. He beats himself up pretty bad and it was just awesome to hear the excitement in his voice when he told me what it ran. We needed that run big time.

“It’s going to be pretty hot out there, and it’s really setting yourself up for race day. It’s not going to do us any good to make a good run here tonight and go out there tomorrow and smoke the tires or drop cylinders. We really need to make good, quality runs so we’re set up for Sunday and get to where we can race this thing a little better.”

Defending and back-to-back world champ Ron Capps is currently second following his run of 3.950s at 314.17mph and defending event winner Bob Tasca III is third thanks to a pass of 3.967s at 316.60mph.

Greg Anderson hopes Friday is the start of his Pro Stock turnaround in 2023, as the five-time world champ went to the No. 1 spot with a run of 6.677s at 205.38mph in his HendricksCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. Currently seventh in points, the season hasn’t gone as planned thus far for Anderson, who is still seeking his first appearance in the final round. He took a good step during what he hopes is a big weekend in Topeka with his run on Friday, also putting him on track for his 122nd career No. 1 qualifier.

“We made a lot of changes – we had three weeks at home and did a lot of work, but you just never know what you have until you get to the racetrack,” Anderson said. “This year, I’ve been kind of let down when I get to the racetrack, but this was a good night. It’s a great feeling I haven’t had for a while, and I think we can even do better. It was good to see that when we pull the run up on the computer, it’s got a little bit of room. Hopefully we can improve.

“[It was] completely different conditions than we’ve seen all year, but maybe that’s what my race car needed. It went right up to the top, and I’m not going to complain one little bit. It’s still going to be hot tomorrow but slightly cooler conditions to see if we can improve on that.”

Reigning world champ Erica Enders is in the second spot after her run of 6.686s at 204.63mph, as Anderson and Enders were the only two drivers in the 6.60s. Troy Coughlin Jr., the defending event winner in Topeka, is third with a 6.704s at 205.16mph. Coughlin is also the most recent winner in the category after his Denver triumph.

Qualifying continues at 2:15 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park.

Herrera does a Saturday double at NHRA Sonoma Nationals

Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader Gaige Herrera continued his dominant season on Saturday at Sonoma Raceway, winning the first-ever NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout as part of this weekend’s 35th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals. In the …

In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) and J.R. Todd (Funny Car) both won the bonus event in Sonoma. Austin Prock (Top Fuel) and Bob Tasca III (Funny Car) each qualified No. 1 at the 12th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

In the final round of the Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout, Herrera went 6.756s at 196.42mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki to defeat Angie Smith and collect yet another win in a bonus event in 2023. Adding in his three wins in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, that gives the points leader four specialty race wins. Herrera’s Friday pass of 6.728s at 199.94mph held up to hand him a seventh No. 1 qualifier this season. On Sunday, he’ll also look to become the first rider in Pro Stock Motorcycle history to sweep the three-race NHRA Western Swing.

“It’s been amazing,” Herrera said. “I was out of breath after that. It was a big one and I wanted it really bad. There’s nothing like winning a Wally, but to win this first Callout for the class is pretty cool. It’s awesome for the whole team and I’m so happy right now. The amount of effort this team puts into these bikes is really amazing and it’s all paid off.

“This is special because a win like this takes a lot as a team. You get bragging rights and something like this is good for the sport and the class. We’re in a great position (to sweep the Western Swing). I’ve got all the confidence in the world in my team. I’m very excited and we’ll see what happens.”

Matt Smith qualified second thanks to his 6.729s at 200.23mph from Friday, while Eddie Krawiec’s 6.771s at 199.1mph put him third.

In Top Fuel, Torrence won his second straight Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, following up his impressive Seattle weekend by beating Clay Millican on a holeshot in the finals of the bonus race in his Capco Contractors/Toyota dragster. Torrence went 3.7888s at 326.08mph, using a 0.067s reaction time to best Millican’s run of 3.781mph. Torrence moved back into the points lead with his Seattle sweep and will look to continue that momentum with another double-up event on Sunday in Sonoma.

“Everything is going really well for us right now,” Torrence said. “The car has showed glimmers of hope throughout last year, mainly at the end of the year and now this year. The consistency is finally coming there. To win on a holeshot, that always makes you feel good as a driver. That was the best light I’ve had all weekend. I’ve been pretty late on the tree and I was just amped up.

“When you go up there, it’s not just another round of qualifying, it’s a race win. We’re going to try to finish this Western Swing with a win and keep this momentum going.”

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Prock hung onto his first No. 1 qualifier this year in his Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster thanks to his 3.704s at 331.36mph from Friday. He also put together a strong final run to close out qualifying on Saturday as he looks for his second win this season. Torrence finished second in qualifying with a 3.706s at 329.67mph and Antron Brown’s 3.721s at 329.75mph has him third.

“The No. 1s are very cool,” Prock said. “This is only my second in my career and this is my third season. They’re very hard to come by. When you qualify No. 1, it all goes to the race team. It shows that your crew chiefs and crew out did everybody out there and that’s very special. This was the first No. 1 qualifier for Chris Cunningham and Joe Barlam as a tandem so that was really special. Everybody is really proud of how this team is working and hopefully we can turn this into four round wins tomorrow.”

Todd enjoyed his biggest moment of the 2023 Funny Car season on Saturday, picking up his first win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge with a run of 3.977s at 322.81mph in his DHL Toyota GR Supra. Blake Alexander broke on the starting line, but Todd made a solid pass to claim the victory in the bonus race – his first win of any kind since winning the season-opener at Gainesville in 2021. After racing well thus far on the Western Swing, including a runner-up in Seattle, Todd broke through in a major way on Saturday, also defeating Chad Green in the bonus race. He’ll look for a double-up weekend, which would further the team’s momentum this year.

“Any win is a good win,” Todd said. “I feel let the last two slip away from us in Denver and the final round in Seattle. It’s been a while since we’ve won anything so this is good momentum headed into race day and hopefully we can finish it off tomorrow. I feel like we’ve been building momentum since [Norwalk] with our DHL Toyota GR Supra.

“We’ve definitely been knocking on the door of a win. It just goes to show how hard it is to win in Funny Car right now. Just when you think you’ve got it where you need it and it’s going to be your day, somebody like Tim Wilkerson (Seattle winner) jumps up and snatches it from you. So, hopefully we can ride this wave of momentum into the final again at one of my favorite tracks. It would be really special.”

Tasca drove to his fourth No. 1 qualifier this season during the final session thanks to run of 3.938s at 324.05mph in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang, making a huge move after struggling during the first three sessions. He wasn’t able to make a run under the lights on Friday, but more than made up for to close out qualifying as he looks to defend his Sonoma victory on Sunday. Alexis DeJoria finished second in qualifying with a 3.942s at 326.56mph and Ron Capps’ 3.942s has him third heading into eliminations.

“That was critical data for us,” Tasca said. “Now we know we can push when we need to and we can pull back if we have to. I’m so impressed with what we’ve done and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I love racing here. It’s one of my top five tracks and I always seem to do well here. I’m ready for tomorrow and I know my guys are going to be ready. We can run on a hot and cool track and this team is just going to keep getting better and better.”

Eliminations for the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals begin at 10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.

Torrence finally grabs first NHRA win of 2023 at Pacific Raceways

Four-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence moved into the points lead on Sunday at Pacific Raceways with his first win of the 2023 season, powering past Doug Kalitta in the final round of the 34th annual Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals. Tim …

Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the 11th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Torrence earned his 54th career win, going 3.940s at 289.26mph in his Capco Contractors/Toyota dragster to knock off Kalitta, denying the veteran his 50th overall victory. It also gave Toyota its 200th overall NHRA win.

Torrence beat Josh Hart, defending world champ Brittany Force and Shawn Langdon to reach the finals, moving four points ahead of Justin Ashley with the win. The victory, which was his first since St. Louis last year in the Countdown to the Championship, wrapped a thrilling double-up weekend for the multi-time world champ after Torrence also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday in Seattle.

“You know, it’s a great feeling and kind of a monkey off your back and a huge sense of accomplishment,” Torrence said. “The performance today, two rounds were stellar and two rounds weren’t that stellar. It’s difficult when things are not absolutely great to be as confident as you need to be to drive these things successfully. This is a great place to win and at the right time because we’re getting some momentum.

“I was pretty calm going into the finals. But it’s a good time to peak, it’s a good time to start getting ready for the Countdown. Consistency is always going to win, but for the most part, we have not felt like we’ve been good. But our confidence is back and we’re definitely moving in the right direction and now we just need to continue to move forward.”

Kalitta reached the finals for the second time in 2023 and 109th time overall, getting past Ron Smith and Clay Millican earlier in the day.

In Funny Car, consistency paved the way for Tim Wilkerson, putting together three straight 4.00s runs on Sunday and going 4.007s at 321.96mph in his SCAG Power Equipment/Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang in the championship round to defeat J.R. Todd. It is the veteran’s second victory this season and his 24th career victory, as well as his fourth overall win at Pacific Raceways. To reach the final round, Wilkerson had to knock off points leader Matt Hagan, back-to-back world champ Ron Capps and Blake Alexander, going 4.007s in consecutive rounds to close out his day.

It bumped Wilkerson to sixth in points, adding another standout performance in Seattle to his career accomplishments.

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“I accidentally went a little deep on J.R. in the final there or the thing probably would have run a (3).96s,” Wilkerson. “But I’m very, very proud of my guys today. They were flawless It’s a hot day, man. We worked hard and had the same motor in the car all the way until the finals, and I’m pretty proud of that. We really had a great day.

“I’ve had a couple of couple of rough three races here. You know, just hang in there. We’ve got that 24-hour rule: 24 hours after we win, lose or draw? Start over, because you can’t dwell on that stuff. It’ll drive you crazy. We have a chance to win every weekend, in my opinion. It’s just whether I mess it up or not.”

Todd advanced to the finals in Seattle for the second straight year, defeating Alex Laughlin, Cruz Pedregon and Chad Green. It’s also Todd’s second runner-up this year and his 43rd career final. Hagan stays in the points lead, taking a 17-point advantage over Capps into Sonoma.

The first-ever weekend in Seattle for Pro Stock Motorcycle simply meant another dominating weekend for points leader Gaige Herrera, as he wrapped up a flawless weekend at Pacific Raceways with a winning run of 6.764s at 198.99mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods to defeat teammate Eddie Krawiec. It gives the phenom his fifth win in seven races in the category this year, as well as a second perfect weekend after Herrera qualified No. 1 and also picked up the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victory.

On Sunday, he reached the final round with round wins against Lance Bonham and Hector Arana Jr., going as quick as 6.729s at 197.36mph. After winning in Denver, Herrera now has the chance to sweep the Western Swing, a feat that has never been accomplished in Pro Stock Motorcycle and hasn’t happened for any competitor since 2009. Herrera is excited about that opportunity and was also thrilled to perform at an impressive level in his first appearance at Pacific Raceways.

“It means a lot to be the first winner and I’m glad we were able to put on a show for them,” Herrera said. “The track was smooth and one of the best tracks I’ve been on, and Andrew (Hines, crew chief) and the guys had our bike running great. That was probably one of my toughest finals, having to race the boss and one of the guys that has helped me so much. Overall, though, it was awesome racing him and it was just business as usual and I’m happy to be on top.

“I’ve had an awesome two races and I hope to do well in Sonoma. It obviously would be amazing to sweep (the Western Swing), so I’m definitely excited. Plus, we’ve got the (Pro Stock Motorcycle) All-Star Callout, so it’s going to be a busy, busy weekend. The whole field is tightening up and Sonoma is always a fast track, so it’s going to be very competitive.”

Krawiec, who was denied his 50th career victory, advanced to the final round for the 82nd time overall and first time in 2023 with wins against Ryan Oehler, rookie Chase Van Sant and defending world champion Matt Smith.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series closes out the famed three-race Western Swing with the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals on July 28-30 at Sonoma Raceway.