Photo Courtesy: Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 16, 2024) – His World Championship dream now a reality, Austin Prock turned his attention elsewhere Saturday, driving the Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS to a track-record setting time of 3.804 seconds at 334.57 miles per hour to claim the No. 1 starting position for Sunday’s 59th In-N-Out Burger Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip.
In qualifying at the top of the Funny Car order for a record-breaking 15th time this season, the former quarter midget and sprint car driver shared the Saturday stage with John Force Racing teammate Brittany Force, who set the pace in Top Fuel by guiding her Monster Energy Chevrolet to a time of 3.643 seconds at 336.64 mph. The qualifying times for both JFR drivers were the quickest of the season in their respective categories.
Coming off a drought-ending victory two weeks ago at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Force will oppose No. 16 qualifier Krista Baldwin in Sunday’s first round with an opportunity to make it two-in-a-row and make a significant move in the final point standings. The NHRA national record holder for both time and speed, Force will start from the front for the 52nd time in her career and for the fifth time in the last seven events in the NHRA Mission Foods Series.
“After our win in Vegas, we are back in the hunt for a championship,” Force enthused after her Saturday performance. “We made up bonus points, every little bit we can get. It was unfortunate that we lost those first two qualifying runs due to rain, but everyone’s in the same boat as we are.
“Our focus right now is staring down our lane and looking at what this team needs to accomplish,” said the former Rookie-of-the-Year. “Our focus coming into the weekend was to qualify top five. We checked that off the list and qualified number one. In Q4, we ran a 3.64, quickest ET of the year.
“So, this Monster Energy, Chevrolet, Cornwell Tools, HendrickCars.com team is very proud to take that home this season (and) looking forward to tomorrow,” she said. “Our goal is to turn on four win lights. You could look at every different scenario and how this thing could play out, but that will drive you nuts. Like I said, we’re focused on what this team can do. What everyone else can do, we have no control over that. We can only control what we can do. So, we’re going to try and turn four win lights on.”
In his bid for a ninth 2024 victory, the most in a single season since boss and mentor John Force won 11 times in 2000, Prock will face Jason Rupert in the first round with a potential showdown with 2023 champion Matt Hagan looming in the semifinals.
“Well, the main job is finished,” Prock said, “but we want nine wins before we end this 2024 season. We got the hot rod to do it right now. This thing’s been on kill this weekend. In the last few years, this race car hasn’t performed all that well here in Pomona, but, you know, all we’ve got to do is get it done.
“I’m doing a good job keeping it in the middle of the groove,” said the former NHRA Rookie of the Year who won this race in a Top Fuel dragster in 2022. “This place ain’t easy to drive. Before Q1 today, I’d never been to the finish line in a Funny Car here (after struggling mightily last March in the Winternationals in which he qualified only 15th). We stunk it up in the spring here, so I was nervous coming into this weekend but, you know, everything’s just working right, and everything’s going just like it has all year.”
“Fast Jack” Beckman, driving the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Camaro in relief of Force, who was injured in a June 23rd crash in Richmond, Va., will start from the No. 3 position after racing to a time of 3.828 seconds at 334.01 mph.
“Well, this is why it’s important to run good out of the box,” Beckman said following a couple of throwaway runs on Saturday. “Takes all the stress off, right? So, we had two subpar runs on Saturday (but) we had no worries about staying in the top half of the field (after Friday’s best of the day effort).
“The problem’s going to be finding a smoking gun on (the problems we had on Saturday). Q2 was a little bit of a chin-scratcher for us,” he admitted. “I almost think it might be beneficial. Maybe Q3 will point us in the direction of a clutch disc issue. We got enough data. We got enough hands. We got enough IQ points in the crew chief lounge. This thing’s going to be at the top of its game tomorrow. We can go win the race. Opposite side of the ladder with my teammate, champion Austin Prock.”
Continue reading...
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 16, 2024) – His World Championship dream now a reality, Austin Prock turned his attention elsewhere Saturday, driving the Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS to a track-record setting time of 3.804 seconds at 334.57 miles per hour to claim the No. 1 starting position for Sunday’s 59th In-N-Out Burger Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip.
In qualifying at the top of the Funny Car order for a record-breaking 15th time this season, the former quarter midget and sprint car driver shared the Saturday stage with John Force Racing teammate Brittany Force, who set the pace in Top Fuel by guiding her Monster Energy Chevrolet to a time of 3.643 seconds at 336.64 mph. The qualifying times for both JFR drivers were the quickest of the season in their respective categories.
Coming off a drought-ending victory two weeks ago at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Force will oppose No. 16 qualifier Krista Baldwin in Sunday’s first round with an opportunity to make it two-in-a-row and make a significant move in the final point standings. The NHRA national record holder for both time and speed, Force will start from the front for the 52nd time in her career and for the fifth time in the last seven events in the NHRA Mission Foods Series.
“After our win in Vegas, we are back in the hunt for a championship,” Force enthused after her Saturday performance. “We made up bonus points, every little bit we can get. It was unfortunate that we lost those first two qualifying runs due to rain, but everyone’s in the same boat as we are.
“Our focus right now is staring down our lane and looking at what this team needs to accomplish,” said the former Rookie-of-the-Year. “Our focus coming into the weekend was to qualify top five. We checked that off the list and qualified number one. In Q4, we ran a 3.64, quickest ET of the year.
“So, this Monster Energy, Chevrolet, Cornwell Tools, HendrickCars.com team is very proud to take that home this season (and) looking forward to tomorrow,” she said. “Our goal is to turn on four win lights. You could look at every different scenario and how this thing could play out, but that will drive you nuts. Like I said, we’re focused on what this team can do. What everyone else can do, we have no control over that. We can only control what we can do. So, we’re going to try and turn four win lights on.”
In his bid for a ninth 2024 victory, the most in a single season since boss and mentor John Force won 11 times in 2000, Prock will face Jason Rupert in the first round with a potential showdown with 2023 champion Matt Hagan looming in the semifinals.
“Well, the main job is finished,” Prock said, “but we want nine wins before we end this 2024 season. We got the hot rod to do it right now. This thing’s been on kill this weekend. In the last few years, this race car hasn’t performed all that well here in Pomona, but, you know, all we’ve got to do is get it done.
“I’m doing a good job keeping it in the middle of the groove,” said the former NHRA Rookie of the Year who won this race in a Top Fuel dragster in 2022. “This place ain’t easy to drive. Before Q1 today, I’d never been to the finish line in a Funny Car here (after struggling mightily last March in the Winternationals in which he qualified only 15th). We stunk it up in the spring here, so I was nervous coming into this weekend but, you know, everything’s just working right, and everything’s going just like it has all year.”
“Fast Jack” Beckman, driving the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Camaro in relief of Force, who was injured in a June 23rd crash in Richmond, Va., will start from the No. 3 position after racing to a time of 3.828 seconds at 334.01 mph.
“Well, this is why it’s important to run good out of the box,” Beckman said following a couple of throwaway runs on Saturday. “Takes all the stress off, right? So, we had two subpar runs on Saturday (but) we had no worries about staying in the top half of the field (after Friday’s best of the day effort).
“The problem’s going to be finding a smoking gun on (the problems we had on Saturday). Q2 was a little bit of a chin-scratcher for us,” he admitted. “I almost think it might be beneficial. Maybe Q3 will point us in the direction of a clutch disc issue. We got enough data. We got enough hands. We got enough IQ points in the crew chief lounge. This thing’s going to be at the top of its game tomorrow. We can go win the race. Opposite side of the ladder with my teammate, champion Austin Prock.”
Continue reading...
