Austin Prock: “It’s all about family”

Last week the news erupted that two-time NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion Austin Prock had left John Force Racing, where he secured his two back-to-back titles, and gone to Tasca Racing to take over the Ford Mustang Dark Horse race car formerly driven by Bob Tasca III. Like Tasca, Prock is a family-oriented racer and, like Tasca, part of a third generation of family-oriented racing.

The deal to go from Chevrolet to Ford came about towards the very end of the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship and, according to Prock, was consummated pretty quickly. “Talks with John Force Racing didn’t go as we intended,” the 29-year-old explained. “All of a sudden I’m shaking hands with Bob Tasca! This was not on my bingo card, but keeping our whole team together, the 13 of us working together, made this a decision we needed to make.”

Prock is joined by his father, Jimmy and brother Thomas. He’s also joined by the balance of the team that worked with him at John Force Racing (JFR) the past two seasons and even before than, when Jimmy Prock was turning dials for Robert Hight. Essentially, the crew cast their lot with the Prock family and will work on a single Ford Funny Car for Austin this year. With Tasca stepping out of the cockpit at the age of 50, yet keeping hold of his team by hiring the extended Prock family to join him, there will be a sea change in the Funny Car pits starting this March.

Austin Prock hasn’t driven his new Ford yet; he and his crew are in the midst of building everything up while still waiting for some equipment. “Ninety-five percent of what was there,” at the Tasca shop, “is being changed. We’re trying to build a championship-winning team and it’s a huge change,” from the family’s time at John Force Racing. During his career, Jimmy Prock has spent about 25 years total in Force’s employ; Austin Prock started working at the Brownsburg shop when he was in high school, so about 15 years ago. 

While with Force, the working Prock family had access to JFR tooling, parts that were only available at that particular location. “In the real world,” Austin Prock explained, “everything is a lot different. It’s been quite the experience so far,” he said. The change from JFR to Tasca Racing, in Austin Prock’s view, “This is all about family. I want to continue to race with them. Force’s group,” he reminded, “will be really mad when we start winning races and we hope we can get both the Tasca fans and the Prock fans together. Fans are the reason we’re able to live out our dreams,” he said. 

Once all the parts are in hand and the crew has the Ford Mustang exactly as they expect it to be, Tasca Racing and the Prock contingent will head for Gainesville Raceway (Fla), site of the season-opening 57th annual Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals and official start of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season the first weekend of March. They expect to be testing in a couple of weeks at the close of January or start of February.

Moving from Chevy to Ford might not be that big of a deal, as Jimmy Prock has tuned a Ford-bodied car in the past. The body shape might have changed since John Force drove a Ford Mustang, the but Ford Mustang Dark Horse that Austin Prock takes up is well-developed. “Dad is excited to work with Ford again and it looks like there might be some performance advantages there,” Austin said. “It’s my first time in a different Funny Car, but all I”m thinking about is turning on those win lights.”

While Prock, his family and crew “walked into a functioning race team, no one was there. It’s not just the race car, but head to toe, changing, organizing, a lot of work. We’re a one-car team, so we’ll keep our proprietary info under one roof. We’re doing this the right way; he (Tasca) is footing the bill but it’s like having your own race team with the owner trusting your process.” At the present time, with his new, red Tasca Racing fire suit hanging and waiting, Prock is pretty much back where he started, being a crew guy…

And as a crew guy, at least right now, “Every inch of this thing has been gone through and there are so many nuances. Everyone here knows what their job is – and it was so important to bring the team, it was everything, because they’re my family and do such an outstanding job. Having them come with us makes the transition so much easier.

“I wish,” Prock mused, “that everyone could experience racing with their family and the Tasca family is just as tight-knit as we are. We have the same work ethics; we share the same values, and if you remember, Bob Tasca’s grandfather was the guy who brought us the Ford Cobra Jet Mustang back in the day? We plan on being a dynasty, the goal is three [championships] in a row and we’ll see if our powerhouse can compete with the best.”

At the 2024 PRO Superstar Challenge at Bradenton Raceway in that Florida city, Bob Tasca III became the first NHRA Funny Car driver to set a 1,000-foot mark of more than 340 mph. His lap of 341.68 mph was revelatory, but it sure wasn’t official because the Shootout wasn’t an official NHRA race. Tasca could bask in the knowledge that he was the fastest driver in the game, but he couldn’t claim that title. At the season finale in 2024, it was Prock’s turn and in his first-round blast, the champion-in-waiting performed the same feat, running an identical time to his now-team owner, at 341.68 mph. This time, though, it was an official record.