Austin Prock Claims Historic First Funny Car Championship in Dominant Pomona Run

Austin Prock Claims Historic First Funny Car Championship in Dominant Pomona Run

By Michael Anderson

November 23, 2024 at 08:46 AM

Austin Prock secured his first NHRA Funny Car world championship at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, dominating qualifying with a track-record run of 3.804s at 334.57mph - the fourth quickest in class history.

Racing driver celebrating with trophy

Racing driver celebrating with trophy

In his debut Funny Car season, Prock has achieved remarkable success:

  • 8 race wins (with potential for a 9th)
  • 15 No. 1 qualifiers (single-season record)
  • Second-best reaction time average in class
  • 80% completion rate for powered runs
  • First U.S. Nationals victory

Previously a Top Fuel driver with four wins and Rookie of the Year honors in 2019, Prock joined John Force Racing after Robert Hight's medical absence. Working alongside his father Jimmy Prock and brother Thomas, he quickly proved his worth with a runner-up finish in Gainesville and his first Funny Car victory in Phoenix.

Prock's championship season included:

  • Regular season wins in Bristol, Richmond, and Seattle
  • Playoff victories in Reading, Charlotte, and Las Vegas
  • 14 consecutive round wins during peak performance
  • Strong performance in Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge

"I've been working towards this for 19 years," Prock said. "I started driving race cars when I was 10 years old and all I could think of was being a professional race car driver and winning the world championship."

If Prock secures his ninth win at the Finals, he'll join an elite group of drivers who've achieved that feat - the last being John Force in 2000 with 11 victories.

Eliminations for the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals commence at 11am PT on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

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