NHRA AT POMONA 2: Team Chevy Race Recap | Notes & Quotes

CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2024 IN-N-OUT BURGER NHRA FINALS
IN-N-OUT BURGER POMONA DRAGSTRIP
POMONA, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP | NOTES & STATS
NOVEMBER 17, 2024

JACK BECKMAN WINS IN AN ALL-JOHN FORCE RACING FINAL AGAINST WORLD CHAMPION AUSTIN PROCK WITH CHEVROLET AT POMONA

Greg Anderson Captured his Sixth Pro Stock World Championship in a Winner-Take-All Final Round Against Teammate Dallas Glenn

Notes:

  • It was an all-John Force Racing final round at Pomona on Sunday, with Jack Beckman facing off against the newly crowned Funny Car World Champion Austin Prock for the NHRA Finals Wally. Capitalizing on Prock hazing the tires mid-track, Beckman captured his second win of the season competing on behalf of team owner John Force, and his 35th NHRA career victory at his home track of Pomona.
  • Prock and the AAA Chevrolet team continued their blistering pace, setting a new world speed record Sunday, and became the first driver in NHRA competition to break the 340-mph threshold with his run of 341.68 mph at 3.828 seconds E.T in Round 1.
  • Securing his first championship in style, Prock and the AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car team at John Force Racing went No. 1 Saturday in Q3 with his Q3 run of 3.804 seconds E.T. at 334.57 mph, the quickest run in nitro funny car since the elimination of laid-back headers. The No. 1 qualifier Saturday is Prock’s 15th in 20 events, a record, and the 18th of his career.
  • Resetting the season’s quickest run of the season and capturing the top speed of the weekend in Q3 Saturday, Brittany Force, driving the Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, captured her 52nd career No. 1 qualifier and sixth of 2024 with her strong pass of 3.643 seconds E.T.
  • Force raced to the semifinal round on Sunday where she faced Antron Brown but fell after hazing the tires early on her run and falling to Brown. Force (unofficially) finished the 2024 season fifth in the championship standings.
  • In a winner-take-all final round that saw Greg Anderson, driving the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, facing off against KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn, driving the RAD Torque Chevrolet, Anderson defeated Glenn to capture the event win and his sixth Pro Stock World Championship. Glenn finished second in the championship standings behind Anderson for a first and second-place finish for KB Titan Racing.
  • Anderson’s victory in Pomona was his third in 2024 and 106th in his career, the 401st in Pro Stock for Chevrolet, and the 282nd in the Camaro.
  • Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro, secured his 137th career No. 1 qualifier and eighth this year, after securing the top spot on the leaderboard with his fastest run of 6.505 seconds E.T. at 211.20 MPH.

Quotes:

JACK BECKMAN, DRIVER OF THE PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR FOR JOHN FORCE RACING:

“Just amazing. You have a job to do. These are the guys. PEAK made it happen, Chevy made it happen, Cornwell Tools made it happen, but these sets of hands, these minds, these attitudes made it happen, and John (Force), for having the trust in me to do this. He gave me a pep talk before the final. I’m pretty sure we didn’t need a pep talk going against Austin (Prock) and company. If you haven’t been following drag racing, they’ve had a pretty decent year. But for everybody on the car, on the firesuit, on our hearts, it’s awesome. We’re back.”

Incredible day. Talk about it…

“Unbelievable. I have spent so much time here (at Pomona). I stood at the starting line for ten years at the Frank Hawley School. Our class was up there, we came down here, 7,000 students over the years. I’ve stood and looked down that race track a whole bunch. There’s so much history that’s happened here. Just the people that have won here. Tonight, to see that with Dallas (Glenn) and Greg (Anderson) in the final round and going up against (Austin) Prock. That car has set a standard for Funny Car we haven’t seen in 30 years. Their year has been absolutely off the charts. When I came in to fill in for John (Force) for the rest of the year, the goal was those two cars were supposed to finish first and second. When the dust cleared, it happened. I thought I was done four years ago, and I got two more of these (Wally trophies).”

AUSTIN PROCK, DRIVER OF THE AAA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR FOR JOHN FORCE RACING:

“As a competitor, you always believe you can win and go out there and win championships. To go from losing a ride to understanding Robert (Hight) had to step out, and those were some unfortunate circumstances. But it was a dream come true for me. I never wanted it to happen that way, but always wanted to drive a Funny Car, always wanted to race with my family. Man, I got in this thing, and I just felt so comfortable, I felt at home. I knew the capability of this team. I’ve watched my dad (Jimmy Prock) my entire life, and man this ‘Prock Rocket’ just flies. I knew if I could at least do a decent job, we could turn on some win lights, win some races. Things just went much better than that. This thing was on kill all year long. I think that there in the final, that was the third time it didn’t make it past the Christmas Tree after Bradenton. Outstanding weekend, outstanding year.”

On becoming the first driver to cross the 340-mph threshold in NHRA competition…

“How about that Chevrolet? That was awesome. It caught me off guard, honestly. We were just really trying to go from A to B. To go 341 mph and some change in a Chevrolet Camaro, that’s something to be proud of. I just can’t thank Chevrolet enough for everything they’ve done for us over the years. I’m proud to race for them.

To run 3.80 last night in this Chevrolet Camaro and then back it up with 341 (mph), it just is a testament to how great this team is. Right when you think we’re done, we just keep one-upping everyone. It’s such a fun racecar to drive. I’m so proud of my family, so proud of this team. What a great opportunity. Yeah, I’m getting pretty comfortable in this Chevrolet. I saw the scoreboard the last two runs, and definitely catching up to this Funny Car. Definitely going to keep on getting better and better.”

The dynamic of your team, with your dad, your brother, and crew chief, it seems you don’t have to talk. Everybody just understands what needs to be done, what you have to do…

“These guys gel so well. A lot of the team has been together for so long, and I’ve known them for a long time but never got the chance to really work with some of them. I did do the superchargers on this car in 2021 when I lost my ride, so had some familiarity with it. But racing with my family, and Nate (Hildahl), I mean, Nate’s known me since I was 10 or 12 years old. I’ve been around him a long time. Every one of these guys are a close friend. We have a lot of fun, and we had a lot of success this year. I’m really looking forward to next year. I can’t thank them enough for all of the hard work they put in to give me an opportunity to go up there and stand on the gas and showcase my talent. I think we turned some heads this year.”

BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF THE CHEVROLET TOP FUEL DRAGSTER FOR JOHN FORCE RACING:

“To cap off the year, we entered race day with our sixth No. 1, and the fastest Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel car all weekend. Settled for a semifinal finish today, but happy for our teammates winning as well. It was definitely a unique season for this Monster Energy Chevrolet, HendrickCars.com, GHX, Auto Club, Cornwell Tools team. It was a difficult season at the start, but we really turned things around in the Countdown and ended with a strong finish. To win Las Vegas, to be the No. 1 qualifier in Vegas and win the event, then come here and make a semifinal round appearance and end up fifth in points, that’s something I’m very proud of. These guys have worked incredibly hard all season long. They never gave up. They kept fighting. They kept digging. They kept pushing. David Grubnic and John Collins are two of the baddest co-crew chiefs in the business, and I’m proud to be teamed up with them. I’m proud of our season. The day finished how it was supposed to.”

JOHN FORCE, TEAM OWNER OF JOHN FORCE RACING AND 16-TIME FUNNY CAR WORLD CHAMPION:

“Austin (Prock) is a World Champion, Jack (Beckman) and the PEAK Chevy won for the fourth time this year, and my daughter (Brittany Force) finished fifth in the points. Yeah, we’re excited about that. Everybody performed. Austin Prock, his dad (Jimmy Prock), his brother (Thomas Prock), all of them, at the end of the day, they won the championship. They were in the final. Beckman won the final. But Brittany’s car moved up to fifth. It’s unbelievable. I just want to thank PEAK, Chevrolet, Cornwell Tools, Auto Club. That’s their hot rod, and Robert Hight’s hot rod. Prock has done a great job with it this year, and to have Cornwell Tools with us, for all they’ve invested this year, and we’re heading into next year. I’m happy to see all the sponsors. I’m really proud of our drivers, our team. I want to thank Robert (Hight) for all for the help he’s given me putting back deals. I just want to say thank you to everybody. We had a good closeout here in Pomona, and next we’ll go to the banquet to celebrate.”

GREG ANDERSON, DRIVER OF THE HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS PRO STOCK FOR KB TITAN RACING:

“I can’t even explain it. That’s incredible. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined. All these young guys are so bad to the bone. They’re so good. It’s so hard to win out here. I haven’t been able to win for the last three months. I’ve had a great car, but haven’t been able to win. I had a rocket ship today. My boys did it for me, I didn’t screw it up. They did it for me. We’re World Champions again. It feels so good. Thank you, Mr. (Hendrick). I told you to make room in that trophy case, and I’m bringing you something home this week. Thank you, Summit, all of our great sponsors. Thank this great race team. KB Titan (Racing) is one and two in the world this year. That’s beyond belief. That’s too cool.”

When you first started out, did you think you’d win six championships and over 100 races?

“Absolutely not. I still can’t believe it. But you know? I thank you all so much. You get me up on the tire. I’ve got to do whatever I can to race these young guns. They’re bad to the bone. It’s the future of our sport. Thank God, we’ve got them, but holy crap. It’s a handful.”

When you put it in high gear, did you look?

“(Heck) no. I was scared to look over. I didn’t want to see (Dallas Glenn) ahead of me.”

For you to have this season, how does this feel after the past few seasons?

“It definitely makes you work harder. They’re (Elite Motorsports) are a great bunch over there, great bunch of races. Man, they drive the wheels of those racecars. We have had a heck of a battle all year long, and we came out on top today. The future of the sport is just fantastic, the great depth we’ve got, all of the young guns. It’s fun, it’s cool. I had a blast. The good Lord shined on me.”

Up Next:

The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series kicks off with the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fla., March 7-9. Coverage airs throughout the weekend with NHRA on FOX and NHRA.tv, streaming available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

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