PEAK Motorsports Update- August 19, 2024

NHRA: Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals- Brainerd

Monday, August 19, 2024: Austin Prock, the runaway Funny Car points leader, clinched the number one starting spot for the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota.

In the opening round, Prock turned on the win light for the 100th time as a pro driver, defeating Jim Campbell. However, the fourth-generation racer was more fixated on a very surprising 0.116 second reaction time that enabled J.R. Todd to steal the second-round victory by 0.006 of a second. 

For Brittany Force, it was another weekend of what might have been. The two-time Top Fuel World Champion was the number three qualifier for the third straight race and posted top speed of the entire event at 336.07 mph, only to endure an early loss that left her in the vulnerable number ten position in points heading into the US Nationals.

Making his first start in relief of a sidelined John Force, “Fast Jack” Beckman advanced to the second round in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy Camaro, earning enough points to move up into fifth in the Funny Car standings. 

Beckman won the opening round against Bobby Bode to record his first elimination victory since October 19, 2020, in Dallas, Texas. In the quarterfinals, Beckman came up just short of advancing to the semifinals to eventual race winner Blake Alexander (Alexander, 3.943, 317.05 def. Beckman, 3.945, 321.65).

The next event on the NHRA Mission Food Series tour is the 70th running of the US Nationals in Indianapolis August 30th-September 2nd.