Four-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence plans to finish his season where it all began — in front of family, friends, and fellow Texans. After a productive test session, the CAPCO Contractors Toyota driver will make his final start of 2025 at this week’s 40th annual Texas Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex.
For Torrence, who has 56 career NHRA victories, the Dallas-area race is more than a stop on the tour. It’s a home game at a track that has shaped many of his professional and personal milestones. “Always look forward to it,” the 42-year-old said. “We’ve made a lot of friends and a lot of memories and looking forward to making a few more this weekend.”
The Kilgore, Texas, native has appeared in six final rounds over the last 10 years at the Motorplex, including his most recent win there in 2020. But this year’s event carries extra meaning. Torrence has announced he will skip the final two races of the season to focus on family and business commitments, making Dallas his last pass of the year.
“With the championship pretty much out of our reach, going out west for the last two races really didn’t make much sense,” Torrence said. “Especially since we have holidays coming up that we all want to make special for the girls.” He was referring to daughters Haven Charli and Harper, whose lives increasingly shape his racing schedule.
The decision marks another sign of Torrence’s shifting priorities as he balances competition with his role at CAPCO, the pipeline construction company founded 30 years ago by his father, Billy Torrence. Even so, the Texan remains driven to perform. This weekend’s race, centerpiece of the Motorplex’s Stampede of Speed, gives him one more chance to extend his streak of 13 straight seasons with at least one No. 1 qualifying start.
Still, Torrence said the focus isn’t on statistics. “We’re going to the Motorplex with a plan to win the race no matter where we start,” he said. “We had a good test last week in Indianapolis so we’ll see what we can do.”
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Despite running an abbreviated schedule — only 10 of the 14 regular-season events before the Countdown — Torrence won the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn., maintaining another streak of 13 consecutive seasons with at least one tour victory. The Motorplex remains special turf for him. In 2005, he earned back-to-back wins there, claiming both the Texas Fall Nationals and a Lucas Oil divisional event that all but secured his NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster world title.
His fondest memory came in 2020, when he defeated his father in the Top Fuel final — one year after Billy captured his own Motorplex trophy. “Racing and beating Dad there was one of those moments you never forget,” Torrence said. “We’ve always been a family operation. That day really showed what CAPCO stands for.”
While Torrence has scaled back his schedule, few doubt his impact. His record at the Motorplex includes a 3.636-second track mark, and he remains one of the sport’s most consistent performers on concrete.
“Texas is home,” Torrence said. “When you race here, you can feel the energy from the crowd, from family, from people who’ve watched you grow up in the sport. That’s the motivation to go out and try to win it again.”
