Prock scorches Bradenton with 3.791s qualifier

Defending Funny Car champion Austin Prock got his 2025 off to another fast start with a record-setting turn in qualifying for the PRO Superstar Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park.

Prock, who won last year’s Shootout in his first race in a nitro Funny Car, made the quickest run in history during Friday’s final qualifying session in his John Force Racing Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS, stopping the timers in 3.791s at a speed of 331.53mph.

It was the climax to a dominant week for the 29-year-old Prock, who was quickest in testing (3.805s) and in all four qualifying sessions (3.861s, 3.882s, 3.860s and 3.791s) of the pre-season event.

“That thing was trucking down there,” Prock said of his historic 3.791s that is two ticks quicker than the official NHRA record of 3.793s set by his predecessor in the Cornwell Chevy, Robert Hight. “I had my hands full. I got really close to the centerline and that might have scrubbed off that three-thousandths we needed to go (3).78. But I’m really proud of this team.

“It’s been eight years since someone has run (3).79,” he noted. “The race cars and rules were much different (then), so to get back to that number says a lot about this team, says a lot about my dad (crew chief Jimmy Prock), Thomas (Prock) and Nate (Hildahl). They do a really good job and it sure is fun.”

The Shootout concludes Saturday.