Limited to two qualifying runs because of a washout on Friday at World Wide Technology Raceway, Austin Prock and his AAA Chevrolet Camaro team still managed to secure their 12th No. 1 qualifier of the season Saturday, putting them one shy of the all-time record set by team owner and Hall of Famer John Force.
Prock, who won the last three NHRA Mission Foods National Events (Indianapolis, Reading, Charlotte) was quickest in both Saturday qualifying sessions, earning him the No. 1 qualifying position for Sunday’s 28th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals. He delivered a stunning run of 3.836 seconds at 330 mph in the second round of qualifying. This positions him for a comfortable start on Sunday, where his Jimmy and Thomas Prock with Nathan Hildahl-led team will benefit from a bye in the first round of eliminations.
“Jim Prock, Thomas Prock, Nate Hildahl, this whole team – they’re just so incredibly smart and dialed in right now,” said the former Rookie of The Year. “It sure is fun to drive. I was confused up in the water box. They were like, ‘You locked in number one.’ I thought we ran .896 the first one, not .869. I was a little confused up there, but improved. Just really happy to be driving this AAA car this weekend. Love the paint scheme, love this fire suit. Maybe we’ll get it in the winner’s circle.
Prock’s Funny Car teammate, 2012 NHRA Funny Car champion Jack Beckman, currently filling in for the injured John Force, will face J.R. Todd on Sunday in the first round of eliminations after qualifying fourth overall. Beckman improved from 4.301 in the first session to 3.888, moving the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant team from 12th to fourth in the qualifying order.
“Gateway’s an interesting racetrack,” said Beckman. “It’s only got 519 feet of concrete, the shortest on tour. The asphalt’s pretty green. We know it’s gonna spin going off there. I’m only getting two runs, and by the way, I haven’t been here in five years. It’s an interesting feeling, knowing the thing’s gonna spin, and telling your mind, just hang on, a little spin isn’t bad.
John Force Racing’s lone Top Fuel Dragster, the Monster Energy Chevrolet driven by Brittany Force, posted its second-best qualifying effort ever in St. Louis, a third place result (second in 2021). Force briefly held the top spot in the second round before being overtaken by part-time racer TJ Zizzo and the class’ winningest racer Tony Schumacher.
The two-time Top Fuel champion’s 3.722-second run at 314.39 mph underscored her message that the team is focused. With four races remaining in the Countdown, they are expecting strong results after a challenging season
“We already got off to a slow start,” she said. “When it kicked off in Reading, and we barely made it in at Indy, but we did. We’re here. This season’s been tough, but it’s taught our team a lot about our character and our fight, and how we don’t ever give up.”
The Monster Energy team will pair up with Josh Hart in the first round on Sunday.
This story was originally published on September 29, 2024. 
