Austin Prock drove into the NHRA record books on the way to his first Funny Car championship.
The John Force Racing driver became the first to break the 340 mph barrier in an NHRA event at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway in California on Sunday.
Prock clocked a 3.828 sec pass at 341.68 mph to beat Jason Rupert during the first elimination round.
Incredibly, the speed perfectly matched a mark hit by by Bob Tasca at an event held in Bradenton, Fla., in March that was not NHRA-sanctioned.
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Despite the speed he was traveling at, Prock said he was able to catch the number on the timing board as he drove by. “I’m comfortable in this thing, I’ve been able to catch the scoreboard the last two runs,” Prock said after the run.
Prock had already clinched the season championship during qualifying on Saturday in his first year racing a Funny Car. He made it to the Pomona final, but had to lift off the throttle just after the green light and lost to his John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman, who has been filling in for John Force since he was seriously injured in a crash in June.
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Brock’s 340 mph run comes 25 years after Tony Schumacher became the first to run 330 mph in a Funny Car, back when the races were still a full quarter-mile long instead of the 1,000 feet they go today.
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Antron Brown wrapped up his Top Fuel championship season with a win in Pomona, as did Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson. Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gaige Herrera won the title, but lost in the final to Matt Smith.