ST. LOUIS, IL – October 3, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Four-time defending Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence is back in the title hunt, powering to his second straight win at World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday at the 11th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Robert Hight (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also picked up wins at the 19th event in the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season and the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Torrence put together a run of 3.741-seconds at 328.70 mph in the final round in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster, slipping past Josh Hart, who went 3.749 at 329.67. Torrence, who also knocked off Buddy Hull, Clay Millican and Doug Kalitta to reach the final round, picked up his second win this season and 53rd in his career, jumping three spots in the standings to move into second in the title chase. He trails Justin Ashley by just 14 points with three races remaining as the Texan seeks his fifth straight world title in Top Fuel.
Torrence also won for the fourth time in St. Louis, posting an excellent reaction time of .027 in the finals and hanging on for the victory.
“We’ve struggled all year, some of it self-inflicted, but this was a great weekend for us,” Torrence said. “We’re glad to be back in this Countdown to the Championship and it’s been a heck of a year. To come here and have success, it’s nothing short of a blessing. I tried to screw it up a couple times today and my guys saved me, and I was able to step up in the final round.
“We saw the main players go out early today and the door creaked open a little, and we were able to get our foot in it. But it’s tough and we’re doing the best we can and trying to remain focused on the main priority, which is trying to win a championship. This place has been unbelievable to us and we’re going to carry that confidence into Texas.”
Hart enjoyed an impressive weekend as well, defeating Scott Palmer, Mike Salinas, and Shawn Langdon to advance to his second final round this season and fourth in his career. He also moved to sixth in points.
In a thrilling Funny Car final round with major championship implications, points leader Hight took down defending world champ Ron Capps on a holeshot, as his run of 3.911 at 331.61 in his 11,000-horsepower Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS was enough to get past Capps’ quicker 3.908 at 330.47. It gives…
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