Drag Illustrated Issue 178, September / October 2022 | Page 100

STEVE TORRENCE
but when you are the champ , when you have the opportunity to have had the success that we ’ ve had , it ’ s your duty and your obligation .”
“ Whether you want to think of it this way or not , you ’ re the face of the sport ,” Torrence adds . “ I am the champion . I am the one that people watch . I ’ m the one that people root for or against . Whether they like you or they don ’ t like you , that ’ s the position you ’ re in , and you need to embrace it and move forward and try to promote our sport .”
It ’ s obvious Torrence is passionate about the sport and his role in it , present and future . Behind the scenes , Torrence and his team have greatly improved the overall nitro show by offering parts and technical support to lesser-funded independent and part-time teams . In the limelight , he ’ s brought his big Texas personality to the table and embraced the opportunity – or the responsibility – to become a star in the motorsports world .
“ It ’ s my job ,” Torrence asserts . “ It ’ s something that is part of being a champ , being an advocate for the sport , being an ambassador for the sport , and helping to carry it on . John Force has been the face of drag racing for years – and still is . But as for any other champions out there , it ’ s our duty to continue that on , whether it ’ s Erica [ Enders ], myself , Brittany [ Force ], Robert [ Hight ], John , Tony [ Schumacher ] or whoever , you ’ ve gotta be the biggest cheerleader for what we do .”
In the days following Torrence ’ s well-timed first victory of the 2022 season at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway , the driver of the Capco Contractors / Toyota / Red Line Oil Top Fuel dragster sat down for a wide-ranging interview to discuss his championship streak , the independent team dynamic , becoming a father , and chasing a fifth consecutive NHRA Top Fuel world championship .
You won your first of four consecutive titles in 2018 . How have things changed since that first championship ? Ultimately , probably confidence as a driver and my maturity as a driver . And probably my maturity as a whole , but especially as a driver , just to handle situations differently and more constructively and goal-related instead of being emotionally motivated with trying to win a championship .
When you find yourself in a situation to win a championship the first time ever , you think , “ Man , this has been so good , it ’ s been surreal . This may be my only chance .” You put so much emphasis on that instead of just going and doing your job . That ’ s one of the biggest things as a driver , just the ability to deal with situations and compartmentalize what ’ s actually gotta happen and what you have to do to make it happen . At the end of the day , it ’ s what we do time and time again to make it right .
You ’ ve experienced the lows of the Countdown and the highs of dominant performances . What have you learned about dealing with the extremes involved with racing at this level ? It ’ s never as bad as it seems . We are out there racing at a professional level , and you can ’ t forget the blessings of having that opportunity , but you also can ’ t forget the hard work and everything it took to get there . As long as you can walk away from all of it with your head held high , you can go out there and go through just about any of it . The more difficult it becomes , the more prepared you are for the next time . You can ’ t be battle-tested without going to battle .
ASIDE FROM FLIP-FLOPPED COLORS ON THE BODY PANELS , BILLY TORRENCE ’ S SECOND CAPCO CONTRACTORS DRAGSTER OPERATES AS A CLONE TO STEVE ’ S CAR WHEN IT MAKES ITS OCCASIONAL APPEARANCES ON THE NHRA TOUR .
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