Why Top Fuel Contender Billy Torrence Is Skipping NHRA Event at Richmond

The NHRA’s Camping World Drag Racing Series returned Friday to Virginia Motorsports Park for the first time since 2019, but it reconvened without Billy Torrence—and with a rain delay.

Not even the carrot of possibly earning his 100th elimination round-win was enough to entice the Capco Contractors Inc. Dragster driver. Just a day before the NHRA Virginia Nationals opened at Dinwiddie, just south of Richmond, the family-owned Capco Contractors Top Fuel team from Kilgore, Texas, announced it wouldn’t field a second dragster this weekend, as originally planned.

The announcement cited “the lack of sufficient racing resources to support a two-car effort.”

Reigning Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence who won on the all-concrete dragstrip in 2018 and 2019, is racing this weekend, looking for his first victory of the season. But teammate father Billy Torrence will be home, tending to his international oil and gas pipeline construction business.

Billy Torrence never has raced a full season since he entered Top Fuel competition. But in the six completed events this year, he appeared in just two (at Gainesville, Fla., and Houston). The team said his business obligations, along with “the logistical challenges of assembling the parts, pieces, and personnel needed to race at an elite level on a part-time basis,” are the reasons.

In this case, the team was unable to recruit enough crew members to service the second team.

Billy Torrence has eight victories and has qualified for all 75 races he has entered. Moreover, he has proven it’s possible to qualify for the Countdown to the Championship without participating in every race in the so-called regular season. That prompted the NHRA to change its Countdown-eligibility requirements.

Torrence is 16th in the Top Fuel points standings. The top 10 qualifying for the Countdown.

At the Houston race, Torrence competed in the Super Comp class, as well. However, it’s uncertain when he’ll rejoin the tour in either category.

Rain delayed the start of Friday qualifying, which had been moved up to avoid poor weather conditions. Two more sessions are scheduled for Saturday. Eliminations will go Sunday for the Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock Motorcycle classes, as well as a slate of Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series categories.