KILGORE, Texas – In recognition of Steve Torrence’s record-setting performance this year on the NHRA Camping World drag racing tour, the City of Kilgore will temporarily rename Kilgore Street in honor of the hometown resident and four-time Top Fuel champion.
In addition, Torrence will serve as Grand Marshal of the city’s annual Christmas Parade, Tuesday, Nov. 30, for the second time in four years.
In a special ceremony at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 27, during the city’s Mingle and Jingle event at the corner of Kilgore and Main, Mayor Ronnie Spradlin will present the 38-year-old Kilgore resident one of the four red-and-white Steve Torrence Way street signs commissioned for the occasion.
The other three signs will be placed along the parade route at the corner of Danville and Kilgore, Kilgore and Main and Kilgore and Kay streets where they will remain until the end of the year.
Torrence, who drives one of two Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragsters as teammate to his dad, Billy, won 11 of the 20 NHRA races contested this year, becoming the first pro driver in any NHRA class to win more than half the races in the series since Tony Schumacher did so in 2008.
As a result, he became just the seventh driver in NHRA history to win as many as four straight pro championships, joining John Force, Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, Bob Glidden, Lee Shepherd and Schumacher.
“People have asked me what I think about what this Capco team has done,” Torrence said, “and I’ve told them it isn’t about what we’ve done, it’s about what we still want to do. Fifty-one Top Fuel race wins and four World Championships are incredible, but we’re not done yet. There will be plenty of time to look back and reflect on our accomplishments after we’re done racing. I can’t wait to get started again in 2022.”
Over the last five seasons, Torrence has won four championships and a remarkable 43 of 101 tour events. His dad won eight times during that same period.