Photography: John Force Racing / Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery
BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 7, 2025) – On a track on which he was virtually untouchable a year ago, Funny Car point leader Austin Prock took the first step toward a repeat performance Saturday when he drove the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS to the No. 1 qualifying position for Sunday’s 23rd NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
On a day when the NHRA Safety Safari’s track drying equipment once again got almost as much track time as the race cars, the 29-year-old Prock took advantage of breaks in the weather to coax his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS to the two quickest times of the day at 3.931 and 3.958 seconds, the latter coupled to a best of the event speed of 329.10 miles per hour.
“We had all four seasons here today,” Prock said. “The weather changed every five minutes. It’s tricky, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
His Saturday numbers will send the reigning series champion into Sunday’s eliminations as the No. 1 qualifier for the second straight year at Bristol Dragway, for the third time this season and for the 18th time in 28 Funny Car races since sliding into the seat formerly occupied by three-time World Champion Robert Hight.
A year ago, Prock was quickest in every round of racing on the way to the winners’ circle, beating J.R. Todd in the final.
“We came out today on a mission and made two nice runs,” said the NHRA national record holder for speed at 341.68 mph. “Our Q3 run was incredible. The success rate in that right lane was small, but we went to the top. We ran low of both sessions and that makes me feel really confident going into Sunday.
“Hopefully we can do a little bit better than last weekend,” he said, referencing a first round upset loss to Buddy Hull, whom he will face again Sunday. “Really proud of this Cornwell Tools team and all the Cornwell Tools dealers out there making this happen for us.
“We’ve got a good hot rod again this weekend and hopefully we can get the job done,” he said. “Last week we had more of an edge. This time, there are a lot more cars (running) close to us and the ladder stacking is tight.”
Prock’s battery-mate at John Force Racing, 2012 Funny Car World Champion Jack Beckman, was second quickest Saturday at 3.969 seconds but will start from the No. 4 position.
Second in the Mission Foods driver standings, the same position in which he finished a year ago, Beckman is driving the 2024 version of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy SS after crashing the 2025 car last week at Epping, N.H. The car he now is driving is the one in which he won two races in last year’s Countdown to the Championship including the season-ending In-n-Out Finals.
“Our PEAK Chevy SS looked good,” Beckman said. “Austin and I only got three of four qualifying runs (because weather ended the Friday night session with the two JFR Chevrolet’s at the starting line). “We ended up No. 4. We’ve got (Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion) Julie Nataas, her first Nitro Funny Car race ever, in the first round tomorrow. I think we’ve got a good shot to win.”
Coming off a dominating performance last week in which she earned her 18th tour victory and 300th round win, two-time Top Fuel World Champion Brittany Force had traction and dropped cylinder issues during qualifying and will start from the No. 7 position in her national record-holding Monster Energy Chevrolet.
“We struggled a little bit during qualifying,” admitted the former Rookie-of-the-Year. “We’ve been on a hot racetrack all weekend, but we qualified seventh and we pair up with (former European Top Fuel champion) Ida Zetterstrom first round tomorrow.
“We’re looking for a new, clean slate,” she said. “We need four solid runs down that dragstrip tomorrow to repeat what we did in Epping.”
