Austin Prock continued his march toward a second consecutive Funny Car championship Sunday, claiming his ninth win of the season at the Texas NHRA FallNationals. The John Force Racing driver outran Ron Capps in the final at Texas Motorplex, using a 3.959-second, 328.30 mph run to pad his points lead with only two events remaining.
Doug Kalitta, Dallas Glenn, and Richard Gadson also took home victories, giving each of the current points leaders a pivotal playoff triumph during the fourth race of the six-event Countdown to the Championship.
Prock, who qualified No. 1, scored round wins over Blake Alexander, Spencer Hyde, and Chad Green before putting together another dominant final pass against Capps. He entered the weekend with a 20-point margin over Matt Hagan but left Dallas with a 112-point lead, a dramatic swing that could prove impossible for his pursuers to overcome.
“We went out there and won and all of the cards fell right today, and we were able to extend our points lead,” Prock said. “You always want to extend your points lead even if it’s by one point, but we did a lot more than that. I said earlier this weekend that whoever gets the most wins in these next three races is going to be crowned the world champion, and we knocked one off.”
The Cornwell Tools Chevrolet driver added that consistency has been key, crediting his father and crew chief, Jimmy Prock. “After Q1, we were low E.T. every time we went down the track, and not just by a little bit. That’s an O.G. Jimmy Prock move right there,” he said. “I’m just really proud to drive this race car … now we need to keep turning on win lights.”
Capps reached his fifth final of the season with victories over Alex Laughlin, Cruz Pedregon, and Dan Wilkerson, moving him to third in points, 131 behind Prock. Hagan fell early, opening the door for Prock’s playoff surge.
Kalitta extended his Top Fuel dominance with a victory over Texan Steve Torrence, delivering a 3.777-second, 333.04 mph run in the final. The reigning champion and Mobil DELVAC 100th Anniversary driver has reached the final in every playoff race so far, winning the last two and stretching his points lead to 141 over Justin Ashley.
On a hot day in Ennis, Kalitta’s consistency proved crucial. He ran in the 3.70s three times, defeating Jasmine Salinas, Ida Zetterström, and teammate Shawn Langdon before facing Torrence. The win was Kalitta’s third at the Motorplex and 59th of his career.
“Alan [Johnson, crew chief] and my guys really have a handle on this thing and it’s fun to drive,” Kalitta said. “It’s really impressive with the temperature swing and to be able to run that .77 in the final. I’ve finished second six or seven times [in the championship hunt], so I’m not going to count my chickens until they’re hatched, but this is definitely where we want to be.”
Torrence reached his second final of 2025 after defeating Josh Hart, Shawn Reed, and Brittany Force. Langdon remains 159 points behind Kalitta heading into Las Vegas.
In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn kept his momentum rolling toward his first NHRA title. The RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet driver beat Aaron Stanfield in the final with a 6.605-second, 208.89 mph pass — his seventh win of the year and 20th of his career.
The victory, Glenn’s first at Texas Motorplex, widened his advantage to 60 points over KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson. Glenn advanced past Cody Coughlin, Eric Latino, and Jeg Coughlin Jr. on race day before turning back Stanfield.
“I just need to keep turning on win lights,” Glenn said. “I just need to go up there and take everything one round at a time and let the crew chiefs do their job. I feel a little more relaxed this year. If I can continue to do that and have a little luck, I think we can wrap it up.”
Stanfield reached his second final of the season with wins over Erica Enders, Matt Hartford, and Anderson. Glenn, meanwhile, has won three of four playoff events, placing himself firmly in control.
Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Richard Gadson capped the day by extending his points lead with a win over rookie Brayden Davis. Riding his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki, Gadson ran 6.796 at 200.37 mph for his fourth win of the year and first at Texas Motorplex.
Gadson qualified No. 1 and never wavered, beating Lance Bonham, Clayton Howey, and Matt Smith before sealing the deal. When Davis upset Gaige Herrera in the semifinals, Gadson capitalized, using an .011 reaction time to seize control of the championship chase.
“You watch this happen for other people and you want it for yourself, but I try to live in the moment,” Gadson said. “I try to remember: This is the stuff you watched Gaige, Andrew and Eddie do — and you’re doing it right now. I’m extremely motivated right now. I feel like I have something to prove.”
Davis earned his third final-round appearance in his debut season, taking out Ryan Oehler, John Hall, and Herrera before falling to Gadson.
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