Torrence Wins First NHRA Top Fuel Title Sunday in Las Vegas
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LAS VEGAS – Steve Torrence won his first career Top Fuel world championship during eliminations on Sunday at the NHRA Toyota Nationals and raced to his 10th victory of the year at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Torrence continued his impressive pace in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship where he has yet to lose a round of racing since the playoffs began. He went on to get his fifth consecutive victory of the year when he bested Leah Pritchett with a run of 3.751-seconds at 326.32 mph in his dragster.
“This is a lifelong goal right here,” said Torrence. “All the glory goes to God, my mom and dad, because without them none of this would be even be possible. Every one of those Capco boys on that race team because they put their heart in it and it is hard to beat people with heart. All the boys back home at Capco, we got it done guys. This is unreal. To all those people who said we couldn’t do it, we are here.”
J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Bo Butner (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also winners in their respective categories at the fifth of six playoff events during the 2018 Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.
In Funny Car, Todd powered to his fifth win of the year in his Toyota Camry when he defeated Matt Hagan in the finals with his winning run of 3.921 at 318.39.
Butner raced to his second Pro Stock win of the year when he defeated Erica Enders with a run of 6.657 at 207.43 in his Chevrolet Camaro.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Arana Jr. was the top qualifier for the event and won his third race of the year when he defeated Eddie Krawiec in the finals with a winning run of 6.885 at 193.35.
The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series concludes on Nov. 8-11 at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at the Auto Club Raceway of Pomona.