LAS VEGAS (AP) — Steve Torrence won his first Top Fuel season championship Sunday during eliminations and won the NHRA Toyota Nationals for his fifth straight victory and 10th of the year.
Torrence beat Leah Pritchett in the final with a 3.751-second run at 326.32 mph in the fifth of six playoff events in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.
"This is a lifelong goal right here," Torrence said. "All the glory goes to God, my mom and dad, because without them none of this would be even be possible. Every one of those Capco boys on that race team because they put their heart in it and it is hard to beat people with heart. All the boys back home at Capco, we got it done guys. This is unreal. To all those people who said we couldn't do it, we are here."
J.R. Todd won in Funny Car, Bo Butner in Pro Stock, and Hector Arana Jr. in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Todd powered to his fifth victory of the year, topping Matt Hagan with a 3.921 at 318.39.
Butner raced to his second Pro Stock win of the year, beating Erica Enders at 6.657 and 207.43. Arana took his third victory of the year, edhing Eddie Krawiec with a 6.885 at 193.35.
The season will end Nov. 8-11 at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, California.
