The NHRA World Finals was certainly a high energy affair that was totally appropriate for closing out the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Season that’s for sure. We’ve got tons of photos from the event and will have them spread out throughout the week. If you missed any of what we’ve posted so far, don’t worry we have a link below for you to check out. The action was hot and heavy as Doug Kalitta fought for his first NHRA Top Fuel Championship, and despite winning the race he just couldn’t pass Steve Torrance who took his second Championship in 2019. Erica Enders grabbed another title to tie her for the all time most Championships by a woman in NHRA history. Matt Hines took home another Championship, and Robert Hight grabbed himself yet another Championship as well. They all fought hard for it, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t without drama.
In Pro Stock Bike Matt Hines went red in round #1, when he only needed one round victory to clinch the championship. Matt Smith meanwhile saw his opportunity and was poised to take it but had breakage and lost. In the first round of Top Fuel, our buddy Cameron Ferre went after Torrance with all he had and got beat by the would be champ. Of course Torrance wasn’t happy with Cameron deep staging so he whined and complained an ultimately took a swipe at Cameron. Both would fight in the lightweight division, but my money is on Cameron as he’s got a lot more friends in the pits than Torrence, and could handle taking a bit of that Capco money if the need arose.
But we’ll have more on that later.
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If Ferre had been the one taking the swipe at Torrence, he’d have been out on his ass. Money talks at the NHRA. Torrence should have lost 10 points, just like oiling the track or smacking a timing block. Sure it swings the title chase, but so do the aformentioned scenarios. If “conduct detrimental to the sport” isn’t a reason to take such action, I don’t know what would be. NHRA really pissed on their fingers…..
That \”spoiled rich kid\” (his own words!) should have been disqualified for his inappropriate and unprofessional conduct in regards to the deep stage incident with Ferre. The 2019 top fuel title rightfully belongs to Doug Kalitta. If I remember correctly, young Mr. Torrence deep staged against Austin Prock in Seattle. What makes this whole thing crazy is first, the NHRA did NOTHING! Secondly, Torrance won the round! So what is the issue? Personally, I have little respect for Steve Torrence. If the roles were reversed in that round, and with the push to the face, you can bet the NHRA would have penalized another driver. The NHRA, by extension, has lost some respect as well. Like any other dollar driven venture, they seem to choice what rules they enforce and with whom they levy them.
I completely agree with Boss 351. I would say there are two sets of rules depending on how much money you have, but actually if you have enough money, there are no rules. But this isn’t limited to just the NHRA.
Team Capco would sit out the first 2 Countdown races in 2020 as a points fine for their unacceptable behavior at this years World finals if I were making the calls at NHRA.
No, not the way to go. Torrance should be disqualified form the event or at the very least lose 20 points.
Boss 351 nailed it on this one. This is why the NHRA is just a shadow of it’s former awesome self. I don’t pay much attention to it anymore, boring. Back in the day I used to record every race and even NHRA Today, plus make it to 3-4 national events. Haven’t been in 10 years probably.
When motorsport was growing up disagreements were settled in the pits away from everybody. Now, with TV and social media it seems to be “ok” to have p##sy fights just for tv. My disappointment with the NHRA runs far deeper than the fight, crappy pro stock, crappy looking funny cars, etc. This idiot punching someone else for staging late is a moron who needs to get his bearings straight. WJ had some great, and heated staging battles, did he ever punch someone on TV. I haven’t been to Pomona in ten years after going twice a year forever, no need to change that now.
If Stevie had swung at one of the old school drivers, he wouldn\’t have woke up till the finals. Good form for Ferre not to punch back.
Torance should have been disqualified from the even and the whole team escorted out the gate. Same goes for Robert Height. He should have been disqualified from the event. Fined a hundred point just as a good round number. Sending the car down that other lane with a parked car in the track at the finish line was the biggest display the NHRA could have ever done to prove they don\’t give a damn about the drivers. That could have easily been the worse accident in NHRA history. Height is the reason this should be done not because the car stalled. That could happen to anyone. But him getting out and playing to the damn fans like Garth Brooks was the dumbest thing I\’ve ever seen. He and his team should have been busy removing that fucking piece of broke down shit from the track. As for PSC and a driver sandbagging to cherri pick the latter goes. That\’s definitely not the finer side of racing but it happens and it\’s legal. PSB was a joke as always. I\’m good with the girl that won and I\’m happy for her. But the Harley bunch invading her victory circle interviews was a pisser. While we\’re talking about NHRA being a corrupt organization we need not look further than the Vance and Hines HD team… i would like to visit the homes of all the top level management officials of the NHRA and count the number of free demo Harley\’s are sitting about.
$teve Torrence is now NHRA\’s Kyle Busch as the fans will boo him forever and his fan went down by about forty percent. For my 60 years in the sport, Hogan is the real bang in their camp, he worked with Garlets for years.
Nothing said about pro stock and a driver intentionally slowing down to qualify in the lower half of field so to match up with the points leader.
What would Wally Parks say about this watching his organization act like this Championship or not Steve should have been punished on spot for his actions he made the decision to push him no one else
No integrity in the NHRA anymore, except maybe in the tach department. Surely not for the too management.
Steve Torrence should have been suspended immediately. They\’re supposed to be professionals. Goes to show evidently you don\’t have to be professional. I guess you can cry like a baby and get your way even if it is racing. There is no reason for the staging argument. He had a race to win also he shouldn\’t have to lay down to Torrence. Wally Parks would have been there it definitely would have ended differently
No respect or care in the world for Capco and their spoiled rich kid driver. If it were an old school driver that got pushed Steve would have been pushed back and on his ass.
NHRA you need to go back to what you used to be.
NHRA you need to take a look at your sister Nascar their fan base is getting smaller and smaller due to the poor bullshit management you let a fan get the least bit out of line and he is immediately ejected and escorted off the property or thrown in jail and when you allow this little spoiled brat punk Steve Torrence to slap someone and not address it right then Houston you got a problem it looks to me the only hope the fans have is that his Dad & Mom will take him out of racing for a season and put is candy ass out digging ditches for them pipeliner boys and when he gets pissy just let him slap one of them good ol boys and hopefully he will get is ass kicked up around his neck what he should have got Sunday.
This is how all the BS affected me.
Capco (Torrence)should have been DQ\’d
Summit should have been DQ\’d for pulling his stunt a d \”not racing\”.
Hight should have been DQ\’d for his chicken shit stunt.
Safety Safari should get an ask kicking along with NHRA officials for allowing Hights car to remain on the track.
I have been to 18 races in the last 4 years and I am done within NHRA and will never go to another one.
It won\’t be long and they will lose the percentage of the crowd just like nascar has because of all of their BS they allowed.
Since Torrence wasn\’t DQd,give him a 5 race ban in 2020. If roles were switched Cameron would have been punished. I was a big Torrence fan,and race fan as well. Now i\’m done with this bs.
NHRA now and here forward is rebranded. Not How Racers Act!
Well NHRA has really stepped in it this time by not giving Steve Torrence a meaningful penalty after the first round of Top Fuel at the World Finals . Torrence violated numerous parts of the NHRA code of conduct and should have been disqualified on the spot. I feel what he did was assault and he could have been arrested. There is no excuse for his actions. as for the safety Safari it is standard and accepted practice to leave a car on track if it cannot get to the turn out. The driver pulls to the wall and gets over the wall and out of Harm\’s Way. Doug kalittta has always been a Class Act and is much more deserving of being my 2019 Top Fuel Champion. A$25,000 fine is not even a slap on the hand to Torrance. NhRA needs to grow a spine and do the right thing. Wally parks and Bernie Partridge must be turning over in their graves