NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Steve Torrence, already the first driver in NHRA history to sweep the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, will begin his 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series campaign at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com as he embarks on another record-setting quest, hoping to become just the fourth driver in NHRA history and second in Top Fuel to string together five consecutive world championships.

Only John Force, Tony Schumacher, and the late Bob Glidden have been able to stitch together such dominant seasons and only Schumacher has done it in Top Fuel (six straight, 2004-2009) and will be among those trying to stop Torrence’s “Drive for Five” season.

“There’s definitely guys coming after us,” Torrence said, “but that’s what makes it fun. It’s all about the competition. The longer you’re on top, the harder it is to stay there, and that’s our challenge this year — to stay on top.

“But it’s not just me and Tony. Now that he has his own team, Antron will make a strong run, and since A.J. [Alan Johnson] landed over at Kalitta’s, you know Doug [Kalitta] will be back in the hunt. Brittany [Force] will be strong again and so will Leah [Pruett], Clay [Millican], and Shawn Langdon.

“Mike Salinas? He was badass last year, especially on the lights,” Torrence said of the man who finished third in points in just his fourth full season. “So, that’s a half-dozen really good drivers and teams before you even start talking about the Josh Harts and Justin Ashleys and Austin Procks of the world. It’s gonna be a battle from the first week to the last.”

Torrence, of course, believes his team is equal to the challenge and recent history would support that view. A winner of half the races he has started over the last two seasons (15 of 30) and the tour’s dominant driver since 2016 with 46 victories (28 more than anyone else, regardless of category), the former Top Alcohol Dragster world champ (2005) has won 81.6% of his Top Fuel matches over the last five years (263-59). 

Moreover, in 2021, he had one of the 20 best seasons in the sport’s long history when he posted a 60-9 record, the best mark in any Pro class since 2008.
 
“These Capco Boys are unbelievable,” Torrence said. “The best in the business, bar none. No matter how many races I wind up winning, it won’t be because of anything I’ve done. The Capco Boys do all the work, and I’m just the guy who’s lucky enough to drive the best race car out there. We’ve won 51 times, but all that means to me is that 51 times I didn’t screw it up. I’m going to go out and try and make it 52 this weekend, and we’ll go on from there.”