MECHANICSVILLE, Md. — Austin Prock’s first win of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season came with the kind of weekend that can reset a year.
The back-to-back Funny Car world champion drove his 12,000-horsepower nitro Ford Mustang to victory Sunday at the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS at Maryland International Raceway, defeating Jack Beckman in the final round with a 3.956-second pass at 324.20 mph. Beckman crossed the stripe with a 3.971 at 323.50 mph, but Prock left first and never trailed, earning the win by 0.0281 seconds approximately 13 feet. It was Prock’s first Wally of the season and the 22nd victory of his NHRA career.
The victory marked a breakthrough moment for Prock and the Ford Racing/Tasca Racing effort after a challenging start to the season. Momentum began to build with a semifinal appearance in Chicago and carried into a statement weekend at MIR. Prock first won Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, then backed it up with the Sunday event win.
“It means a lot,” Prock said. “It's like winning your first race all over again, because all of the work that we put in and everything that we learned. So, to be seven races in and win the Mission Challenge this weekend and win the diamond Wally, I think it says a lot about this race team and what we're capable of. I’m just very proud of this whole Ford Racing team. It was a great weekend, but this is just the beginning of the new era of the Prock Rocket.”
Prock qualified No. 11 in Funny Car and had to fight through one of the toughest ladders in the class. He opened eliminations by defeating four-time Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan with a 3.977 at 323.19 mph, then moved past Spencer Hyde in the quarterfinals with a 3.999 at 321.88 mph. In the semifinals, Prock took down points leader Ron Capps with a 3.998 at 323.12 mph to reach the final against Beckman.
The final round delivered Prock’s best run of the weekend when it mattered most. Against Beckman, the No. 1 qualifier, Prock posted a .063 reaction time and powered to the finish line first, putting an emphatic stamp on a weekend that signaled the Ford Mustang Funny Car program is finding its stride.
“I wanted to come in here this weekend and prove to myself that I’ve still got it, and I feel like I did that,” Prock said.
With the win, Prock leaves Maryland with a Mission Challenge victory, a diamond Wally, and a clear sign that the new chapter of the “Prock Rocket” has officially arrived.
