By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Steve Torrence is known to save his best for last, especially last drag races, which is why the four-time world champion and his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota are on the short list of top contenders this weekend as Heartland Motorsports Park plays host for the 34th and final time to the Menard’s NHRA Nationals presented by Pet Armor.
Steve Torrence, left, shares a moment with Team CAPCO crew chief Richard Hogan. The two hope to collaborate for a win this week in the final NHRA tour event at Heartland Motorsports Park. [Photo by Will Lester]
Steve Torrence executes a burnout in his CAPCO Contractors dragster. The four-time world champion will compete this weekin the 34th and final Menard's Nationals. [Photo by Mark Rebilas]
This will be the eighth time in his pro career Torrence has raced in a venue’s final NHRA tour event and the third time he’s done so this year alone.
In the previous seven farewells, Torrence has won more rounds than any other racer in any pro category (18), won 75 percent of the two-car heats in which he was involved, and never failed to at least reach or surpass the semifinals.
Combine that stellar record with Torrence's recent history at HMP -- runner-up in 2022 to close friend Antron Brown, a '19 victory over his faher, Billy, in an all-CAPCO final round, and six straight semifinal appearances, and it’s easy to see why the 40-year-old Texan and his CAPCO team will be in spotlight in Topeka.
“The biggest thing is that we’ve finally got a car again that responds to what Hoagie (crew chief Richard Hogan) and Bobby (Lagana Jr.) tell it to do,” Torrence said in a team release. “We won four championships on consistency and that’s what we’re getting back to, being able to make the adjustments that give us the best chance (for success) whatever the conditions are.”
Victorious last month at Seattle and winner of the last two episodes of the Mission Foods/US 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge, which features the semifinalists from the previous Camping World tour event, Torrence will start Friday's qualifying process trailing Justin Ashley by a mere 32 points.
That the 54-time tour winner remains in contention for his fifth regular season Top Fuel championship is directly attributable to the team’s enhanced consistency.
Even though Ashley has won five times and Torrence just once Team CAPCO never has slipped lower than second in points and Torrence has been atop the standings after just as many races as his chief rival.
“Like I’ve said, the only time it’s important to lead the standings is on November the 13th – after the (In-N-Out) Finals,” Torrence said. “Right now, whatever happens, you know the pencil-pushers are gonna redo the points after Indy and then it’s just a six-race shootout to the championship with a whole lotta teams in the mix – not just mine and Justin’s.”
In addition to his 2019 Top Fuel win at Heartland Park, Torrence won twice at the Topeka track in 2005 en route to the Lucas Oil Series Top Alcohol Dragster World Championship. He is the only driver to have won NHRA championships in both he Top Fuel and Top Alcohol categories.
Menard’s Nationals qualifying begins with a single nitro session at 8 p.m. on Friday.
Saturday’s first Top Fuel qualifying session at 3 p.m. will be followed at 3:20 p.m. by the first round of the 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge with Torrence facing off against Brown on one side of the ladder and Ashley opposing Josh Hart on the other.
The final round of the Challenge will follow Saturday's final qualifying session at 5:30 p.m.
Sunday eliminations begin at 11 a.m
MENARDS NHRA NATIONALS SCHEDULE
At Heartland Motorsports Park
FRIDAY
10 a.m. -- Sportsman qualifying
2 p.m. -- Top Alcohol qualifying session
3 -- Street Car Takeover qualifying
5:30 -- Top Alcohol qualifying session
6:30 -- Street Car Takeover qualifying
7 -- Top Fuel Motorcycle exhibition
7:15 -- Pro Stock Car qualifying
8 -- Funny Car and Top Fuel qualifying
SATURDAY
8 a.m. -- Sportsman qualifying
12:30 p.m. -- Top Alcohol qualifying session
1:30 -- Street Car Takeover eliminations -- Round 1
2 -- Top Fuel Motorcycle exhibition
2:15 -- Pro Stock Car qualifying
2:35 -- Mission #2Fast2Tasty Pro Stock Challenge -- Round 1
3 -- Top Fuel qualifying session
3:20 -- Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge -- Round 1
3:30 -- Funny Car qualifying session
3:50 -- Mission #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge -- Round 1
4 -- Street Car Takeover eliminations -- Round 2
4 -- Top Alcohol Dragster eliminations -- Round 1
4:30 -- Top Fuel Motorcycle exhibition
4:45 -- Pro Stock Car qualifying session
5:10 -- Mission #2Fast2Tasty Pro Stock Challenge -- Finals
5:30 -- Top Fuel qualifying session
5:55 -- Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge -- Finals
6 -- Funny Car qualifying session
6:25 -- Mission #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge -- Finals
6:55 -- Top Alcohol Funny Car eliminaions -- Round 1
7:40 -- Sportsman eliminations
SUNDAY
8 a.m. -- Sportsman eliminations
9:15 -- Top Alcohol eliminations -- Round 2
11 -- Top Fuel and Funny Car eliminations -- Round 1
12 p.m. -- Pro Stock eliminations -- Round 1
12:40 -- Top Alcohol eliminations -- Semifinals
1 -- Top Fuel and Funny Car eliminations -- Round 2
1:30 -- Pro Stock eliminations -- Round 2
1:40 -- Sportsman eliminations
2:20 -- Top Fuel and Funny Car eliminations -- Semifinals
2:35 -- Pro Stock Car eliminations -- Semifinals
2:40 -- Street Car Takeover eliminations -- Finals
3:25 -- Top Fuel Motorcycle exhibition
3:50 -- Pro Stock Car eliminations -- Final
4 -- Funny Car and Top Fuel eliminations -- Finals
