PEAK Motorsports Update- June 10, 2024

NHRA: Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals- Bristol

Monday, June 10, 2024: Funny Car rookie Austin Prock drove past J.R. Todd to win the 23rd Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Tennessee to extend his Funny Car point lead over boss and teammate John Force.

It was the fifth final round appearance in eight races for the 28-year-old phenom whose father, Jimmy Prock, makes the tuning decisions on the high-profile Camaro.

It was a wire-to-wire win for Prock, who qualified number one for the sixth time this season, and then posted quick time of eliminations (3.924 seconds) in a first-round victory over John Smith. He displaced Cruz Pedregon in round two, then ousted reigning series champion Matt Hagan in the semifinals.

Although Todd broke up the possibility of a second straight Prock-Force final round by beating drag racing’s all-time biggest winner in the other semifinal matchup, it still was a banner day for John Force Racing, which advanced all three of its cars to the semifinals for the first time this season, while securing Chevy’s first Funny Car victory at Bristol since 2001.

In fact, for Brittany Force, the two-time former World Champion, the trip to the semis Sunday was almost as good as winning the race, because it validated the work crew chiefs David Grubnic and John Collins have been doing to put her back on track to another title.

Her performance Sunday included a couple of significant career firsts. It was the first time in any traditional, two across event that she had won a round after qualifying 15th or worse, and it was the first time she ever beat the point leader in a first-round race.

As for John Force, he believes that 11 years after winning his 16th series championship, he has a car good enough to do it one more time, advancing to the semifinals.

Up next the NHRA Mission Food Series returns to Richmond, Virginia, for the NHRA Virginia Nationals, June 22-23^rd.

NASCAR: TOYOTA / SAVE MART 350- Sonoma

Kyle Larson made a pass for the lead with eight laps remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series Save Mart 350 to claim his second win at the Sonoma Raceway road course and third of the season.

Larson took the lead after a dramatic three-way battle with Martin Truex Jr. and Chris Buescher with eight laps to go. Truex kept Larson honest for much of the closing laps only to run out of gas on the final corner.

After making a last lap pass of Buescher and then benefitting from Truex’s situation, Michael McDowell driving the PEAK / Loves Ford came across the line in second place, 4.258 seconds behind Larson. Buescher finished third, followed by Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain who rounded out the top five.