The hysteria of the Chicago Cubs making their first World Series since 1945 is alive and well in Chicago, including at NHRA nitro Funny Car driver Bob Bode’s house in Barrington, Ill., which is 25 miles from Wrigley Field.

“We sure like watching the Cubs,” Bode said.

Alice, Bode’s wife, is a huge Cubs fan, and she will be showing her allegiance to the Cubs while her husband competes at the Toyota Nationals Oct. 27-30 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Alice, who has made a name for herself while wearing slick outfits and boots and helping back up Bob’s Funny Car after burnouts, is planning on wearing the No. 44 jersey of Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo as part of her outfit while she’s backing up Bob’s car in Vegas.

“She’s excited and I know she really wants the Cubs to win a world championship,” Bob said.

Bob said his son, Bobby, 14, also is a Cubs fan, but he doesn’t understand the agony of die-hard Cubs fans who have waited over 100 years for another world championship. The Cubs last won the World Series in 1908.

“This is probably the biggest thing that has happened in Chicago in over 30 years,” Bob said. “It reminds a lot of when the Bears made the Super Bowl in 1985. It’s incredible the number of people you see wearing Cubs jerseys and staying out and having a good time. There are people who eat, drink, and sleep Cubs baseball and this is just really great for Chicago. I remember when the Bears were playing in the Super Bowl (and beat New England) there was not a car on the streets, everybody was watching the game and I’m sure it’s going to be that way when the Cubs are playing. My brother lives in the suburbs and he said when the Cubs beat the Dodgers (in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series) everybody was shooting off fireworks.”

Games 1 and 2 of the World Series between the Cubs and Cleveland Indians are in Cleveland, Oct. 25 and Oct. 26. Games 3, 4 and 5, Oct. 28-30 are in Chicago and Games 6 (Nov. 1) and 7 (Nov. 2) return to Cleveland. Games 5, 6, and 7 are if necessary games depending if one of the teams wins the Series before then. All games are at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on FOX.

Bode did take a moment to imagine what Chicago would do if the beloved Cubs won the World Series.

“People will probably blow the roof off the city,” Bode said. “It’s such a big deal to so many people. I saw a story where a 91-year-old lifelong Cubs fan is going to go the World Series. It’s just a crazy atmosphere here.”

On the drag racing front, Bode said in addition to competing at Las Vegas he will also be competing at the season-ending NHRA Finals Nov. 11-14 in Pomona, Calif.

“Vegas has been really good to us and every once in a while the stars line up and the car does what it’s supposed to do,” Bode said. “We are working hard and things and we will see what happens.”

What’s more, Bode said he will run an eight to 10 race NHRA national event schedule in 2017. Bode’s top NHRA highlight came when he won the national event in Brainerd, Minn., in August of 2010.

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