Austin Prock set a new record for the most No. 1 qualifiers in a single season, earning his 14th top spot at the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals. Prock broke John Force’s previous record while driving his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS.

Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also secured the No. 1 qualifying positions at this 19th race of the 2024 NHRA season. 

Prock clocked a run of 3.817 seconds at 327.98 mph, narrowly missing a track elapsed time record.

With seven wins this season, Prock will begin eliminations against Tim Gibbons on Sunday, holding a 148-point lead over Jack Beckman. If he finishes three rounds ahead of Beckman, Prock can clinch his first Funny Car championship.

“It’s really special for the team; my dad, Thomas, and Nate Hildahl have been doing a great job,” Prock said. “I don’t really feel it’s fair that I get all the glory. Those are the guys that made it happen. They gave me a great race car to drive all 14 of those races, and I’m really happy to get the job done for them. 
 
“We have a great car. We have one of the best cars on the property right now, and we have a potential to do really good tomorrow. The job’s not finished. We’re close, but there’s a long ways to go, so we just have to keep fighting. I’ve been driving really good this weekend, and they’ve been doing a great job tuning, so we just got to do that tomorrow.”

Beckman qualified second with a career-best time of 3.821 seconds, while Paul Lee followed in third at 3.845 seconds.

Force’s impressive run of 3.660 seconds at 334.98 mph secured her fifth top qualifying spot in Top Fuel of the season. She faces Josh Hart in the first round as she seeks her first win since 2022.

“David Grubnic, John Collins, this entire Chevrolet team, we’re very happy with our performance this weekend,” Force said. “We qualified No. 1, and three out of the four runs we got down there in the .60s, so that’s pretty outstanding. That’s what our team used to do, so we’re definitely getting back to our older team.
 
“After not getting this team to a winner’s circle, now two years, and to do it here at a racetrack where we’ve had success would be great. I have a lot of good memories here, not just wins, but No. 1 qualifiers, watching my sisters win here, my dad win here, so to get a win here, that’s what we’re chasing now. We’ve been chasing a win all season long. We have two races left our team. All we want to do is get to that winner’s circle. My dad’s here this weekend, so I know we’re all fighting for that.”

In Pro Stock, Anderson topped the field with a time of 6.596 seconds in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. He will open against Chris McGaha, who has been aiming for his first win since April.

“We made three great runs before the last one so my race car in on point,” Anderson said. “Tomorrow is going to be a hell of a battle. This late in the year the intensity is ratcheted up and by the end of the day, my season will either be alive or over. I like pressure. I live for these moments and I need four 20-point rounds tomorrow to stay in this. When I wake up, I hope I feel like an 18-year-old kid, and I hope I drive like one.
 
“It’s so much tougher to win now. There are 16 cars qualified, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see any of them win. Right now, [the competition] is the best it’s ever been, and it’s great to be a part of it.”

Gaige Herrera led the Pro Stock Motorcycle category with a run of 6.813 seconds on his Suzuki. He faces Kahea Woods in eliminations, holding a 63-point lead over Matt Smith.

“We struggled a bit yesterday with an engine malfunction in Q2, so when we came out this morning and ran 6.81, I was a little shocked,” Herrera said. “That run actually felt slow. We did score some little [qualifying] points. We gained one point on Matt, and that’s big. 
 
“We always say we don’t count points, and I try not to take it too seriously, but at the end of the day, we all want that grand prize. It’s hard to block out, but you do your best. I’ve been enjoying this year a lot more than last. I’m trying to have fun, and the championship is a bonus at the end.”

Eliminations for the event begin at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday.