NHRA: Torrence sets Top Fuel ET record in Sonoma

Top Fuel driver Steve Torrence powered to a national record time and moved into position to claim his eighth No. 1 qualifying position of the season Friday at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

Torrence covered the Sonoma Raceway dragstrip in 3.671 seconds at 325.69 mph in his family-owned dragster. The time bettered Brittany Force's previous national mark by five-thousandths of a second and was also a track record, one of three set during the fast evening of nitro class qualifying.

It will be Torrence's fourth No. 1 in the last five races if the time holds through Saturday's two rounds of qualifying (1:10 and 4:15 p.m.).

"You gotta really hit the nail on the head to make a run like that," Torrence said. "When conditions get tight like this, you can go out there and miss it just a little bit. When it made it through [half track] I did the best I could to keep it in the groove. When I looked up going through the lights and pulled the chutes and saw that sixty-something come on the board, I just started hollering because I knew it was fast. It was the quickest I've ever been. I jumped out of the car, I don't even know what I said down there."

Del Worsham (Funny Car), Bo Butner (Pro Stock), and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were qualifying leaders at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event near San Francisco, the second of three consecutive weeks of racing known on the circuit as the Western Swing. Sunday's finals will be televised live on FOX.

Defending Funny Car world champ Worsham sped to a track record time of 3.868 at 327.43, also the fourth quickest run in NHRA history. Meanwhile, two-time world champ Matt Hagan also took advantage of the cool Bay Area weather conditions in his Dodge Charger and set the track speed record in Funny Car, a 330.15 mph blast at a time of 3.875, good enough for fourth in the order.

Butner, who drives the third team car for the KB Racing team, was quickest in Pro Stock, clocking a 6.553 at 210.28 in a Chevy Camaro.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Louisiana alligator farmer Savoie led the 16-bike field with a 6.839 at 194.46 on a Suzuki.