NHRA champion Steve Torrence has a newfound NASCAR friendship
Steve Torrence said that he’s learned many of the things he does in his normal life are not normal for most people. Take, for example, his plans for the weekend.
Torrence will be hurtling at more than 300 mph down a dragstrip in less than four seconds. When feeling 5 Gs behind the wheel, the challenge for Torrence and his fellow racers is driving in a straight line, which is harder than it sounds.
“It’s like teetering on the tip of a needle,” Torrence said. “And trying not to fall off.”
The 39-year-old is entering NHRA’s Circle K Four-Wide Nationals as the event’s four-time consecutive winner. He hasn’t won yet in his Top Fuel class this year, but he’s locked in a points battle with leader Brittany Force, who he trails by 32 points heading into the weekend.
Given Torrence’s zMAX Dragway record, which includes six wins in the last eight events, he’s considered a favorite to win at Charlotte, which would provide a boost to his CAPCO team as Torrence chases a fifth consecutive Top Fuel world title.
Those who follow the series and are entrenched in the nitro-fueled fandom know this, but even casual and first-time fans can rally around the heart-pounding performance that Torrence and his fellow drag racers put on.
Think about it like this: Torrence is the defending champion in the fastest class of the world’s fastest-running cars in a sanctioned racing series. Torrence, therefore, could arguably be called the fastest racecar driver in a sanctioned series.
He’s so good at driving straight and fast that NHRA champion driver and car owner John Force, father of Brittany Force, called Torrence, “The future of our sport.” Maybe because of the wins, but also probably because Torrence has a humble personality that makes him a prime NHRA ambassador.
He said he was born and raised in Kilgore, Texas, to a father who was a welder and a mother who cleaned houses, and has been racing since he was 15. When Torrence was growing up, he couldn’t wait to get out of his small town of 12,000 people, he said, but now that he’s often on the road, he said that he can’t wait to get back there.
“I enjoy that small-town community feel and the support you get from people that have known you your whole life,” Torrence said.
His comment could also apply to the tight-knit NHRA community where he’s made a career and which he seems unlikely to leave, but Torrence said he’s also recently become curious about the NASCAR scene after developing a fast friendship with Xfinity driver Brandon Jones.
The two met a month ago at a Bass Pro Shop and Toyota-organized event and hit it off, sharing inside jokes and a game of golf (“He’s terrible and so am I”), according to Torrence. They facetimed after Jones’ win at Martinsville, and Jones plans to stop by the dragstrip on Sunday for his first NHRA experience after NASCAR’s Xfinity race at Dover.
Torrence hasn’t yet made plans to visit a race with Jones, but that could be on the horizon, too, he said. He’s also open to a crossover test in a NASCAR Cup or Xfinity car, although he joked that, “They only let me drive things that go straight.”
“I think it would be a blast,” Torrence said. “I have a lot of respect for what (NASCAR drivers) do. You hear people say, ‘Oh, they’re just driving in a circle.’ Well, I’m just driving in a straight line, and it’s a lot more difficult than you would perceive.”
“The fitness and conditioning that they have to be in and what it takes to do what they do…” Torrence trailed off. “We’re racecar drivers. They’re racecar athletes.”
There’s additional NASCAR crossover this year, too, with NASCAR Hall of Famer and Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart fielding a two-car NHRA team in its first year. Tony Stewart Racing drivers Leah Pruett (Top Fuel) and Matt Hagan (Funny Car) said that they’ve enjoyed the process of learning more about NASCAR through Stewart’s ties, and Hagan said he’s seen the NHRA fandom spread.
“Once (they’re) here, it’s sold,” Hagan said. “The NHRA sells itself. We have an amazing platform. We have an amazing experience. It’s just getting the people here. … When we get these (NASCAR) Cup folks over here, they’re gonna be fans for life.”
Cup or Xfinity driver, NASCAR fan or motorsports industry member, Torrence trying for five consecutive Four-Wide wins at zMAX Dragway could be a big reason for following.
