Two-time reigning Funny Car world champion Austin Prock is entering this year’s 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals with more to prove than just defending his PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout title. With a stacked field of NHRA Funny Car drivers, including five world champions with 11 combined titles, defending the Callout crown will be no easy task.
In 2025, Prock swept the biggest weekend in drag racing at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, winning the Funny Car All-Star Callout, clinching the regular season championship and finishing the weekend with a second straight Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals victory on Labor Day.
Prock faces a bigger uphill battle to repeat that success this year, entering the Callout as the fifth seed for Tasca Racing. But the two-time reigning world champion has been building momentum at the right time, advancing to the semifinals at each of the past five events, including a runner-up finish in Seattle, and is confident in the recent performance of his 12,000-horsepower Ford Racing Mustang.
“I think we’re plenty capable,” Prock said. “Our package just seems to work in Indy, and we’ve earned those wins the last two years. I feel like our race car is in a good enough spot to go do that again.”
The big-money bonus race, which awards the winner $80,000, takes place on Sunday, Sept. 6, featuring eight standouts in the category.
The No. 1 seed is Jack Beckman – Prock’s former teammate at John Force Racing. Beckman will have his pick of the eight-car field. Five world champions are part of the field, combining for 11 Funny Car world titles, including four-time champion, points leader and most recent winner on tour Matt Hagan, who is seeded second in the Callout, along with former champs and Indy winners Ron Capps and J.R. Todd. After Prock, the field also includes Alexis DeJoria, two-time 2026 race winner Chad Green and 2025 Rookie of the Year Spencer Hyde. Six of the qualified drivers have wins during the 2026 season.
“I don’t really feel like anybody is going to pick me, but if they do, great,” Prock said. “I like the Callout because it brings a little bit of animosity. When someone calls you out, it gets me more fired up to go out there and beat them.”
The first round of the Funny Car All-Star Callout takes place at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, with the semifinals at 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:40 p.m. A special broadcast of the Callout takes place on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Since moving to Tasca Racing in the off-season, the two-time reigning champ has seen continued improvement from his Ford Racing Mustang as the regular season winds down and the Countdown to the Championship playoffs approach.
“After Brainerd, I really feel like that was our best performance overall as a race team since we started,” Prock said. “We obviously didn’t get the result that we wanted and had some misfortune on Sunday, but I think our race car is in the best spot that it has been. It’s as good, or close to as good, as our race car was at the end of last year.”
For more than seven decades, the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals has shaped legacies and careers. As NHRA celebrates its 75th anniversary in a major way at Indy, the special highlights include:
- Appearances from NHRA legends Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, Joe Amato, Shirley Muldowney, Larry Dixon and Darrell Gwynn.
- A celebration of NHRA’s 75-year history with exhibition runs on Friday and Sunday from the classic Rat Trap and Bradford’s Fiat nitro Fuel Altereds.
- Plus, push-start cackle cars on Friday and Sunday driven by NHRA legends.
- A new-look Nitro Mall, special apparel, displays and more.
On the track, the event is jammed with excitement, as the top stars compete for the special 75th anniversary Diamond Wally on the sport’s biggest stage. From Friday qualifying under the lights, to the final Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the year on Saturday, the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday and eliminations on Labor Day Monday, there’s no weekend quite like The Big Go.
Other major items include:
- The Sox & Martin Hemi Challenge returns as the longest-running continuous specialty race in NHRA history, featuring exciting heads-up, wheelstanding, and side-by-side racing of Hemi-powered ’68 Super Stock Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas competing in the NHRA SS/AH class.
- An unforgettable Top Eliminator Club experience, including NHRA driver appearances, food and drink, TEC gift bag, starting line seats and much more.
- Free parking for all fans in attendance for the entire weekend.
- SealMaster Track Walk before Monday’s eliminations.
- Multiple autograph sessions throughout the weekend.
- A can’t-miss Hot Rod Junction.
- A special Sportsman appreciation dinner from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday of the race in Top Eliminator Club
- Children 12-and-under get in free to an event offering all-day entertainment.
Last year’s Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals saw Prock (Funny Car), Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) win the world’s biggest drag race. This year’s event will once again be broadcast on FS1 with qualifying and the NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout throughout the weekend. Monday’s eliminations will be broadcast on FOX beginning at 2 p.m. ET.
Motorsports legend Tony Stewart secured last year’s Top Fuel regular season title in Indy, but it was standout Justin Ashley who earned the win when he defeated Stewart in the finals. Reigning world champion Doug Kalitta currently leads the points after winning three consecutive races in Sonoma, Seattle and Brainerd.
Six-time Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders won for the fourth time at Indy last year, getting her 50th career victory with a win over Matt Hartford. Dallas Glenn earned the regular season championship and went on to secure his first world title. With four wins, Greg Anderson currently has the points lead in the talent-heavy class.
Two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champ Gaige Herrera rolled to his second straight win at The Big Go by defeating Brayden Davis last year. Teammate and reigning champ Richard Gadson leads the points, while others to watch include Matt and Angie Smith, Steve Johnson, Ryan Oehler, Jianna Evaristo, John Hall and Chase Van Sant.
Also competing will be drivers in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown and Right Trailers Outlaw Street.
As always, fans get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans get a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit Manufacturers Midway, an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 4, two rounds at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 12 and 2:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 7.
Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 3 and 10:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and eliminations at 12 p.m. on FS1 on Monday, shifting to FOX at 2 p.m.
To purchase tickets to the 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. For more information about NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.
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