INDIANAPOLIS — The NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs are set to begin this weekend at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove (Pa.) Raceway, featuring plenty of storylines in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car category.
Austin Prock leads the category with a category-high five victories.
Take a look at some of the top storylines:
IS THERE ANY SLOWING THE PROCK ROCKET?
It’s been a dominant season thus far for first-year Funny Car driver Austin Prock. Taking over for Robert Hight and driving for his dad (crew chief Jimmy Prock), Prock has been the No. 1 qualifier an incredible 10 times in 14 races, winning five events and advancing to eight finals.
He also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge seven times, giving Prock a 39-point advantage to open the playoffs. The car has been superb in all conditions and if Prock has his way, he’ll look to keep on rolling through the fall.
TASCA’S BEST SHOT
Bob Tasca III has become a legit championship contender the last three seasons and had a shot to win his first title a year ago on the final day of the season. But top to bottom, this seems to be Tasca’s best shot yet to win a title.
He enters the playoffs second in points on the strength of three wins and the car has proven itself in any type of weather condition.
WHAT VETERAN GETS HOT?
It’s difficult to imagine someone among the group of defending world champion Matt Hagan (third), J.R. Todd (fourth), Ron Capps (fifth) and Jack Beckman (driving for John Force in sixth) not going on some sort of roll in the Countdown.
With a combined nine championships between the four, the group knows how to win, and it will likely take three victories to climb all the way to the top. A surging Blake Alexander, who opens the playoffs in seventh, will also be one to watch.