{"id":55165,"date":"2025-10-12T22:23:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T03:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=55165"},"modified":"2025-10-12T22:56:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T03:56:39","slug":"prock-gets-redemption-at-stampede-of-speed-wins-texas-nhra-fall-nationals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/12\/prock-gets-redemption-at-stampede-of-speed-wins-texas-nhra-fall-nationals\/","title":{"rendered":"Prock gets redemption at Stampede of Speed, wins Texas NHRA Fall Nationals"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Mike Haag, Raceday San Antonio<\/em><\/p>\n

ENNIS, Texas \u2014 NHRA Funny Car driver Austin Prock came to Texas looking for redemption \u2014 and he left with a cowboy hat, a Wally and a little more breathing room in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship.<\/p>\n

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Austin Prock won the NHRA Funny Car race on Sunday at the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex. (NHRA photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

After last year’s heartbreak in the semifinals, the NHRA Funny Car standout stampeded to victory Sunday at the 40th annual Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, winning for the first time at the historic all-concrete facility. Prock defeated three-time world champion Ron Capps in the final round, clocking a 3.959-second run at 328.30 mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS.<\/p>\n

Capps\u2019 final was over almost as soon as it began when his parachutes deployed about 100 feet into the run. He crossed the line in 4.405 seconds at 199.80 mph, handing Prock his ninth win of the season and the 21st of his career. The victory also extended Prock\u2019s points lead in the Countdown to the Championship with only two events remaining at Las Vegas and Pomona.<\/p>\n

\u201cFriday night, I said we\u2019re going to be counting wins \u2014 and we went out there and won,\u201d Prock said. \u201cAll our cards fell right today, and we were able to extend our points lead. I\u2019m really proud of this team. After a tough Q1, we regrouped and were low ET every time down the track after that. That\u2019s an OG Jimmy Prock move \u2014 go out there and take it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Austin Prock celebrates after winning the NHRA Funny Car race on Sunday at the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals held at the Texas Motorplex. (NHRA photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

The 29-year-old from Indiana had one of the most consistent cars on the property all weekend. After qualifying No. 1, Prock ripped off a string of strong runs \u2014 3.867, 3.939, 3.963 and 3.959 \u2014 to secure his first career victory at the famed Texas Motorplex. Along the way, he defeated Blake Alexander, Spencer Hyde, and Chad Green before taking out Capps in the finals.<\/p>\n

Capps, meanwhile, reached his fifth final of the season with wins over Alex Laughlin, Cruz Pedregon, and Daniel Wilkerson. He survived a wild semifinal where his engine blew up in the previous round, forcing his team into a thrash after the second round. In the semifinals matchup, Capps scored a holeshot win over Wilkerson with a 4.019 at 315.81 mph to Wilkerson\u2019s quicker 3.983 at 325.73 mph, winning by just nine feet.<\/p>\n

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Daniel Wilkerson on Sunday at the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex. (NHRA photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

For Prock, Sunday\u2019s win erased the sting of last year\u2019s semifinal loss and solidified his bid for a second consecutive world championship. His triumph pushed his lead over Matt Hagan to 112 points, as Hagan\u2019s title hopes took a major hit following a stunning first-round loss to Paul Lee. Jack Beckman sits third, 131 points behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did get redemption,\u201d Prock said. \u201cIt feels good to get my first win at Dallas and sweep the weekend \u2014 take all the cash, grab the cowboy hat, no better way to do it. The mindset is the same. The most wins in these last three races is going to crown the world champion, and we knocked one off. Our car usually runs really well in Las Vegas, and I\u2019ve got all the faith in the world in this team.\u201d<\/p>\n

The victory was extra satisfying given the conditions. Temperatures soared into the mid-90s on race day \u2014 unusual for October in North Texas \u2014 making traction tricky and testing both driver and crew.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, it\u2019s crazy how long this place has been here and how good the surface still is,\u201d Prock said. \u201cThey built this track right back in the \u201980s. It\u2019s all concrete, and we don\u2019t race anywhere else quite like it. But man, it was hot. When you win in the heat, you earn it \u2014 you\u2019re tired, sweating, no time to eat \u2014 but it makes it feel even better when you\u2019re wearing that cowboy hat at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ron Capps on Sunday at the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex. (NHRA photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

Prock credited his crew \u2014 including father and crew chief Jimmy Prock, brother Thomas, and co-crew chief Nate Hildahl \u2014 for maintaining their edge through a challenging Countdown stretch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get gassed up when this thing rips like it does,\u201d he said. \u201cWe weren\u2019t just low ET; we were low ET by a lot in most sessions. That gives you confidence behind the wheel. My dad and brother and Nate do such a good job. To put it all together and put a cowboy hat on at the end of the day feels damn good.\u201d<\/p>\n

As dominant as 2024 was for Prock\u2019s John Force Racing team, he believes this year\u2019s success has been even more rewarding. \u201cLast year, our car would do whatever we wanted \u2014 it was just forgiving,\u201d he said. \u201cThis year, you look at it wrong and it wants to smoke the tires. But we already have more wins now than last year. That says a lot about our crew chiefs and our team. They give me a perfect race car every time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Austin Prock, Funny Car No. 1 qualifier. (NHRA photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

The win also came on a symbolic weekend \u2014 one year after John Force\u2019s return to a dragstrip, a milestone that Prock acknowledged with gratitude. \u201cIt was Force\u2019s first race back, and we had to finish on Monday last year. Me and Brittany doubled up, then I went to SEMA and announced a new three-year deal with Cornwell Tools. It couldn\u2019t have been a better time. Now we\u2019ve got momentum again going into Vegas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prock said that he knows the championship fight isn\u2019t over.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe job\u2019s not finished,\u201d Prock said. \u201cA 112-point lead can swing the other way fast. We\u2019ve got to go win another one, plain and simple. But all you can ask for is to come in and extend your points lead every weekend \u2014 even if it\u2019s by one point. We did a lot better than that today.\u201d<\/p>\n

ENNIS, Texas — Final finish order (1-16) at the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. The race is the 18th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.<\/p>\n

Media Center Interview:<\/h3>\n