Drag Illustrated Issue 140, January 2019 | Page 76

THE CHAMPIONS ISSUE NHRA Top Fuel A s bad as Steve Torrence want- ed his first world championship a year ago, it helped pave the way for the greatest run in NHRA Count- down to the Championship history, accomplishing firsts that can never be topped. For as bad as losing down the stretch stung, consider the 2018 NHRA Top Fuel world championship worth the wait. The lessons learned and memories stored from 2017 turned into one dominant performance after another, capped off by sweeping the Count- down on the strength of six straight victories. It’s something that never has been done before and provides the perfect capper to illustrate just how motivated Torrence was to finish the job in 2018. “To do what we’ve done, we’re the first ones to ever do it,” Torrence emphasizes. “It truly has been unbelievable. We are truly blessed to be what we’re doing. We’re going to be in the history books. We wanted to set that precedent and we have. It’s all because of the hard work those guys have put in. Nobody can beat us, they can only tie us now. That’s a pretty cool stat to put behind your name.” The numbers are truly staggering for Torrence, who has 19 victories in his past 43 races. He won 11 times in 2018 against elite talent, especially when it came to the top 10 drivers in the Count- down to the Championship. But they were no match for a laser-focused, out- for-blood Torrence. If this was a redemption or revenge tour, it was played to perfection as every- one from Torrence, who remains one of the best leavers in the class, to crew chief Richard Hogan to assistant crew chief Bobby Lagana Jr. to every crew member were locked in all season. “I’m very competitive and I’m very driven,” Torrence says. By the time the playoffs rolled around, it was at another level and Torrence couldn’t be stopped. He clinched the championship by Las Vegas – al- most unfathomable considering the points-and- a-half setup for Pomona – and then finished the season in style as well. As fate would have it, Torrence matched up with Tony Schumacher, the eight-time world champion and winningest driver in class history, in the final round at Pomona. To make history, he would have to beat the all-time pacesetter in the class. Torrence did just that, a brilliant finishing touch for a driver who has carved out his own path in Top Fuel. From overcoming cancer to his unique relationship with Hogan, Torrence has done things on his terms, succeeding in historic fashion in 2018. “Richard Hogan, he’s a bad, bad man,” Torrence insists. “That guy probably wasn’t the most confi- dent, but he’s very, very talented and I’ve believed in him from the time we first hired him in 2011. “We’ve had a very unique friendship and work- ing relationship and this is what happens when you hire a man to do his job and stick with him and support him. It’s been a recipe for success. The confidence that I have seen build in Richard this year, every round of every race, it’s been neat to watch.” – JOSH HACHAT DI DI DI DI DI DI DI DI DI DI BRIAN SHRADER BIG DOG // DANIEL PHARRIS LIMITED DRAG RADIAL // SHANE HECKEL X275 // JOEL GREATHOUSE ULTRA STREET 76 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com Issue 140 Steve Torrence