Prock’s record-breaking season, including monumental 341.68 mph blast, 8 wins and 15 No. 1 qualifiers, leads to first world title
By: NHRA
INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 26, 2024) – Making a dream a reality is never easy, but surrounded by family and a standout team, Funny Car’s Austin Prock lived out a lifelong aspiration during his dominant, championship-winning 2024 season in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
Prock left no doubt, turning in one of the most incredible seasons in recent Funny Car history, blistering track records, setting national marks and making the fastest run in NHRA history in the process.
It was everything Prock dreamed of – and much, much more – when he made his Funny Car debut this season. Filling in for John Force Racing President Robert Hight, a three-time world champion, Prock had big shoes to fill, but it’s an opportunity he relished. Prock raced alongside star crew chief and his father, Jimmy Prock, and his brother, Thomas, fulfilling a dream that only seemed to get better as the season went on.
Prock won eight races, tying him with Hight and Ron Capps for the most in a single season in Funny Car since 2000, with his playoff victory in Las Vegas putting him in position to clinch the world title during qualifying in Pomona. The 2019 Rookie of the Year did that and then went 3.804-seonds – the quickest run in Funny Car since 2017 and the fourth-quickest in history – to close out qualifying and his championship season with an emphatic exclamation point in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS.
“If you have a dream, go for it,” Prock said. “If you’re passionate about something, go after it. You’re not going to be the best if you don’t put in the most work and the most effort, and all I’ve ever cared about is driving a race car. We’ve always been passionate about it and we’ve always been surrounded by great people.
“I didn’t feel much pressure at all, all season long. I was nervous getting into a totally different car, but this is what I’ve dreamed of. I just tried to block everything out and focus on what I needed to do. I study my craft every day and see things I can do better. I know I can drive a race car, it was just a matter of if I could do it at a championship level. I was not going to be a weak link. I told myself I was going to work hard and get the job done, and we did it.”
Prock grabbed everyone’s attention immediately in Gainesville, qualifying No. 1 with a stout 3.820 and advancing to the final round. His first career Funny Car victory came two races later in Phoenix, following it with a runner-up to his boss, John Force, in Epping and a victory in Bristol.
The following race was an emotional one, but Prock won in Richmond following Force’s devastating crash in eliminations. He added another victory in Seattle and then closed out the regular season in style, picking up his first career U.S. Nationals victory. In that span, Prock was building something special in qualifying, too, putting him close to a record Force set nearly 30 years ago.
Force took 13 No. 1 qualifiers that year, but Prock sped past that, tying the mark in Dallas with a 3.813 and then setting the single-second Funny Car (and nitro) record for top qualifiers in a season with a 3.817 in Las Vegas. He added one more for good measure thanks to his 3.804 in Pomona, giving him 15 No. 1 qualifiers in 20 races.
The championship was always the main goal and Prock left no doubt there, either. He won the first two playoff rounds and put together 14 straight round wins at one point from Indy through St. Louis. The championship was practically sewn up in Vegas and by Saturday night in Pomona, Prock was able to exhale with the trophy in his hands.
“You always come into a race season wanting to do well and everyone on this team just did an outstanding job,” Prock said. “We all kept our heads down through the good moments, the bad moments and that’s what it takes to be a champion. This year has just been filled with so much emotion.
“I’ve been working towards this for 19 years. I started driving race cars when I was 10 years old and all I could think of was being a professional race car driver in any manner and winning the world championship, and we got it done this year. I got to do it with my family, with my dad turning the knobs with my brother. I’m really proud of that.”
The numbers speak for themselves, as Prock enjoyed six of the seven quickest runs in Funny Car this season. He qualified No. 1 in five of the six Countdown races, advancing to 12 final rounds and racking up a spectacular 53-12 record in 2024. To fully finish off the season with a remarkable bow, Prock went an amazing 341.68 mph during eliminations in Pomona, making the fastest run in NHRA history. It was a lasting parting shot for the season, but if Prock has his way, it won’t be his last.
“We don’t plan on letting up anytime soon,” Prock said. “We plan on getting better in the off-season, and we want to get these Camaros quicker and faster. I’m excited for next year and it’s a heck of an opportunity. I’m proud to be part of John Force Racing and all the great partnerships we have.”
The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series begins March 6-9 with the NHRA Gatornationals at legendary Gainesville Raceway. For more information about NHRA, including the 2025 schedule, please visit www.NHRA.com.
