Austin Prock’s journey from Midgets to Nitro Funny Cars

Austin Prock has been around racing his entire life. A fourth-generation racer, Prock started competing in quarter midgets at just 10 years old before working his way through Legends Cars, midgets and sprint cars.

Along the way, he spent time at Tony Stewart Racing, where he absorbed as much as he could from some of the best people in the business. That hands-on experience eventually helped him make the unlikely transition from circle track racing to NHRA drag racing.

On this episode of Racers Unchained, Prock talks with Paul Tracy about his unusual path to the top levels of drag racing, working for John Force, getting his first opportunity to drive a Nitro Funny Car and the frantic start to his Top Fuel career. He explains what it's like to drive a Funny Car at more than 340 mph, how he and his crew can turn around a race car in roughly 30 minutes, and why he still gets involved in everything from servicing the supercharger to mixing fuel and packing parachutes.

He also discusses racing alongside his father and brother, the decision to leave John Force Racing after back-to-back championships, and the challenge of building a new championship-level operation with Tasca Racing and Ford.