STRONG START IN FUNNY CAR HAS AUSTIN PROCK FEELING GOOD AHEAD OF VEGAS’ NHRA 4-WIDE NATIONALS
LAS VEGAS – Less than a week after his first NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car win, Austin Prock has a chance to keep 
rolling at this weekend’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The 2019 NHRA Rookie of the Year moved to the Funny Car ranks for the first time this season for John Force Racing, joining a successful team that also includes his father, crew chief Jimmy Prock, and his brother, Thomas.
He stepped in for Robert Hight, who stepped out of the car prior to the season to deal with a medical situation, and Prock has proven to be a natural piloting the 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS.
Prock has picked up two No. 1 qualifiers in three races and grabbed his first NHRA Funny Car win on Sunday in Phoenix, becoming just the 19th driver in NHRA history to win in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Now, he’ll aim to get his first Vegas four-wide victory just days after a monumental weekend.
“I’m excited to go to Vegas,” said Prock, who won the Charlotte four-wide race last year in Top Fuel. “I always love going there and it’s a beautiful facility. I’ve always wanted to get a win there. We’ve got some good mojo, so hopefully we can take advantage. I’m looking forward to four-wide and I hope the fans are, too. Maybe we can get the job done this weekend. We’ve started the year strong, struggled a little bit (in Pomona) and had to get some revenge (last) weekend (in Phoenix). When you’re getting to race with your family, there’s never a bad day out here.”
Last year, Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) won the coveted NHRA Wally trophies and this season’s race will again be broadcasted on FS1, including eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 14. It is the fourth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and Prock is off to a great start, trailing points leader J.R. Todd by only two points heading to Las Vegas.
Things won’t get easier there in the unique and fan-favorite four-wide format, where Prock will also have to deal with the likes of team owner John Force, who won the Winternationals, defending event winner and reigning world champ Hagan, Ron Capps, Bob Tasca III and Alexis DeJoria, but Prock is enjoying every part of this journey. Funny Car represents a huge challenge and Prock has embraced that, especially working hand-in-hand with his family.
“I’ve wanted to race with my dad and brother my whole life and I’m getting to do that, and we sure are having a lot of fun as a family,” Prock said. “I’m getting more comfortable every lap, but every time you think you’re comfortable, this thing does something crazy to you. Every time you think you have a handle on it, you don’t and that’s what makes this category so tough. You’ve got to drive off your gut and instinct. Your car is talking to you the whole time you’re on the gas. These cars are no joke and these are the hardest cars I’ve ever driven.”
This weekend’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals also marks the first four-wide event for the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. The bonus race debuted last year and takes place on Saturday, putting a bonus purse and championship points on the line. For the four-wide race, two quads will face off during the third round of qualifying on Saturday. The top four advance to the final quad to close out qualifying, with the winner getting a chance to double-up in Vegas.
In the Funny Car Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, one quad includes Prock, Wilkerson, Force and Todd, with the other featuring DeJoria, Cruz Pedregon, Paul Lee and Blake Alexander. For Top Fuel, one quad features Tony Stewart, Billy Torrence, Doug Kalitta and Justin Ashley, while the other foursome features Steve Torrence, Shawn Reed, defending event winner Brown and Phoenix winner Shawn Langdon.
The Pro Stock matchups have J. Coughlin, Jerry Tucker, Anderson and T. Coughlin in one quad, and Enders, Aaron Stanfield, Glenn and Cuadra in the other.
Top Fuel’s Brown will try to go back-to-back in Vegas and earn his 75th career win, but he’ll have to deal with the likes of Langdon, Brittany Force, Tony Schumacher, Ashley, defending world champ Kalitta and Stewart.
Pro Stock points leader Glenn took home his second Las Vegas win last season and is rolling in 2024 thanks to his Winternationals win. He’ll look to keep up his hot streak against Phoenix winner Anderson and defending world champ Enders.
The NHRA 4-Wide Nationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, featuring some of the top racers in the country. Also on deck will be Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown and the 2024 debut of the new Holley EFI Factory X category, while a special jet car exhibition featuring the “Muy Caliente” and the “Iceman” jet dragsters will follow the conclusion of nitro qualifying each day as well.
Fans will also be invited all weekend long to the Nitro Alley Stage, which will help create a festive atmosphere leading into the nitro pits. The Nitro Alley Stage will be the main entertainment hub in the pits when the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitors are not on the track, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more. Race fans in Vegas can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk.
As always, fans also get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Las Vegas. This opportunity gives fans a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. Fans can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. PT on Friday, April 12, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 13 at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Eliminations will begin at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 14. Television coverage includes qualifying action at 11:00 p.m. ET on both Friday and Saturday on Fox Sports 1 (FS1), leading into eliminations coverage at 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at FS1.
To purchase tickets to the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. For more information on NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.
photo courtesy of NHRA
