S. Torrence In a Shootout at the NHRA World Finals
It ain’t the OK Corral, but for a 21st-century Old West shootout, In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip will do just fine for Steve Torrence and his CAPCO Cowboys when they throw down this week against five other fast guns in a winner-take-all edition of the season-ending In-N-Out Finals.
The stage is set. Six drivers, separated by 92 points, are racing for a Mission Foods championship on a racetrack where all have been successful.
For his part, Torrence has won two of the last five times the Finals were contested here, but to have a legitimate shot at his fifth world championship, the 41-year-old Texan will have to make it three of six.
He’ll start his CAPCO Contractors Toyota 85 points behind pacesetting Justin Ashley in a season finale that rewards racers at one-and-a-half times the rate of any other event in the countdown.
That means round wins are worth 30 points each instead of 20 and there are more qualifying and qualifying bonus points available.
“This is why I love this sport,” Torrence said. “We’re down to the last race, competing against the best there is with a chance to be up on that podium one more time. If you’re a competitive person like I am, these are the moments you live for.”
While Torrence’s current bid is considered a long shot, one is reminded that this is the man who, in 2018, swept all six races in the countdown, an accomplishment that at the time seemed equally unlikely.
“With this team, I never feel like we’re out of it,” said the 55-time tour winner. “We’re very capable. We may not always perform the way we want, but the potential is always there, and that’s what gives you confidence. These CAPCO boys, they know the game, they know what’s at stake, and they know what we have to do.”
The battle begins with qualifying sessions at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Texas time, on Friday and continues with Texas time rounds at 2:30 and 5 p.m. Saturday. Single eliminations finals start at 1 p.m., Texas time, Sunday
“It all starts with qualifying,” Torrence said. “We need to get some of those little points (the 4-3-2-1 points that go to the quickest cars and drivers in each of the four qualifying sessions), really, to improve our position – or at least hang onto it. Then, you never know what’s going to happen on race day.”
This story was originally published on November 13, 2024.
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