Photography: John Force Racing / Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery
POMONA, Calif., March 29, 2025 – Despite frustrating losses in the first round of Saturday’s Mission Foods 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge, two-time Top Fuel World Champion Brittany Force and reigning Funny Car World Champ Austin Prock will start Sunday’s 65th annual Lucas Oil Winternationals from the No. 1 qualifying position in their respective categories.
Force put her Monster Energy Dragster on the drag racing equivalent of the pole for the seventh time in her last nine appearances at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip and for the fifth time in the last six years at the Winternationals with a best of 3.646 seconds at 334.82 miles per hour.
Pursuing her first victory in the Winternationals, an event in which she made her pro debut in 2013, the 38-year-old daughter of Hall of Fame driver and team owner John Force will oppose No. 14 qualifier Steve Chrisman in round one with the winner getting a bye into the semifinals.
“We’ve had some really strong performance,” Force said. “We earned a No. 1 qualifier, we went 3.64 twice (on Friday), and today we went 3.69 at 338 miles-an-hour (just a tick off her track and NHRA national record of 338.94 mph).
“I love this place,” said the 17-time tour winner. “It’s just home for me. I grew up out here at this racetrack and in these stands. You just have that good feeling coming out here and we want to do well. My whole family’s out here, I’ve had all my friends this weekend, popping in and out, and it’s just our home racetrack, so we want to finish strong.”
It will be Brittany’s 53rd No. 1 start, her 43rd since David Grubnic came on board as crew chief in 2019. Notably, this will be the seventh time in her last nine appearances that the second youngest of Force’s racing daughters has started from the No. 1 position at the iconic Los Angeles County Fairgrounds track she calls home and the fifth time she’s done so in the last six years at the Winternationals.
Meanwhile, after losing to teammate Jack Beckman in the 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge he dominated a year ago, Prock took his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS to the top of the Funny Car ladder on his final qualifying attempt with a jaw-dropping 3.816 seconds at 338.26 mph, the best numbers in event history and just a tick or two off the track records he set in last November’s In-N-Out Finals (3.804 and 341.68 mph).
“Our race car hasn’t run bad all year long,” said the man who last year qualified No. 1 at 15 of 20 events en route to the championship. “It’s just things haven’t been really going our way like they did last year. We’ve been trying to (run those numbers) all weekend long and just been tickling the thing. I’m really proud of how diligent everybody’s been working and making progress each run and just getting it from A to B.
“The boys were high-fiving before we even got in the water box (on Saturday’s final run), like they knew, it was either going to be hero or zero, and we ended up on the good end of it,” said the eight-time Funny Car winner. “I’m really proud of John Force Racing and John Force is so proud right now of the whole team.”
It’s the 17th time JFR drivers have qualified No.1 in both categories. The last time was last October when Brittany and Prock set the pace at the Texas Fall Nationals in Dallas.
As for Beckman, he won the 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge in his very first appearance, beating Paul Lee for the cash and bonus points with a time of 3.831 seconds at 330.72 mph. That was good enough to secure the No. 4 qualifying position and a first-round match with Funny Car rookie Spencer Hyde.
Looking to extend his winning streak (he’s won his last three starts at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip), the 58-year-old former World Champion in both Super Comp (2003) and Funny Car (2012) once again earned qualifying bonus points in every session, as he did in the two previous races at Gainesville, Fla., and Phoenix.
“These conditions are A-plus-plus, as good as it gets out there,” said the cancer survivor and U.S. Air Force veteran. “The issue when the track gets this good is the crew chiefs don’t have much data. We know what to do when the track gets good, but when the track gets great, you can count on one hand, typically, the number of runs a year you get when the track is phenomenal. In all likelihood, all the runs tomorrow are going to be in those type of conditions.”
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POMONA, Calif., March 29, 2025 – Despite frustrating losses in the first round of Saturday’s Mission Foods 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge, two-time Top Fuel World Champion Brittany Force and reigning Funny Car World Champ Austin Prock will start Sunday’s 65th annual Lucas Oil Winternationals from the No. 1 qualifying position in their respective categories.
Force put her Monster Energy Dragster on the drag racing equivalent of the pole for the seventh time in her last nine appearances at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip and for the fifth time in the last six years at the Winternationals with a best of 3.646 seconds at 334.82 miles per hour.
Pursuing her first victory in the Winternationals, an event in which she made her pro debut in 2013, the 38-year-old daughter of Hall of Fame driver and team owner John Force will oppose No. 14 qualifier Steve Chrisman in round one with the winner getting a bye into the semifinals.
“We’ve had some really strong performance,” Force said. “We earned a No. 1 qualifier, we went 3.64 twice (on Friday), and today we went 3.69 at 338 miles-an-hour (just a tick off her track and NHRA national record of 338.94 mph).
“I love this place,” said the 17-time tour winner. “It’s just home for me. I grew up out here at this racetrack and in these stands. You just have that good feeling coming out here and we want to do well. My whole family’s out here, I’ve had all my friends this weekend, popping in and out, and it’s just our home racetrack, so we want to finish strong.”
It will be Brittany’s 53rd No. 1 start, her 43rd since David Grubnic came on board as crew chief in 2019. Notably, this will be the seventh time in her last nine appearances that the second youngest of Force’s racing daughters has started from the No. 1 position at the iconic Los Angeles County Fairgrounds track she calls home and the fifth time she’s done so in the last six years at the Winternationals.
Meanwhile, after losing to teammate Jack Beckman in the 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge he dominated a year ago, Prock took his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS to the top of the Funny Car ladder on his final qualifying attempt with a jaw-dropping 3.816 seconds at 338.26 mph, the best numbers in event history and just a tick or two off the track records he set in last November’s In-N-Out Finals (3.804 and 341.68 mph).
“Our race car hasn’t run bad all year long,” said the man who last year qualified No. 1 at 15 of 20 events en route to the championship. “It’s just things haven’t been really going our way like they did last year. We’ve been trying to (run those numbers) all weekend long and just been tickling the thing. I’m really proud of how diligent everybody’s been working and making progress each run and just getting it from A to B.
“The boys were high-fiving before we even got in the water box (on Saturday’s final run), like they knew, it was either going to be hero or zero, and we ended up on the good end of it,” said the eight-time Funny Car winner. “I’m really proud of John Force Racing and John Force is so proud right now of the whole team.”
It’s the 17th time JFR drivers have qualified No.1 in both categories. The last time was last October when Brittany and Prock set the pace at the Texas Fall Nationals in Dallas.
As for Beckman, he won the 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge in his very first appearance, beating Paul Lee for the cash and bonus points with a time of 3.831 seconds at 330.72 mph. That was good enough to secure the No. 4 qualifying position and a first-round match with Funny Car rookie Spencer Hyde.
Looking to extend his winning streak (he’s won his last three starts at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip), the 58-year-old former World Champion in both Super Comp (2003) and Funny Car (2012) once again earned qualifying bonus points in every session, as he did in the two previous races at Gainesville, Fla., and Phoenix.
“These conditions are A-plus-plus, as good as it gets out there,” said the cancer survivor and U.S. Air Force veteran. “The issue when the track gets this good is the crew chiefs don’t have much data. We know what to do when the track gets good, but when the track gets great, you can count on one hand, typically, the number of runs a year you get when the track is phenomenal. In all likelihood, all the runs tomorrow are going to be in those type of conditions.”
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