The inaugural and independent SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout delivered some serious early season Funny Car class momentum.

The unique event (presented by Johnson’s Horsepower Garage) hosted by Florida’s Bradenton Motorsports Park, was an extremely lucrative affair while producing a surprising Pro Funny Car class winner — Austin Prock — who collected a monumental 1st place prize of $250,000 — coming in his inaugural event in the Funny Car class!

The FC final round saw Austin Prock (a cross over Top Fuel racer who is now replacement driver for Robert Hight at JFR for 2024) power to a winning 3.845-seconds at 332.42 MPH in the Cornwell Tools Chevy Camaro SS to defeat defending NHRA world champion Matt Hagan, who ran a 3.872 at 329.75. mph in the TSR Dodge Hellcat.

Prock, who had qualified #1 for the 8-car qualified field (with a 3.825 secs) topped Alexis DeJoria and John Force in the first and second rounds for competition.

The unique event did also include a Top Fuel VS Funny Car Shootout – a featured bonus eliminator for drivers that did not qualify for the actual Top Fuel or Funny Car classes.   

The two quickest cars in round one advanced to the final round for that payout.  Funny Car drivers had a 2/10ths stagger start on the tree from their Top Fuel class counterparts.

A recent first time NHRA class Funny Car winner Chad Green (winner of the NHRA Finals last November) faced 4X Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence in both round one and also the final after they were coincidentally the quickest in the first round.  

In that final round showdown rematch Green was first to the finish line in his Bond-Coat ’23 Ford Mustang laying down a 3.977 at 318.17 Torrence’s CAPCO Contractors dragster’s 3.729 at 333.41 mph.

The weekend’s action did include some serious headline-hunting history with with Ford Mustang Funny Car driver Bob Tasca III being credited with the first ever 340+ mph terminal speed.  After running a record tying fast 339.47 mph on Friday night in his PPG-sponsored machine, Tasca clocked a stupendous and history making* 341.68 mph (with a 3.840 secs ET) during the final qualifying round to become the first driver to eclipse that speed milestone.

*It should be noted however that his very fast runs are “to the chagrin” of NHRA itself whose policy has been and remains often take steps to slow down high MPH marks.  The very well prepped Bradenton Motorsports Park was sprayed with traction compound to the max for this event (much like what is done for Pro Mod class racing) much further down then what is normally done for 1000’ NHRA national event series Top Fuel or Funny Car event, and that may have contributed to Tasca’s very speedy scenario.

Tasca III, who won his first round  lost in round #2 of FC eliminations when his speedy Mustang had a centreline violation.

Posted by Bruce Biegler

Photos by Dave DeAngelis

To view more Funny Car racing photos from his event click on the LMLC Media event gallery: HERE