{"id":66044,"date":"2019-10-21T16:11:29","date_gmt":"2019-10-21T23:11:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=66044"},"modified":"2019-10-21T16:11:29","modified_gmt":"2019-10-21T23:11:29","slug":"in-nhra-top-fuel-its-torrence-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/in-nhra-top-fuel-its-torrence-time\/","title":{"rendered":"In NHRA Top Fuel, it’s Torrence Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Texan Billy Torrence is having a grand time throwing a monkey wrench in predictions for this year\u2019s NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel Countdown to the Championship contest. While his son Steve, the reigning titleholder in dragster competition is still leading the standings, Billy\u2019s four victories this year have made him a viable candidate to win it all.<\/p>\n

After his victory at home in Texas on Sunday, during the fourth of six races in the Countdown, Billy Torrence holds fourth place points and is less than four rounds behind his son (-71). That\u2019s nothing.<\/p>\n

An early departure by Kalitta Motorsports\u2019 Doug Kalitta, beaten in the first round by John Force Racing rookie Austin Prock\u2019s 3.688-sec boomer, Kalitta didn\u2019t lose a lot and is 33 points behind Steve Torrence, while semifinalist and No. 1 Texas Motorplex qualifier Brittany Force of John Force Racing is 46 points back.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fair to say, for the time being and with two races left to run, that these four are the ones to beat. While Don Schumacher Racing\u2019s Leah Pritchett is -104 and tenth placed Clay Millican is 184 points back of the leader, it\u2019s likely those two, together with sixth through ninth-placed Prock, Mike Salinas, Antron Brown and Richie Crampton can stir it up behind the top four and make their moves, but none of them are likely to take down this particular fab four.<\/p>\n