Austin Prock Eager to add to Family’s Gainesville Funny Car Success at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals

GAINESVILLE, FL – February 16, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – When Austin Prock stages his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro Funny Car for John Force Racing during his first official NHRA Funny Car pass during the opening round of qualifying at the 55th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals on March 7-10, he’ll have lots of Gainesville Raceway memories and thoughts.

After all, his grandfather, Tom Prock, was the Gatornationals Funny Car runner-up at the 1975 event and his father, Jimmy, has won the race four times with Robert Hight, for whom the younger Prock is subbing while Hight addresses some medical concerns. Gainesville Raceway is also the track where Austin made his first pass in any kind of Funny Car, back in 2008 at the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School.

“I’ve always seen the success my dad had there, and, before his, my grandfather, and that place has a special place in my heart,” he said. “It’s also where we lost my good friend Eric Medlen [former John Force driver who died in a testing incident in 2007]. Eric was a great friend of mine, and a mentor to me. He took me under his wing and took care of me and taught me things, like how to paint helmets. It’d be cool to get the job done for that and my family’s legacy.”

Last year, Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won in Gainesville. This year’s race will air on FS1, including the Pep Boys Top Fuel All-Star Callout at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, live coverage on Sunday from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., and continuing finals coverage at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday.

After licensing in a trio of JFR entries in 2018 – driving the cars of team boss Force, his daughter Courtney, and with his dad tuning Hight’s car – and then saddling up in Team Force’s Top Fueler in 2019, Prock had made just two Funny Car runs heading into 2024. It’s also a move reuniting father and son as a tuning and driving tandem, while Austin’s brother, Thomas, serves as their father’s assistant crew chief.

“This whole this whole deal is a thrill, getting to race with my dad and my brother both up in the lounge making the calls and me in the seat,” Prock said. “I mean, this is storybook stuff, the stuff you write up, and it’s actually happening in real life, so it’s really special.

“We all know this car will run,” he added. “This thing flew last year with Robert driving so we’re just…