Robert Hight powered to the Funny Car qualifying lead Friday evening at the 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N Filters at Route 66 Raceway.

Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Tanner Gray (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also provisional qualifying leaders in their respective categories at the 13th of 24 events on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Five-decade Funny Car veteran Gary Densham remembers the time when race promoter Bill Doner had a heavy hand in Funny Car racing. 

"You had to race for Bill Doner; at one time he owned the entire west coast," Densham recalled in an episode of Legends: The Series. "If you wanted to race Orange County, Fremont, Portland and Seattle. If you didn't race with Doner, you didn't race. It's just that simple."

Veteran Top Fuel driver T.J. Zizzo is going to make his 2017 debut at the 20th annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals July 6-9 in Chicago.

“The first run will absolutely be getting my feet back wet,” Zizzo said. “I’m excited and apprehensive all at the same time. It’s our hometown track and it’s cool to race at Chicago. I’ve been helping the track promote this event for the past several months, which has been great. I do things here and there for them, like go to downtown Joliet, talk with the mayor, appear on the radio in Joliet and in Chicago. All that kind of stuff, which has been cool.”

Melling Performance, a longtime associate sponsor of Elite Motorsports and two-time Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders, will become title sponsor of the 22-time national event winner for five national events, beginning with next weekend's 20th annual Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Chicago and continuing through the 63rd annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indy.
 
"Everyone at Melling Performance is excited about our association with Erica and Elite Motorsports," Melling Performance CEO Mark Melling said. "After being at the races, I thought it would be great to see the Melling Performance Decal on the doors of Erica's RED #9 racecar. It reminds me of the Bill Elliott days in NASCAR.

Jim Dunn Racing will have the Hubert’s Lemonade Funny Car on display at the Menards store in the Chicago suburb of Matteson, IL (21630 South Cicero Ave., Matteson, IL 60443) this Thursday, July 6 from 4:00-6:00pm.

Race fans attending the store display will be treated to an autograph session with driver, Jim Campbell, and a sampling of Hubert’s Lemonade flavors that are retailed in all Menards stores.  

NHRA officials announced that the final rounds from the NHRA JEGS Allstars competition are scheduled to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 on Saturday, July 8, during the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series professional qualifying show  from the Fallen Patriots Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by K&N, which airs from 5-7 p.m. ET.  Complete coverage of the JEGS Allstars specialty event will be shown duLucas Oil Drag Racing Series coverage of the event on Fox Sports 2 on Thursday, July 20, from 8-9 p.m. ET.

The JEGS Allstar competition features the best NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series racers from across the county in head to head 8-car eliminators highlighted by the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes.   In addition to individual titles, competitors are also racing for the coveted Division and Regional Team Championships.  Other categories include Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street along with Top Sportsman and Top Dragster presented by Racing RV’s.

Jason Hamstra earned the Mid-West Pro Mod Series victory Saturday at Gateway Motorsports Park when top qualifier Keith Haney was unable to stage his car due to a transmission issue. The win capped off an incredible two days of racing at the second running of the Premier Street Car Association’s Heads Up Hootenanny.
 
The event, postponed from its original date in April due to rain, featured five heads-up classes fielded by PSCA along with the JEGS Super Quick Series and the track’s Gateway Bracket Series, providing a preview for next month’s Street Car Super Nationals: Anarchy at the Arch IV.

Terry Chandler's commitment to helping others has left an indelible mark on the National Hot Rod Association and Don Schumacher Racing, and her memorable presence at racetracks and with her Make-A-Wish families and the Infinite Hero Foundation will continue to live on in the hearts of thousands.
 
Sadly, Terry lost her valiant fight with brain cancer on Tuesday afternoon. She was 65 when she died in Florida with family and loved ones at her side.