Austin Prock, the current NHRA Funny Car points leader, recorded the fastest Funny Car run in seven years on Friday at Texas Motorplex. Prock’s time of 3.813 seconds at 333.09 mph not only set a new track record but also secured the provisional No. 1 spot for John Force Racing at the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals.
Prock’s performance highlighted a competitive evening, as Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also claimed provisional No. 1 qualifiers. This event marks the 18th of 20 races in the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and the fourth of six in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
A “Friday Night Live” event offered over $40,000 in bonus money for top qualifiers. Low qualifiers in Top Fuel and Funny Car received $15,000 each, while $7,500 went to Pro Stock’s fastest qualifier and $5,000 to the leading Pro Stock Motorcycle racer.
Prock dominated the Funny Car category with a run that eclipsed the previous track record by a significant margin. If his time stands, it would mark his 13th No. 1 spot of the season, tying him with John Force for the most No. 1 qualifiers in a single Funny Car season.
“I was definitely jacked up for this one,” Prock said. “I knew the conditions were there, and this AAA team was going to push. I’m really proud of them. This track is really difficult to drive, especially at night, [but] I stood on the gas and felt like I was pretty centered up. I think I got a little close to the center line, but it was still a pretty great run.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to the pit, scoping it out, and seeing what I can learn from it.
“We’re always on kill, I would say, but we know we have to be at our absolute best these last three races to try to wrap this deal up. We’ve put a lot of hard work in this year, but three races, that’s a long way to go in this Countdown. We have to keep making smart decisions, play off our notebook, and try to do the best we can and see how everything plays out.”
Defending event champion Matt Hagan secured second place with a run of 3.823 seconds, while Jack Beckman, currently second in points, closely followed at 3.825 seconds.
Force’s run of 3.667 seconds at 338.19 mph in Top Fuel earned her the $15,000 bonus. This performance is the second fastest of the year in Top Fuel, positioning her for a potential fourth No. 1 qualifier of the year.
Force expressed gratitude for her team’s efforts and the momentum of the evening, and she was looking to secure her first victory since 2022.
“That was just an amazing run for our team to come out here. We’ve had a tough year, and that 3.66 and 338 mph, that’s David Grubnic and this HendrickCars.com team,” Force said. “We’ve been pushing all season long to have a run like that. Getting the check and the cowboy boots really boosts the team morale, and we’re ready to attack the rest of the weekend.
“We won’t give up until it’s done. We’ll keep on pushing. Our game plan is to win this event here. We try not to get too far ahead of ourselves, we’re focused on moving up on that ladder and getting back in that winner’s circle. It’s been far too long. When I head back to my pits right now, I know the guys are going to be pumped. We all kept pushing. It gets hard, but we continue to push to be the best that we can. To do that today, it gives us a boost. We want to keep doing that.”
Shawn Reed is second in Top Fuel after a run of 3.676 seconds, while Steve Torrence placed third at 3.721 seconds.
In Pro Stock, Anderson finished qualifying on a high note, earning the $7,500 bonus and the provisional No. 1 position with a run of 6.524 seconds at 208.99 mph. This sets him up for a potential sixth No. 1 qualifier this year and the 130th of his career.
Anderson noted the personal significance of the Texas Motorplex venue.
“I love coming here, I absolutely love it,” Anderson said. “It’s all the Meyer family. They make it special, and it matters to us. It makes you rise to the next level. We got it done by .002 and how fitting. That’s the battle we’ve been having lately, it’s who makes the sweetest, most perfect run. That was pretty mean. I knew that was the target and it was going to be close, and it certainly was. Fortunately, we were able to keep her in the center of the racetrack and got the check by .002. It all ended up great, it’s a great night in Texas.
“These bonus points mean everything. It’s going to be extremely hard to make up ground on any one of them, let alone three of the four of them. They’re not making mistakes. They’re racing error-free, they’re fast. It’s going to be very hard to make up some ground. I’m not in a great spot, but I’m not going to give up. I’m going to keep trying. Mission accomplished today, a perfect Friday.”
Erica Enders and David Cuadra take the second and third positions in Pro Stock, with times of 6.526 and 6.532 seconds, respectively.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Herrera solidified his lead with a 6.757-second run at 201.21 mph. This performance could secure him his eighth No. 1 spot of the season.
“You come here, you get a different vibe,” Herrera said. “It’s a very welcoming, ‘have fun’ vibe, and that’s what we’re doing. We’re having fun and getting to race at the same time. It’s awesome to get that bonus money on Friday night. I can’t thank the Meyer family enough for all they do for us racers at Texas Motorplex. My bike ran good coming off the trailer, so we were happy to get that and get a little extra change.
“There are a lot of fast motorcycles right now between the whole class. We just have a consistently fast motorcycle at the moment. We’re trying to get every little point that we can. It’s all about consistency right now.”
Jianna Evaristo and Angie Smith are currently second and third in Pro Stock Motorcycle, clocking 6.777 and 6.808 seconds, respectively.
Qualifying resumes at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday for the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex.
