The improbable mission is complete.
Austin Prock, who wasn’t even scheduled to drive a Funny Car for John Force Racing in 2024, is now the NHRA champion in the class.
That fact became a reality when Prock made one qualifying pass Saturday. That put him out of anyone’s reach heading into the eliminations of Sunday’s In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals.
Well, for good measure, Prock grabbed the No. 1 qualifying spot with a 3.804-second elapsed time – the fourth-quickest Funny Car run in NHRA history – at 334.57 mph.
This was his NHRA single-season Funny Car record 15th No. 1 qualifier. He also has a class-best eight victories.
“Yeah, it’s incredible. I’ve been working towards this for 19 years,” Prock said. “I started driving race cars when I was 10 years old, and all I’ve ever wanted to do since I could think is be a professional race car driver in any manner and win the world championship, win the title, and we got it done this year. I got to do it with my family.
“My dad turned the knobs with my brother (Thomas) as the assistant crew chief in this. Nate Hildahl and this whole Cornwell Tools Team and AAA Auto Club Team as well this weekend, really proud of that. I mean, to run the fourth-quickest ET in the history of NHRA in the Funny Car category, to top it off Saturday night and get up on the stage and get rewarded that trophy.”
This is John Force Racing’s 21st Funny Car title and its 23rd overall. John has won an NHRA-record 16 Funny Car world championships (1990-91, 1993-2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013), while JFR’s Robert Hight (2009, ’17 and ’19) and Tony Pedregon (2003) also won Funny Car world titles.
Prock will face No. 16-qualifier Jason Rupert in the first round Sunday.
“The main job is finished finally, but we want nine wins before we end this 2024 season. We definitely got the hot rod to do it right now,” Prock said. “This thing’s been on kill this weekend. And, in the last few years, this race car hasn’t performed all that well here in Pomona, but all the stars are aligning right now, and we made three really, really quick runs, really fast runs, and I’m doing a good job keeping it in the middle of the groove here.
“This place ain’t easy to drive in. Before Q1 (Saturday), I’d never been to the finish line in a Funny Car here. We stunk it up in the spring here, so I was nervous coming into this weekend, but everything’s just working right and everything’s (coming together) just like it has all year. So, I’m looking forward to (Sunday). Going to do a little bit of celebrating tonight, but we’ll all be ready to go in the morning and try and go for that (ninth win).”
Prock has advanced to 11 final rounds in 19 races before this weekend. And he wants to end his magical season on the highest note possible by winning the finale.
“I think it was important for all of us. We’re all so competitive,” Prock said. “Coming in here, I said at the beginning of the year, I said, ‘If we got it locked up before Pomona’s over, I wanted to do dry hoppies.’ And we finally got to that point and then when we got here, I’m like, ‘I’m not wasting a run.’ We want to run low ET. We want to go for another No. 1 qualifier. We want to win another race.
“All jokes aside, we’re rolling into this weekend just like any other, and we want to leave here with some more gold. So that’s the main focus. We want to get this red, white, and blue AAA Auto Club car in the winner’s circle. It’s been a long time since it’s been there, and to double up here in Pomona would be really special.”
Instead of the exclamation mark kind of run, Prock had considered putting on a show and even considered a dry hope. Although he’s never done one in real life, Prock isn’t worried if he does try one.
“It can’t be that hard. I didn’t practice driving a Funny Car and that went all right,” Prock said.
Before this season, Prock – from 2019-2023 – drove a Top Fuel dragster for JFR – finishing a career-best third in the points standings in 2022. He collected four national-event wins and three No. 1 qualifiers.
Then, in 2024, he was thrust into the driver’s seat of JFR Funny Car when three-time world champion driver Robert Hight was sidelined with a medical condition.
“I loved running the Top Fuel car,” Prock said, “but Funny Car is where I belong. I always dreamed of driving one like my grandpa and I’m loving every second of it. I love the challenge of these cars. I love sitting behind the engine. I love the body dropping. And to top it off, I’m doing it with my family.”
Austin’s grandfather Tom Prock was a standout during the NHRA of the 1970s and early 1980s.
Now, Austin is the best Funny Car driver in the world. It has been a season for the ages for him and one he will never forget.
