By: NHRA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 4, 2025) – A dominant, record-setting season made for an incredible debut in the Funny Car ranks for Austin Prock, who rolled to his first career NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series world championship.
The John Force Racing team is hardly standing pat, though, even after winning eight races, qualifying No. 1 a Funny Car-record 15 times and making the fastest run in NHRA history with a blast of 341.68 mph at the finale in Pomona.
Heading into this weekend’s 56th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway to open the 2025 NHRA season, Prock and his team, led by his father, Jimmy, and brother, Thomas, are full speed ahead in trying to make their 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS even better.
“There’s always room to improve,” Prock said. “The way I’ve always looked at it, if you lose that hunger and intensity to do better, that’s your sign to hang it up. We’re always pushing to innovate and make things better and relay that to the track. Coming into the season, we’ll have a totally different package. My dad and this team have done things to try and make the car better and we’re going in the right direction.
“It’s going to be exciting to go out there and try to defend our title. We’ve got the car and the opportunity to try and go back-to-back. Hopefully we can have a hot start in Gainesville and carry that momentum throughout the year.”
In 2024, Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won the Gatornationals to open the year. It marked the first double-up victory for Kalitta Motorsports, while six-time world champ Enders won the historic race for the first time. This year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, including eliminations at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 9.
The first round of the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout, which features eight Top Fuel standouts in a one-day, big-money bonus race, takes place on Saturday at 12:15 p.m. ET and the semifinals at 2:20 p.m. The finals are slated for 3:30 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will air at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.
Prock’s NHRA Funny Car debut came last year in Gainesville and he made a strong impression, qualifying No. 1 and advancing to the final round. His first Funny Car victory came weeks later and he never looked back, putting together a spectacular season.
But after a season that included 12 final rounds, he knows everyone in the star-studded class will be attempting to take him down. That includes Jack Beckman, who is driving for John Force this year, Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, Todd and Bob Tasca III.
First up, though, Prock wants to win in Gainesville for the first time. A win at one of the biggest races on the NHRA tour would be meaningful, especially as he chases the new regular season championship.
“Since they started the Countdown (to the Championship) format, I always thought there should be a regular-season championship and a reward for running hard all year,” Prock said. “It changes the outlook for how you run and I think teams will be on kill all season long, which will create some great regular-season racing.
“Gainesville always has had a special place in my heart and it would be really cool to win here for the Prock family. My grandfather (Tom) made it to the final round in 1975 and lost to (Don) Prudhomme, so to win here would be really special.”
In Top Fuel, defending world champ Antron Brown will look for a massive weekend in Gainesville. He’s the defending Right Trailers All-Star Callout winner and will aim for a double-up weekend. It’s a loaded field that also includes Doug Kalitta, Langdon, Justin Ashley, Clay Millican, Brittany Force, Steve Torrence and Tony Stewart.
Enders, the winningest female in motorsports, earned her first Gatornationals win last season, finishing fourth in points. Taking the top spot and overall championship was Greg Anderson. With six Gainesville wins and six titles to his name, Anderson will look to take on the other stars like Dallas Glenn and Aaron Stanfield in the Pro Stock ranks.
Herrera, the reigning back-to-back champion, has been undeniably dominant in Pro Stock Motorcycle. He raced to his second straight Gatornationals win last season when he defeated six-time champion and rival Matt Smith. Others to watch include Chase Van Sant, Angie Smith, Jianna Evaristo and Richard Gadson.
The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will also see the season debut in the highly competitive Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series and the Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown class, as well as a full slate of sportsman classes in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which features some of the sport’s top drivers.
Before the race, fans will again be invited to a special “Gatornationals Kickoff Party and Fanfest” at Josh Hart’s Burnyzz Speedshop in Ocala. In what’s become an exciting pre-event tradition, the event will take place from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5. The fun-filled kickoff event will include driver appearances and autographs from 7-8 p.m. at the massive facility and much more.
Race fans at Gainesville Raceway 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, which benefits the Darrell Gwynn Foundation in Gainesville. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the event winners of the season-opener.
The Nitro Alley Stage is a huge attraction all weekend and is the main entertainment hub in the pits when the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitors are not on the track, hosting Nitro School, NHRA Insider Live, meet and greets and much more. Before the first round of eliminations on Sunday, fans can enjoy a C-17 flyover from the Mississippi Air National Guard’s 172nd Airlift Wing.
As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their cars, get autographs from their favorite drivers and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and vendors create an exciting atmosphere of interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 2 and 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 7, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 8 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 9. Gainesville Raceway will also continue to give fans a memorable experience including free general parking at the state-of-the-art facility.
To purchase tickets to the 2025 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are free in general admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. General parking is free and limited preferred parking is available for purchase. Get your tickets now for the Top Eliminator Club because these will sell out. For more info on NHRA, including the full weekend schedule in Gainesville, please visit www.NHRA.com.
