300 Miles Per Hour in 1/8th Mile!
During Saturday qualifying, Doug Kalitta clocked a 3.650-second pass at 334.98 mph on Saturday at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals to become the second driver of the Phillips Connect 300 mph at the 1/8 Club.
Congratulations JFR & Austin Prock!
His World Championship dream now a reality, Austin Prock turned his attention elsewhere Saturday, driving the Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS to a track-record setting time of 3.804 seconds at 334.57 miles per hour to claim the No. 1 starting position for Sunday’s 59th In-N-Out Burger Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip.
In qualifying at the top of the Funny Car order for a record-breaking 15th time this season, the former quarter midget, sprint car driver and nitro funny car rookie shared the Saturday stage with John Force Racing teammate Brittany Force, who set the pace in Top Fuel by guiding her Monster Energy Chevrolet to a time of 3.643 seconds at 336.64 mph. The qualifying times for both JFR drivers were the quickest of the season in their respective categories.
At the 2021 Nitro Revival, Donnie Couch interviewed Rich Guasco about his life with Pure Hell AA/Fuel Altered and the Pure Hell Nitro Funny Car.
Jet Cars at Saturday night Reunion closing.
Ten Minutes with Blake Bowser from Famoso Dragstrip
Austin Prock Funny Car Winner Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car 3.921 seconds, 327.90 mph
Funny Car newcomer Austin Prock secured his third win of the year when he went 3.921 seconds at 327.90 mph in his hot rod to defeat No. 1 qualifier Bob Tasca III in the final round at the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.
Video by NHRA
Reigning Top Fuel champion Doug Kalitta third win of the year on Sunday at the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals in Richmond when he clocked a 3.752-second pass at 333.41 mph to defeat his teammate Shawn Langdon.
Courtesy of NHRA
Eight-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher picked up his first win in 37 races on Sunday at Bristol Dragway, defeating reigning world champ Doug Kalitta in the final round of the 23rd annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.
Schumacher pedaled his way to a run of 4.236-seconds at 259.41 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Waltrip Brewing Co./Leatherwood Distillery dragster, getting past Kalitta’s 4.890 in the finals and claiming his first victory since July of 2022. It’s the 87th career win for the most successful driver in Top Fuel history and also his seventh win at Bristol Dragway, which is tied with Ron Capps for the most in NHRA history.
Schumacher defeated Jasmine Salinas, Shawn Langdon and Clay Millican to reach the final round before extracting some revenge on Kalitta, who beat Schumacher last weekend in the finals at New England Dragway.
Prock wins Bristol
Funny Car rookie Austin Prock continued to perform at a level unfamiliar to most of his peers Sunday, driving the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS past the Toyota of J.R. Todd to win the 23rd Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway and extend his Funny Car point lead over boss and teammate John Force.
It was the fifth final round in eight races for the 28-year-old phenom whose dad, Jimmy, makes the tuning decisions on the high-profile Camaro formerly driven by three-time World Champion Robert Hight, who has been sidelined this year with health issues.
“I’ve been working towards this my whole life,” Prock said of his thus far remarkable season. “I’m so blessed to have this opportunity. I mean, John Force taking a risk with me, and all these partners, great partners of ours that believed in me, that gave me a shot to (realize) my dream.
It was a wire-to-wire win for Prock who qualified No. 1 for the sixth time this season and then posted quick time of eliminations (3.924 seconds) in a first round conquest of John Smith. He dispatched Cruz Pedregon in round two in his first meeting with the two-time former champion and then ousted reigning series champion Matt Hagan in the semifinals.
Top Fuel champion Doug Kalitta ticked New England Dragway off his win list on Sunday at the NHRA New England Nationals. Kalitta raced to a 3.802-second pass at 332.92 mph to defeat longtime rival Tony Schumacher.
Interesting how Alan Johnson (AJPE) has had a profound effect on both Doug Kalitta and Tony Schumacher over the years.
In case you missed it on NHRA.tv, John Force said he will be retiring someday, probably after his Forever Brute Force Farewell Tour.
Thanks for the years of enjoyment, John!
Funny Car points leader Austin Prock is searching for his first career victory at Route 66 Raceway and that journey got off to a good start on Friday, going 3.907 at 332.43 in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to take the No. 1 spot. Prock made the best run in each session, slipping past Bob Tasca to close out the evening in the Funny Car category. Should that hold, Prock would pick up his fourth No. 1 qualifier in six races this season, another impressive mark in Prock’s first Funny Car season.
“It definitely feels good, especially after Charlotte where we weren’t happy,” Prock said. “We didn’t race smart in Charlotte and it cost us. Here, we made two great runs. I’m getting more seat time and we changed a few components on the car as far as steering. This is just my sixth race, but I’d say I’m more comfortable in the Funny Car. From day one, I’ve been saying I’m oddly comfortable in there. Don’t get me wrong. This thing is a beast and anyone who tells you otherwise is crazy, but I feel really good right now.”
