There’s something about the Toyota U.S. Nationals that brings out the best in Steve Torrence.
Racing Monday on drag racing’s biggest stage, the 41-year-old Texan took his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota to the final round at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for the seventh time in the last 12 years before losing a heartbreaking final to veteran Clay Millican.
Relegated to the least favored right lane for the final, Torrence grabbed a .012 of a second advantage at the start but lost traction at the transition from concrete to asphalt and slowed to 4.317 seconds. Millican won in 3.792 seconds at 327.82 miles per hour.
Because he failed to get his second Indy win in three years and fourth overall (including a 2005 victory in the Top Alcohol Dragster class), Torrence will start the Countdown in fourth place behind Doug Kalitta, Justin Ashley and Shawn Langdon.
While the end result was disappointing, Torrence nevertheless was pleased with his team’s effort on a challenging weekend in which Doug Kalitta, the point leader and defending race champion, didn’t make the starting lineup.
“This Top Fuel deal is badass right now; so many good cars,” Torrence said, “but these CAPCO boys always show up at Indy. We had a car that could’ve won it. It was just tricky going down that right lane. But, great job to Clay and Jim-O (crew chief Jim Oberhofer) and that team. I know firsthand how much it means to win Indy, especially the first time.
“Now, we start racing for real (in the Countdown),” said the 55-time tour winner, “and we’re going to Reading with some momentum.”
Torrence’s day began with a family feud as he and his dad Billy squared off in an all-CAPCO first round.
“That wasn’t the way we drew it up, but things happen,” Torrence said after his 3.702 at 329.67 mph easily covered dad Billy’s tractionless 11.766 at only 66 mph.
In round two, the 55-time tour winner got a measure of revenge when he dispatched rookie Ida Zetterstrom, the 2023 FIA European Top Fuel Champion who two weeks earlier had upset him in the first round at Brainerd, Minn., after he had qualified No. 1. That set up a semifinal showdown with motorsports legend Tony Stewart, the surprise No. 2 starter.
Unfortunately, Torrence’s 3.769 effort in dispatching Stewart was not quite good enough to earn him lane choice for that pivotal final round.
This story was originally published on September 3, 2024. 
