Brittany Force wins Top Fuel race as father John watches in return to track

Everyone at John Force Racing considered the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals a success for a reason that has nothing to do with racing.

Team owner John Force, a 16-time Funny Car champion, made his first appearance at an NHRA event since he suffered a traumatic brain injury in a crash at the NHRA Virginia Nationals in June.

But John Force Racing drivers Brittany Force, John’s daughter, and Austin Prock made sure their boss’s return to the track was worthwhile.

Force and Prock capped perfect weekends by winning the final round of eliminations for their classes Monday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Force defeated Doug Kalitta with an elapsed time of 3.703 seconds and speed of 293.66 mph in the Top Fuel final. Prock (3.830 ET, 287.05 mph) defeated Paul Lee in the Funny Car final.

“It was meant to be,” Brittany Force said. “I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason. I believe that God has a plan, and I believe he was saving this win for my dad.”

The final rounds, scheduled for Sunday, were postponed to Monday because of a lengthy cleanup from a crash and cold weather conditions following the Top Fuel semifinals. Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle completed their semifinals Monday morning.

“It was a long weekend, an odd weekend for sure, but a great weekend to have John back,” Prock said. “We heard he was coming this weekend, and all you want to do is put a smile on his face and make a good team effort. We did exactly that.”

Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won their finals. Stanfield (6.602 ET, 206.13 mph) defeated Greg Anderson, while Herrera (6.798, 197.16) beat Angie Smith.

‘More heart’

Force and Prock were the No. 1 qualifiers for their classes after qualifying concluded Saturday.

Force pulled into the winner’s circle for the first time in two years. It was her first win since she won the 2022 Nevada Nationals on Oct. 30. The win clinched her second Top Fuel world title.

“This is definitely a special one, and it’ll always be a special one in our book, not just for me but all of John Force Racing,” she said. “It’s been a difficult season for all of us.”

Force said it didn’t feel like a race day with the finals taking place Monday and many other teams using the rest of the day to test. She couldn’t fully celebrate with her team because it was preparing her car for test runs.

But that didn’t take away from the win.

“There wasn’t pressure with my dad being out here for the first time since Richmond,” Force said. “If anything, there was more heart behind every single person in our John Force Racing pits. We always want to come out here and win, but with him being here this weekend, after everything he’s been through, there was definitely more heart behind it. We wanted to get him in that winner’s circle.”

‘It’s ludicrous’

Prock entered the weekend with a slight chance to clinch the Funny Car title. But because his teammate Jack Beckman, second in points, advanced to the semifinals, Prock didn’t clinch the world title. Beckman is driving John Force’s Funny Car and all the points he earns are rewarded to John in the standings.

Prock will enter the season finale Nov. 17 in Pomona, California, with a 188-point lead over Beckman in the standings. All he will have to do is attempt a qualifying effort to clinch the title.

“The job’s finished when the trophy is in our hands,” Prock said. “We’re really close, but the job is not finished.”

It has been a career season for Prock, who has driven in Top Fuel in the past. He was tabbed by John Force to drive his second Funny Car after Robert Hight announced he was stepping away in the offseason because of health issues.

Prock has eight wins, tied for the most by a Funny Car driver in a season since 2000. His No. 1 qualifying effort Saturday broke John Force’s record of 13 set in 1999.

“It’s ludicrous,” Prock said. “I wasn’t even supposed to be driving this season, and then all of a sudden we’re out here and making a name for this team.”

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.