Photography: John Force Racing / Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery
NORWALK, Ohio (June 25, 2025) – Racing at one of his favorite venues, reigning World Champion Austin Prock aims to put more distance between himself and his closest pursuers this week when he sends the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS after the Funny Car title in the 18th NHRA Norwalk Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.
Coming off a repeat victory last week in the Virginia Nationals at Richmond, the fourth-generation racer has opened up a three-round lead in his bid to become just the second Funny Car driver in the last 23 years to win back-to-back series championships.
“I’m looking forward to it,” the 29-year-old said of his return to the race in which he lowered the track record to 3.853 seconds last year before bowing out in the semifinals.
“The Bader family (which owns the racetrack that is home to the first grandstand ever named for Prock’s boss and mentor, John Force) runs such an excellent facility and there’s always a great crowd.
“Especially excited to get there after a win in Richmond,” beamed the 15-time tour winner and former NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year (2019). “It always gives you confidence going into a race weekend after a win and to top it off we’re in Cornwell Tools’ backyard. We’ve got a pretty cool surprise for them this weekend and hopefully we can top it off with another win.”
Although he’s solidly in the points lead and is the only driver to have won as many as three times this year, it has been a strange season for Prock and a Cornwell Tools team led by his dad Jimmy, his brother Thomas and Nate Hildahl.
After a 2024 campaign in which he qualified No. 1 15 times in 20 races, breaking Force’s single season record from 1996, Prock has ridden a roller coaster this year. He’s qualified No. 1 three times in nine races but has exited in the first round on each occasion. All three wins were from the No. 2 qualifying position, as was a runner-up finish to Paul Lee at Phoenix.
“The Funny Car is such a challenge to drive,” said the man who developed his driving skills in sprint cars and quarter midgets racing out of Tony Stewart’s shop. “You have the same amount of horsepower (as a Top Fuel dragster) but you’re missing 175 inches of wheelbase. That’s insane.”
The result is an unpredictably that appeals to the man whose grandfather, Tom Prock, was an accomplished driver during Funny Car racing’s match race era.
“Every time you get in this thing, as soon as you think you got it figured out, you don’t,” he said. “Every track you go to, they’re handling totally different. You feel every nuance in the racetrack, whether it’s on the inside, outside, hidden bumps. You definitely got to be on the wheel all day.
“I’ve made my fair share of mistakes, but we’ve been able to get it done when it counts and I’m really living my dream.”
