Tag: Austin Prock

Herrera does a Saturday double at NHRA Sonoma Nationals

Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader Gaige Herrera continued his dominant season on Saturday at Sonoma Raceway, winning the first-ever NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout as part of this weekend’s 35th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals. In the …

Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader Gaige Herrera continued his dominant season on Saturday at Sonoma Raceway, winning the first-ever NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout as part of this weekend’s 35th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) and J.R. Todd (Funny Car) both won the bonus event in Sonoma. Austin Prock (Top Fuel) and Bob Tasca III (Funny Car) each qualified No. 1 at the 12th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

In the final round of the Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout, Herrera went 6.756s at 196.42mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki to defeat Angie Smith and collect yet another win in a bonus event in 2023. Adding in his three wins in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, that gives the points leader four specialty race wins. Herrera’s Friday pass of 6.728s at 199.94mph held up to hand him a seventh No. 1 qualifier this season. On Sunday, he’ll also look to become the first rider in Pro Stock Motorcycle history to sweep the three-race NHRA Western Swing.

“It’s been amazing,” Herrera said. “I was out of breath after that. It was a big one and I wanted it really bad. There’s nothing like winning a Wally, but to win this first Callout for the class is pretty cool. It’s awesome for the whole team and I’m so happy right now. The amount of effort this team puts into these bikes is really amazing and it’s all paid off.

“This is special because a win like this takes a lot as a team. You get bragging rights and something like this is good for the sport and the class. We’re in a great position (to sweep the Western Swing). I’ve got all the confidence in the world in my team. I’m very excited and we’ll see what happens.”

Matt Smith qualified second thanks to his 6.729s at 200.23mph from Friday, while Eddie Krawiec’s 6.771s at 199.1mph put him third.

In Top Fuel, Torrence won his second straight Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, following up his impressive Seattle weekend by beating Clay Millican on a holeshot in the finals of the bonus race in his Capco Contractors/Toyota dragster. Torrence went 3.7888s at 326.08mph, using a 0.067s reaction time to best Millican’s run of 3.781mph. Torrence moved back into the points lead with his Seattle sweep and will look to continue that momentum with another double-up event on Sunday in Sonoma.

“Everything is going really well for us right now,” Torrence said. “The car has showed glimmers of hope throughout last year, mainly at the end of the year and now this year. The consistency is finally coming there. To win on a holeshot, that always makes you feel good as a driver. That was the best light I’ve had all weekend. I’ve been pretty late on the tree and I was just amped up.

“When you go up there, it’s not just another round of qualifying, it’s a race win. We’re going to try to finish this Western Swing with a win and keep this momentum going.”

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Prock hung onto his first No. 1 qualifier this year in his Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster thanks to his 3.704s at 331.36mph from Friday. He also put together a strong final run to close out qualifying on Saturday as he looks for his second win this season. Torrence finished second in qualifying with a 3.706s at 329.67mph and Antron Brown’s 3.721s at 329.75mph has him third.

“The No. 1s are very cool,” Prock said. “This is only my second in my career and this is my third season. They’re very hard to come by. When you qualify No. 1, it all goes to the race team. It shows that your crew chiefs and crew out did everybody out there and that’s very special. This was the first No. 1 qualifier for Chris Cunningham and Joe Barlam as a tandem so that was really special. Everybody is really proud of how this team is working and hopefully we can turn this into four round wins tomorrow.”

Todd enjoyed his biggest moment of the 2023 Funny Car season on Saturday, picking up his first win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge with a run of 3.977s at 322.81mph in his DHL Toyota GR Supra. Blake Alexander broke on the starting line, but Todd made a solid pass to claim the victory in the bonus race – his first win of any kind since winning the season-opener at Gainesville in 2021. After racing well thus far on the Western Swing, including a runner-up in Seattle, Todd broke through in a major way on Saturday, also defeating Chad Green in the bonus race. He’ll look for a double-up weekend, which would further the team’s momentum this year.

“Any win is a good win,” Todd said. “I feel let the last two slip away from us in Denver and the final round in Seattle. It’s been a while since we’ve won anything so this is good momentum headed into race day and hopefully we can finish it off tomorrow. I feel like we’ve been building momentum since [Norwalk] with our DHL Toyota GR Supra.

“We’ve definitely been knocking on the door of a win. It just goes to show how hard it is to win in Funny Car right now. Just when you think you’ve got it where you need it and it’s going to be your day, somebody like Tim Wilkerson (Seattle winner) jumps up and snatches it from you. So, hopefully we can ride this wave of momentum into the final again at one of my favorite tracks. It would be really special.”

Tasca drove to his fourth No. 1 qualifier this season during the final session thanks to run of 3.938s at 324.05mph in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang, making a huge move after struggling during the first three sessions. He wasn’t able to make a run under the lights on Friday, but more than made up for to close out qualifying as he looks to defend his Sonoma victory on Sunday. Alexis DeJoria finished second in qualifying with a 3.942s at 326.56mph and Ron Capps’ 3.942s has him third heading into eliminations.

“That was critical data for us,” Tasca said. “Now we know we can push when we need to and we can pull back if we have to. I’m so impressed with what we’ve done and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I love racing here. It’s one of my top five tracks and I always seem to do well here. I’m ready for tomorrow and I know my guys are going to be ready. We can run on a hot and cool track and this team is just going to keep getting better and better.”

Eliminations for the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals begin at 10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.

Prock, Hight, Kramer, Herrera NHRA 4-Wide Nationals winners in Charlotte

John Force Racing swept the nitro classes on Sunday at zMAX Dragway, as Austin Prock and Robert Hight rolled to wins in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Deric Kramer (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro …

John Force Racing swept the nitro classes on Sunday at zMAX Dragway, as Austin Prock and Robert Hight rolled to wins in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.

Deric Kramer (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the fifth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

In the Top Fuel final quad, Prock went 3.684s at 330.88mph in his Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster, beating a group that also included points leader Steve Torrence, Josh Hart and Leah Pruett. It gives Prock his first win this season and fourth in his career, along with his first-early season victory, which could bode well for season-long momentum.

He finished first in all three quads, posting a 3.686s in the opening quad and then making the quickest run of eliminations in the final round. After struggling at the four-wide race in Las Vegas, Prock enjoyed a strong bounce back weekend in Charlotte, moving to fourth in points.

“It was a great weekend overall, Prock said. “To rebound like we did after an awful weekend in Vegas shows how strong this team is. I’ve never had any success in Charlotte, so I’m super proud of my team. This category is just booming right now, so this is extra special.

“All my wins have come pretty late in the season, so it feels really good to get a win early like this. It sets us up to do our part at JFR and give ourselves a chance at the championship. This is just the start.”

Pruett finished as the runner-up with her run of 3.708s at 329.99mph, with Hart taking third. Torrence maintains his points lead in the class.

In Funny Car, Hight powered to a 3.888s at 328.30mph in his 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Camaro SS to beat John Force, defending world champ Ron Capps and Alexis DeJoria. It’s the second win this season for Hight and helped give John Force Racing its 13th overall win in Charlotte. Before this weekend, Hight had endured a rare slump, suffering back-to-back first-round losses.

But the multi-time champ and his team didn’t disappoint in Charlotte, rolling to the win in every quad as he collected his 63rd career Wally. It’s also his seventh career win at zMAX Dragway, which is the most for anyone in Funny Car.

“I love this place. Everybody always asks me my favorite racetrack, and without a doubt, it’s this place. This facility is like none other; it’s amazing, the fans are great, and luckily, we get to come here twice a year,” Hight said.

“We did change our car around, we stayed and tested Monday after Vegas. We had some ignition problems and I was thinking, ‘Oh man, we’re not going to get the data we need.’ But Jimmy (Prock, crew chief) said, ‘Nope, we’re going to be fine.’ To come here and make seven respectable runs, you can see it in his eyes; he’s excited. I’m proud of him for not overdoing it and giving me a chance to win. That was a big, big deal.”

DeJoria finished as the runner-up as she continued her solid season, while Capps was third. Despite a first-round exit, Hagan maintained the points lead in Funny Car over DeJoria.

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Kramer enjoyed a huge turnaround in Charlotte, driving to his first win in nearly four years by going 6.555s at 208.88mph in his Get BioFuel Chevrolet Camaro in the championship round. Kramer ousted the likes of points leader Dallas Glenn, who was after his third straight win, No. 1 qualifier Matt Hartford and Fernando Cuadra Jr. to earn his fifth career victory. But it was also Kramer’s first win since earning the Wally at the fall race in Charlotte in 2019, which left the veteran plenty excited on Sunday.

“The Get BioFuel Chevy Camaro is a fun car to drive, first and foremost, and that right there is enough to keep someone wanting to be out here. Once you hoist that Wally, you want to win another. The drought is so long, and when it finally happens again, the euphoria just washes over you,” Kramer said.

“I think we’ve been, as a team, struggling with the car the last few years. It was a lot of small stuff. But we got to the finals (in Vegas), stayed and tested the day after, and it’s just been getting more and more laps, getting more comfortable, getting more data, and compiling it all to get a victory.”

Kramer finished second to Hartford in the opening-round quad and then won a round later, finishing his day with back-to-back 6.55s runs. After making it to the final quad in Las Vegas, Kramer took an impressive next step in Charlotte, as Glenn finished second with his 6.581s at 208.81mph and extended his points lead over Hartford in the process.

Herrera continued to be incredible to open the 2023 season in Pro Stock Motorcycle, staying perfect with another dominant performance, breaking the track E.T. record with a stellar run of 6.710s at 202.00mph in the final round on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki. After qualifying No. 1 for the second straight race, Herrera made the quickest run in two of the three rounds on Sunday, delivering an epic performance in the final quad against teammate Eddie Krawiec, defending world champ Matt Smith and defending event winner Steve Johnson.

Herrera finished first in both quads heading into the final and then ran away from his competition in the final round, posting a 0.013s reaction time and making the quickest PSM run at zMAX Dragway.

“I’m on cloud nine. To be out here and go No. 1 back-to-back, win the race back-to-back, it’s a lot to take in. I’m enjoying the ride,” Herrera said. “There are plenty of good riders out there, so to be able to be in the final with those three and come out on top, that’s awesome. It’s going to be a tough season. We’re out here basically dominating, but it’s the beginning of the season, and it’s going to be a long ride. (Four-wide) is a different kind of pressure. To be up there with three other rides, you have to focus. I didn’t want to wait or get timed out, so pretty much every round I put it on the two-step and made sure I was ready for anything that happened.”

Smith finished as the runner-up, going 6.780s at 199.61mph, with Krawiec, who was seeking his 50th career win, taking third and Johnson following in fourth.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action May 19-21 with the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago.