Austin Prock lived out a lifelong aspiration during his dominant, championship-winning NHRA Funny Car campaign.
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.
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 seconds – 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.”
Prock grabbed everyone’s attention immediately in Gainesville, qualifying No. 1 with a stout 3.820 and advancing to the final round. It was his first of 15 No. 1 qualifier efforts during the 20-race campaign.
“I’ve been working toward 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 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.
Sixteen-time champion and team owner John Force, who was injured in a crash at Virginia Motorsports Park, wound up second in the standings despite missing the final 11 races. Jack Beckman took his place and won twice down the stretch keeping the car in the hunt.
Despite a winless season, four-time champion Ron Capps wound up third in the standings.
The Points
- Austin Prock 2,817
- John Force 2,651
- Ron Capps 2,529
- Matt Hagan 2,519
- Bob Tasca III 2,435
- Blake Alexander 2,394
- Daniel Wilkerson 2,369
- J.R. Todd 2,336
- Chad Green 2,300
- Cruz Pedregon 2,262
Winners
Austin Prock 8
Matt Hagan 3
Bob Tasca III 3
Jack Beckman 2
John Force 2
Blake Alexander 1
J.R. Todd 1
