TORRENCE TO THE TOP AT SEASON OPENER THANKS TO MOTIVATION FROM DOM LAGANA

Written by Larry Crum, photo by Roger Richards    Sat, 2021-03-13 15:00

 

The 2020 NHRA season was a rough one for a lot of people.

It was especially hard on Steve Torrence and his Torrence Racing team.

Despite the championship, despite the wins and overwhelming success, the 2020 season was marred by the tragic accident of crewmember and close personal friend Dom Lagana. Lagana lost both of his legs in an automobile accident in August and has spent much of his life since rehabbing and getting his life back on track.

Spending more than two months in a coma at the burn unit at Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis, many wondered if Lagana would wake up, let alone return to a normal life.

Six months later, with his friends, his older brother Bobby, and drag racing family by his side, Lagana returned to the racetrack during NHRA testing one week ago at West Palm Beach, Florida. On Friday, it was like he never left as Lagana returned to his usual perch in the Torrence Racing pit area during the season opening AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

It was an inspiring sight for many inside the garage area, perhaps none more than Torrence himself who drove his Capco Contractors dragster to the provisional No. 1 spot with a 3.699-second pass at 324.90 mph.

“It was so unreal to have him out here with us,” Torrence said. “Last weekend in West Palm, Dom is there and he is up walking and doing great. Then we show up here and he is walking even better. The way that last year ended. All that happened and the way he finished the year out and then progressing through the offseason and he is getting better and better in his rehabbing. I told his fiance at the time, ‘he is going to be walking in Gainesville’ and here he is walking around.

“We truly have a family here. We band together and that guy right there, he lives and breathes this race team. To have him back with us, that in itself is a victory. And to come out and run well, there is nothing better.”

The defending class champion picked right up where he left off, topping the Top Fuel category in the final pass of the evening as the only driver to dip into the 3.60s. In fact, he was considerably quicker than his run partner Doug Kalitta who clocked in with a 3.746 at 307.37 mph to qualify No. 2 after one of three qualifying sessions.

Brittany Force, making her return to the track after more than a year away, qualified third with a 3.747 at 330.47 mph. Shawn Langdon (3.749) and Billy Torrence (3.758) rounded out the top five.

“It felt good even if it didn’t run fast,” Torrence said. “To get in the car and be back in competition and run that number was exciting.”

Torrence thanked his dad, Billy, for helping him navigate a tricky track as he watched the movement of his father’s dragster one pair earlier to prepare him for the chart-topping run.

“We saw the numbers going up on the board and it was trending to look like a one-lane racetrack, so I was a little nervous,” Torrence said. “I saw my dad run the 75 and it looked like down at the end it was moving left on him and my car did the same thing. But I was ready for it.

“It was an awesome way to start. I am glad to be back and just pumped up about this weekend.”

After the run, Torrence was visibly and audibly excited about the run, showing the three-time champion hasn’t lost any of his edge entering a new season.

“If you aren’t jacked up when you get out of one of these, you are not doing the right thing,” Torrence said.

 

 
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