Austin Prock walked away from Indianapolis with a bag full of money, another U.S. Nationals Wally, and the kind of momentum every Funny Car driver dreams of heading into the Countdown to the Championship.
Behind the wheel of his Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet SS, the 28-year-old turned in a flawless weekend at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, winning the PlayNHRA All-Star Callout, clinching the NHRA Mission Foods Funny Car regular season title, and closing the deal on race day with a 3.903-second pass at 332.92 mph to defeat John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman in an all-JFR final. It was his second straight U.S. Nationals crown – something even his legendary team owner never accomplished despite five Indy wins.
“To win the U.S. Nationals in my rookie season (in Funny Car) was obviously really special,” Prock said. “We came out guns blazing, and it just put a little bit of an extra pep in our step. To go out there and execute and do the job and have a dominant performance like we did last year, and then to come back again this year and do it is just surreal. When you win the U.S. Nationals once, it puts you in an elite group. When you do it back-to-back, it’s an even more elite group.”
The payday reflected the magnitude of the achievement. Between the Callout and the U.S. Nationals, Prock earned $330,000 for the weekend, a staggering sum in today’s nitro ranks. It was the capstone on a regular season that saw him rack up seven wins in 2025, 15 in his last 32 Funny Car starts, and 19 overall since the start of his career. His numbers are jaw-dropping by any standard, let alone for a driver just entering his prime.
But Prock insists that the trophies and stats are simply the result of being in the right situation at the right time.
“It was a dream of mine to win a championship, but you never know if that’s going to happen,” he said. “So many stars have to align. You have to get the right opportunity. You have to be surrounded by the right people. You have to have the right sponsors backing you. So, to get a U.S. Nationals win last year and then win the championship and then come back to win the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals again, I don’t even know what to say.”
As the NHRA Funny Car points reset for the six-race Countdown to the Championship, Prock will once again be the man with the target on his back. He begins the postseason as the No. 1 seed, with teammate Beckman second and Matt Hagan in third. The slate may be closer than it was during the regular season, but Prock’s form suggests he’ll be hard to reel in.
“Last year we rolled into the Countdown and won Reading and Charlotte back-to-back,” Prock said. “When you can do that, more than likely you extend your points lead a pretty good bit. If we want to give ourselves a good shot at winning this championship, I think we’re going to have to go out and try and win two or three more in a row to give us a little bit of a pad in case you do have a mishap. That’s how you have to look at it to get the job done.”
Prock is also quick to remind that nothing is guaranteed in drag racing.
“Getting caught up in all the emotion of what’s going on doesn’t help anything,” he said. “You just need to get in the car and execute. That’s what we did last year. Every single session matters, every single point matters. I’ve won a championship by two points before in other categories, and that’s two qualifying positions on a Friday. It all adds up.”
For Prock, the U.S. Nationals represented more than just another victory – it was confirmation that he and crew chief Jimmy Prock, his father, have found a consistent sweet spot with their combination. The car qualified strong, ran record speeds, and delivered on Monday when it mattered most.
“This team is just incredible,” he said. “They put me in position every week to go out and do my job. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, but I’m even more excited about what’s ahead. We’ve got six races to go finish this deal, and I know we have a car that can win it again.”
The 40th NHRA Reading Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, Sept. 19-21, will provide the first test. It’s a track where Funny Car performances routinely push the limits, and with cooler fall air expected, conditions could favor another round of record-breaking runs. Prock is eager to set the tone.
“I’m glad we have three races in a row to start the Countdown,” he said. “You can really get into a groove, and it’ll kind of make or break your fate. We’ve worked really hard to get to this point, and now it’s time to go execute.”
From Indy’s richest payday to the first playoff weekend in Pennsylvania, Prock knows his legacy is being written in real time. Back-to-back U.S. Nationals, a dominant regular season, and the No. 1 seed in the Countdown – the numbers already put him in rare air. But the young star is chasing something bigger.
“Winning one championship is special,” he said. “To win two in a row, that’s a whole different category. That’s what we’re after.”
The post Austin Prock Sets Sights on Second Straight Championship After Historic Indy Win first appeared on Drag Illustrated.