Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Steve Torrence powered his Top Fuel dragster to his fifth victory of the season last Sunday at the 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N Filters at Route 66 Raceway. |
Torrence, Capps, Skillman and Tonglet Secure Wallys at Route 66 Raceway
Steve Torrence powered his Top Fuel dragster to his fifth victory of the season last 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. Top Fuel points leader Torrence secured the win with a run of 3.779 seconds at 326.08 mph in his Capco Contractors dragster to take down Antron Brown after he ran a 3.786 at 326.71 in his Matco Tools dragster in the final round. Torrence notched his 13th career victory and his third in the past four events. Leah Pritchett narrowly remains in second after a quarterfinal appearance and teammate Brown trails by just two points for the second spot in the standings.
Points leader Capps locked down his sixth victory of the season after a 4.026 at 319.67 in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T to defeat teammate Tommy Johnson Jr., who ran a 4.047 at 319.90 in his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T in the final round. Capps has now reached three final rounds in the past four races, earning two victories in that span. Capps holds a 200-point lead over second-place Matt Hagan, who fell in the semifinals. Jack Beckman sits in third place after making a quarterfinal appearance.
In Pro Stock, Skillman notched his first victory of the season after driving to a 6.627 at 209.23 in his Ray Skillman Chevy Camaro to defeat Erica Enders, who ran a 6.655 at 207.37 in her Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro in the final. Bo Butner remains in the top spot of the Pro Stock standings after the semifinal appearance, while Anderson and T. Gray round out the top three. Skillman’s victory put him in eighth in the standings, while Enders now sits at sixth after her second runner-up of the season.
Points leader Tonglet secured his fourth Pro Stock Motorcycle victory in six events with a 6.835 at 195.99 on his Nitro Fish Racing Suzuki to defeat Hector Arana Jr., who ran a 6.878 at 193.29 on his Lucas Oil Buell in the finals. Eddie Krawiec remains in second following the semifinal appearance. Arana Jr. moves up to third with the runner-up, surpassing Scotty Pollacheck, who fell to fourth. The 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season continues with the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, July 21–23.
 The 2017 Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Class includes Dave Ekins, Cliff Flannery, Bob Gordon and Bill Savage. |
Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2017
The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) has announced the class of 2017. For the first time in ORMHOF’s 40-year history, two new inductees will join family members who have already been inducted. The class of 2017 includes motorcycle racing pioneer Dave Ekins, who will join his brother Bud Ekins in the Hall of Fame. Crandon International Off-Road Raceway founder Cliff Flannery will also be inducted this year, joining his brother Jack Flannery in the Hall of Fame. Also being honored with membership in the Hall of Fame this year are desert-racing legend Bob Gordon and off-road innovator Bill Savage. This year’s inductees were chosen from a record number of nominations. An independent panel of 20 well-respected individuals from the off-road community reviewed the nomination packets and then cast their votes, independent from the other members of the committee. The class of 2017 represents the nominees who received votes from at least two-thirds of the committee members. Ekins, Flannery, Gordon and Savage bring the number of inductees in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame to 87. They will be inducted at the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame 2017 Induction & Awards Ceremony, presented by SCORE International, October 30, at the South Point in Las Vegas. Tickets are available through the Hall of Fame website at www.ormhof.org.