Sixteen-time Funny Car champion John Force has a tendency to overthink a situation.

While this might come as a shock, throwing out the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs was one of those rare instances where Force was not in his usual hyperactive schtick. 

Force, whose high school athletic prowess included being a quarterback on a winless team, rared back, and threw a strike, right down the middle. 

For the first time in the Professional Drag Racers Association’s three-season history, the all-eighth-mile series will race at the historic Lucas Oil Raceway this weekend. The inaugural PDRA Mid-America Indy Showdown, July 13-15, is the fifth stop on the PDRA’s eight-race 2017 tour, bringing the stars of eighth-mile doorslammer racing to Indianapolis, “the racing capital of the world.”
 
“We’re really excited about our first visit to Indy,” said PDRA Race Director Bob Harris. “We’re going to have a lot of new racers joining us who haven’t raced with us before – a lot of guys in Top Sportsman, Top Dragster and our Jr. Dragster categories. Indy is one of the most famous racetracks in the world, and it has a lot of prestige. It’s nice that we can stop to race there at least once a year now.”

It’s official.

Steve Torrence is starting to solve his hex against Antron Brown.

A remarkable 2017 Funny Car season got even better for Ron Capps on Sunday. The defending world champion set a career best with his sixth win of the year at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals – needing only 13 races to do so – picked up his first win at Route 66 Raceway and helped Rahn Tobler earn his 60th win as a crew chief.

But the weekend for Capps and Don Schumacher Racing will truly be remembered as a tribute to Terry Chandler, who funded Funny Cars teams for DSR drivers Tommy Johnson Jr. and Jack Beckman. Chandler passed away on Tuesday after a valiant fight with brain cancer, but not before making an incredible impact within DSR and the entire NHRA.

LE Tonglet spends his weekdays fighting fires in his hometown of Metaire, Louisiana.

The No. 1 qualifier beat the heat again Sunday in the finals of the Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois.

Through with beating himself, Drew Skillman was ready to let someone else finally take the punishment Sunday at Route 66 Raceway.

The talented Skillman had been his own worst enemy through the first half of the 2017 NHRA Pro Stock season, losing in the first round eight times and letting that frustration get the best of him.

Steve Torrence powered his Top Fuel dragster to his fifth victory of the season Sunday at the 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N Filters at Route 66 Raceway.

Ron Capps (Funny Car), Drew Skillman (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also winners in their respective categories at the 13th of 24 events on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Final round-by-round results from the 20th annual Children of Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N at Route 66 Raceway, the 13th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

Point standings (top 10) following the 20th annual Children of Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N at Route 66 Raceway, the 13th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series -

Sunday's final Sportsman results from the 20th annual Children of Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N at Route 66 Raceway. The race is the 13th of 24 in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series: