Let the record reflect bull riding and driving a 330-mph Top Fuel dragster require two different skill-sets. 

Let the record further reflect current NHRA Top Fuel point leader Steve Torrence is really good at one, and it does not include a four-legged bovine. 

Torrence and the NHRA stars roll into Commerce, Ga., 90 miles south of Spartanburg, for the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, the seventh stop on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. 

Torrence and one of his crewmen definitely had a hitch in their gitty-up as they walked to the winner's circle. 

In the days between the NHRA Springnationals outside of Houston and last weekend's NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, Torrence and his crew, armed with an overabundance of testosterone, and supplemented with liquid courage, decided they wanted to ride a bull.

Initially, the list of those willing to pilot the beast was lengthy, but once they took a look at the personality-challenged bull, the willing participants were narrowed to just two - Torrence and his faithful clutch specialist Gary Pritchett.

"We got up there [at the ranch] and got to feeding cows, and I think they were getting some liquid courage in them and decided they wanted to ride a bull," said Torrence, every bit a Texan from Kilgore. "After two or three times of mentioning it, one of my buddies said, ‘Man, we can call somebody that’s got some bulls you can ride."

In the future, Torrence and company learned if they ever decide to ride a bull not to call a professional. The call went out to Robson Palermo, a former World Champion PBR rider and multi-time World Finals champion who still rides.

Neither Torrence nor Pritchett lasted a combined total of eight-seconds on the ornery bull.

"I don’t think that our crew chief’s that proud of us," Torrence admitted. "We could have waited until the offseason to do something that we could have got hurt at. You can’t be a true Texan if you can’t say you at least tried to ride a bull once."

For the most part, Torrence and Pritchett emerged with no major injuries.

"Gary’s limping around a little bit, but he’s going to overcome it," Torrence explained. "He’s tough."

Pritchett was walking gingerly in the pits on last Saturday while the team prepared to make a run during qualifying at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway.

"I’m wounded. I’m wounded pretty good," Pritchett said with a grimace. "I didn’t break nothing. I went and got some x-rays. But it whipped me so bad, and it stepped on my side. It tried to get me with its horn, but it missed. I’m not hurt, just bruised up a little bit. That’s about it."

Mess with the bull, get the horn.  

"That’s right, I did," Pritchett surmised.