There’s a mythical Statute of Limitations that’s about to run out on Steve Torrence’s lone victory in the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, and before that happens, the 42-year-old Texan wants to flip the script and make his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota relevant once again.
“Lots of times we’ve had a car that could win the thing,” Torrence said, “but it just didn’t happen.”
The most recent of those times was 2021 when he qualified No. 1, set the current Bristol Dragway track record (3.667 seconds) and reached the finals. Unfortunately, he lost to Mike Salinas, just as he had two years earlier.
He’s qualified at the top of the order three times in his last eight appearances, and his 20-12 elimination record suggests a far more extensive resume than what he has.
To put his frustration in perspective, consider that since he celebrated his only win at Thunder Valley, Torrence has won 51 times on other tracks in the Mission Food Series. Moreover, in the interim, he won four series titles and made drag racing history by becoming the only driver, regardless of category, to sweep the events in the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship (2018).
The reality is that at no other track has he gone longer without a win than he has at Bristol. That might make it hard to remain optimistic, but not when you’ve overcome as much as Torrence has, including childhood cancer and, in 2016, a mild heart attack.
This year, his Bristol mantra is unchanged: “If we keep putting ourselves in position to win, we will.”
The former Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion (2005) and only driver to win NHRA championships in both the Alcohol and Fuel classes returns to the track that has been his nemesis, trying to extend the longest active win streak in the Top Fuel class to 11 consecutive years.
His latest Bristol bid will begin with nitro qualifying sessions at 5 and 7:30 p.m., Texas time, on Friday. Qualifying continues Saturday with sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., Texas time. Eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m., Texas time.
This story was originally published on June 5, 2025. 
