Drag racing Hall of Famer John Force may contend for another Funny Car title, even though he won’t drive the rest of the season as he recovers from a traumatic brain injury after a crash in Virginia last month.

John Force Racing president Robert Hight announced Funny Car champion Jack Beckman will drive for Force, the 16-time Funny Car champion, the rest of the season.

NHRA rules allow teams a substitute driver who can gain points for the original driver for a maximum of eight events.

Force was second in points behind teammate Austin Prock when he was injured in Virginia on June 23 after his engine exploded and he crashed into the walls. Force has not raced since then and sits sixth in the standings with Prock on top.

Force spent about two weeks in a Virginia hospital before being moved to a facility in Arizona. Force’s family has said he’s receiving outpatient care at his home in California.

Beckman’s first points race for Force will come at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., on Aug. 16.

Beckman, 58, last raced in the NHRA four years ago and is ready to help Force close in on another title.

“I know how fortunate I am to have been picked to fill in for John, and I should be easy to spot in the pits. I’ll be the guy who can’t stop smiling,” Beckman said in a statement.

Cavaliers secure Allen for 3 years, $91 million

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen agreed to a three-year, $91 million contract extension with Cleveland, multiple sources reported.

Allen, who has become indispensable for the Cavaliers as well as one of the Eastern Conference’s top big men, will be guaranteed $131 million over the next five seasons, reports said.

Bills, Vikings try to shore up secondaries

The Buffalo Bills shored up an injury-depleted position by signing safety Terrell Burgess to a one-year contract.

Burgess, 25, has four seasons of NFL experience after spending last year appearing in 12 games, including one start, with the Washington Commanders.

His signing comes a day after rookie safety Cole Bishop sustained an undisclosed injury and did not return to practice.

Burgess’ signing marked the second straight day Buffalo had added a safety. Kareem Jackson, a 14-year veteran, joined the Bills on Tuesday in a move that followed the team announcing safety Mike Edwards will miss several weeks with a right hamstring injury.

• The Minnesota Vikings signed eight-year veteran cornerback Fabian Moreau, the fourth defensive back they’ve added since the beginning of training camp as they try to address gaps in depth and experience.

Moreau, who was a primary starter for Denver last season with 46 tackles, one interception and seven passes defensed, will join his fifth team in five years. He played for the New York Giants in 2022, Atlanta in 2021 and Washington from 2017-20. Moreau was a third-round draft pick out of UCLA in 2017. The native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has started 56 of 106 career games with 298 tackles, 7 interceptions and 42 passes defensed.

The Vikings have signed safety Bobby McCain and cornerbacks Jacobi Francis and Duke Shelley since players reported to camp. Moreau, McCain, Francis and Shelley have a combined 25 years of NFL experience.

Kuznetsov signs 4-year deal with Russian team

Former Carolina Hurricanes center Evgeny Kuznetsov will return to Russia to continue his career, signing a four-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg, the Kontinental Hockey League announced.

Kuznetsov’s contract with the Hurricanes was terminated two weeks ago by mutual agreement after he cleared unconditional waivers. Kuznetsov walked away from the $6 million salary owed to him in the final season of his $64.2 million, seven-year deal signed in 2017. Terms of his contract in the KHL were not announced.

Carolina acquired Kuznetsov from Washington before the trade deadline in March. Kuznetsov was the leading scorer and Conn Smythe runner-up on the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup run but has been up and down since. He had 13 points in 30 games in a limited role with the Hurricanes as they reached the second round of the playoffs.

The NHL in September 2019 suspended Kuznetsov three games without pay for “inappropriate conduct,” less than a month after he was banned from playing for Russia for four years because of a positive test for cocaine.

Kuznetsov more recently entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February. Upon him being cleared by program administrators to practice, the Capitals put him on waivers.

Judge denies UFC deal with ex-fighters

A Nevada district judge denied a $335 million settlement in two UFC antitrust lawsuits brought by former fighters, potentially sending both sides back to the negotiating table.

Judge Richard Boulware set Aug. 19 for a status update for both cases with a tentative trial date on Oct. 28. A firm trial date will be scheduled at the conference.

Boulware did not explain his decision.

The two class-action lawsuits by former UFC fighters were led by Cung Le, filed in 2014, and Kajan Johnson, filed in 2021. They alleged the UFC attempted to act as a monopoly and thus limited the fighters’ ability to maximize their earnings.