For NHRA fuel Funny Car, the 2024 championship is a mere formality now for standout Austin Prock.

Prock moved ever closer to his first career world title by defeating Paul Lee in the championship round for the Ford Performace Nationals at Las Vegas — with a run of 3.830 secs in Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS.

That gave Prock his eighth victory this season in the midst of his incredible and dominant 2024 campaign, and he’s on the cusp of a Funny Car world championship. Prock now leads teammate Jack Beckman by 188 points and will officially clinch the world title at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona when he makes his first qualifying run in two weeks.

Prock qualified No. 1, breaking Force’s single-season Funny Car record for No. 1 qualifiers, and lived in the 3.80s all weekend, rolling past Tim Gibbons, Cruz Pedregon and Blake Alexander. That set up the matchup with Lee, who was seeking his first career Funny Car win, but Prock and his team made their best run of eliminations, handing Prock his 12th career win.

“It was a long weekend, an odd weekend, for sure, but a great weekend to have John back,” Prock said. “We heard he was coming this weekend, and all you want to do is put a smile on his face, make a good team effort, and we did exactly that. All three of our John Force Racing race cars were on fire this weekend. I won three races before I ever got in this car this year, and now I’ve got eight in one season. It’s pretty crazy.
 
“The job’s not finished until the [championship] trophy is in our hands and when it gets to my hands, it’s going straight to my dad’s hands, but we’re getting really close, so I’m excited that we won today. We still haven’t won the championship and that’s our main goal this year. When I got in the race car at the beginning of the year, my dad said he wanted to win a world championship and this team has just been lights out this year, outstanding job by each and every one of them.”

Lee advanced to the final round for the second time this year after defeating Steven Densham, Daniel Wilkerson and Beckman.

Ford Performance Nationals – Funny Car Class Summary

WIN: Austin Prock – 3.830 secs NSR (Career win #12)
R/UP: Paul Lee – 3.982 secs 297.94 mph
Low ET: Austin Prock – 3.817 secs
Top MPH: Paul Lee – 333.49 mph
Bump: 4.021
Entries – 21 cars

Popular Canadian driver Tim Boychuk, from Edmonton Alberta, was the Legends Nitro Funny Car presented by Modern Warriors champion at Las Vegas.

Boychuk’s “Happy Hour” Chevy Camaro (far lane above) racked up the win with a final round 4.851 secs at 235.60 to defeat Shane Westerfield who slowed to 11.428 secs 59.22 mph.

Westerfield had been the quickest and fastest car in that 8-carfeature race (which was run to 1000 ft) setting both low ET 4.662 secs and top speed 242.45 mph in qualifying.

Boychuk, who qualified 7th, outran Mike Peck and Derrick Moreira in rounds one and two.

Posted with files by NHRA Communications & Bruce Biegler
Photos by Les Puchala & Phil Hutchison

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