If you’re one of those brave souls considering an investment in the NHRA’s newly-introduced gaming initiative, your best bet in this week’s 14th PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals is that four-time Top Fuel World Champion Steve Torrence will become the 21st member of professional drag racing’s 500 Club.
That’s not an absolute lock, but it’s pretty close.
After all, Torrence is just one quick, clean 1,000-foot sprint down Virginia Motorsports Park’s all-concrete track away from joining the select company of such drivers as Kenny Bernstein, Antron Brown and Tony Schumacher as a winner of 500 competitive rounds in the NHRA’s Mission Foods Series.
His bid to reach that lofty plateau is enhanced this weekend by the fact that he and his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota are racing on a track on which they’ve been to three straight finals, won twice and compiled an 11-2 record overall.
“That’s a big milestone and those are people I have a lot of respect for,” Torrence said of 500 wins, “but we aren’t racing at Richmond for records; we’re racing to win rounds and win Wallys. We know what’s ahead of us with the Countdown and we need to start building some momentum.
“No one I’d rather have behind me than these CAPCO boys. We’ve been through these battles before and we’re looking forward to racing for another championship.”
For the first time since 2019, Torrence will race at Richmond with dad Billy, who this year is campaigning a second CAPCO Toyota on a full schedule for the first time.
The founder and CEO of CAPCO Contractors, an eight-time Top Fuel winner while racing only part-time, advanced to the semifinals in his only previous appearance in the Virginia Nationals, losing to his son in an all-CAPCO semifinal.
In the unique format adopted for the Virginia Nationals, all pro qualifying will take place on Saturday with nitro sessions at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5:30 p.m., Texas time. The semifinal and final rounds of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge will follow the final two sessions. Sunday eliminations will begin at 11 a.m., Texas time.
This story was originally published on June 20, 2024. 
