Austin Prock is driving the only Funny Car out of John Force Racing. But that’s not the most significant challenge he faces in this weekend’s NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways outside Seattle, WA.

Prock enters the first of the two-race Western Swing with a chance to join Ron Capps and Del Worsham in the history books as the only drivers to win the historic event in both a Top Fuel dragster and a Funny Car. 

But the milestone is not foremost on his mind; he’s honoring those who helped him get there. In 2019, Prock’s dragster was sponsored by Rocky Mountain Twist, one of several companies owned by the late Frank Tiegs and his family. In fact, another Tiegs company, Flav-R-Pac frozen vegetables, returns this week as a sponsor of Brittany Force’s national record-holding dragster.

“I’m excited to be back at the track after a few weeks off and (excited to) see what this Cornwell tools team can do,” Prock said.  “I love racing in Seattle. It’s got a special place in our hearts, for sure. We’ll be racing in Frank Tiegs’ memory. He was a great friend and partner of ours (and) I’m looking forward to spending time with his family and friends.” 

Prock broke through with his Seattle Top Fuel win in 2019 and, in an ironic twist, shared the winner’s circle with John Force, his boss, and teammate, who is on the sidelines recovering from a Traumatic Brain Injury [TBI] suffered in a June crash during the NHRA Virginia Nationals. 

The 28-year-old Prock, who began his racing career with success in midgets and sprint cars on dirt and pavement oval tracks, hopes to score a win for his place in history and as a get-well inspiration for Force. 

“The Funny Car is such a challenge to drive,” he said.  “You have the same amount of horsepower (as a dragster), but you’re missing 175 inches of wheelbase. I loved driving the Top Fuel car, but Funny Car is where I belong. I have always dreamed of driving one like my grandpa (Tom Prock, a Funny Car contemporary of Don “the Snake” Prudhomme and Tom McEwen), and I am having an absolute blast.

“I’m loving every second of it,” he said. “I love the challenge. I love sitting behind the engine. I love the body dropping (down over me), and, to top it off, I’m doing all of it with my family (dad Jimmy is crew chief on the Cornwell Camaro along with brother Thomas).”

Those close to the situation speculate that Prock will be the lone Funny Car out of John Force Racing until at least Brainerd, Minn. NHRA rules allow for a substitute driver for at least eight races in the season. Force, who was second in the championship points when he crashed, could earn points through a substitute driver for the last two events of the regular season and throughout the Countdown. 

If this scenario transpires, this driver and the Funny Car field will be chasing Prock, who has been dominant in his rookie season. Prock is currently driving for multi-time Funny Car champion Robert Hight, who is out this season with a non-disclosed medical issue. 

The points leader, Prock, has been the quickest qualifier at seven of the season’s first ten races and has the quickest 1,000-foot time over the last seven years (3.820 seconds this year at Gainesville, Fla.).