It is hard to put a price on good advice.

Thrust into the spotlight as a rookie for John Force Racing in the Funny Car class this season, Austin Prock has managed to stay composed despite the immense pressure of representing NHRA’s most successful team, especially following the unexpected absence of its two star drivers.

While many might crumble under such intense pressure, Prock has maintained his poise, largely thanks to the invaluable counsel from a veteran JFR team member. Lanny Miglizzi, a longtime track specialist for John Force Racing, advised him, “No emotions. Just focus on your job, and that’s when you’ll perform your best.”

Austin Prock has done everything else in his not-so-rookie-like season, he might as well add an NHRA U.S. Nationals No. 1 qualifier to the resume. However, he's got to hold on to that top spot through two sessions on Sunday.

Prock recorded a weekend-best time of 3.855 seconds at 328.38 mph to swipe away the top spot from Friday's leader Blake Alexander. 

Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and John Hall (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also secured provisional No. 1 positions. The U.S. Nationals is the 14th event of 20 in the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Justin Ashley secured his fourth victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge by defeating Ida Zetterstrom in the Top Fuel final at the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park during the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals. J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock), and John Hall (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also claimed victory in their respective categories in the final Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge of the season.

Ashley needed only a 4.085 second elapsed time at 260.01 mph to win his tenth career Mission #2Fast2Tasty crown which resulted in his second consecutive overall season title in the bonus race.

“We feel good. We take the Mission Foods Challenge very seriously,” Ashley said. “It's important for a number of reasons. Obviously, we want to run well because it's a part of qualifying and help position ourselves well for raceday, but it's also points that are going to be added on before the Countdown starts, which is super important to us.

As the old Vince Lombardi quote goes, “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.”

Brittany Force embodies that spirit perfectly.

After a challenging summer that put both Force and her two-time championship-winning Top Fuel team to the ultimate test, she proved once again why she’s not one to back down.

With the momentum from his Brainerd victory two weeks ago still fresh, Blake Alexander once again found himself in an enviable position at the head of the field Friday at the most prestigious event in drag racing.

After briefly topping the qualifying sheets and going on to win the race in Brainerd, Alexander entered this weekend’s Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway riding high. On Friday, he harnessed that energy and secured his second consecutive provisional top qualifier award as he continues to pursue his first pole position in the sport.

There's Deja Vu, and then there's what Joe Comella keeps doing at the Sox & Martin Hemi Challenge. However, it seems like Comella has his version of the movie Groundhog Day. 

New sponsor, new enthusiasm... same old Comella domination from start to finish in the rebranded Sox & Martin Hemi Challenge during the 70th anniversary NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. 

Comella stopped Hemi veteran Bucky Hess in the final round, 8.396-to-8.411, to score his fourth consecutive Sox & Martin Hemi Challenge.

Under the threatening skies of Indianapolis, the second annual RoofTec Comp Cash Clash played out historically. For the first time in Competition Eliminator history, an all-female final round battled for the richest purse ($90,000) ever presented for the division at the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Second-gen Comp racer Cali Neff drove her J/Dragster Automatic entry to victory over teammate Kayla Mozeris. The drivers left with nearly identical reaction times, but Neff stretched it out at the finish line, running -.566 under with a 7.654 elapsed time to score her first career win in the race-within-a-race on Friday evening. Mozeris made a race of it to the stripe with a -.531, 7,499.

Under the threat of bad weather on the horizon of Indianapolis Raceway Park the NHRA and its racers were able to get in Friday’s single session. The lightning flashed in the distance as Brittany Force scored the No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel. Blake Alexander (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock)and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

Force is in the midst of her championship survival during the final race of the regular season. She sits tenth in the standings, uncharacteristic of the two-time series championship.

However, what is on par is her 3.740-second elapsed time at 334.32 mph to kick off the race weekend. If it holds, the two-time world champion would pick up her second No. 1 this season and the 48th in her career. More importantly, Force must stay in the top 10 to secure a spot in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. A win at the world’s biggest drag race would clinch that for Force, after her first win since her 2022 championship season.