At the 59th In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, held at the historic Pomona Dragstrip, John Force Racing celebrated a significant provisional qualifying success.
Jack Beckman, behind the wheel of his PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS, emerged as the leading qualifier in the Funny Car category with a remarkable time of 3.828 seconds, despite weather delays. Commenting on the success, Beckman explained:
“First place when I last left Pomona (as winner of the 2020 Winternationals), first place now in my PEAK Chevrolet.
“That’s got a good ring to it. Friday at the Finals is always very interesting because the whole year has come down to one race and you can’t wait to get up there for the first run.
Brian Bahr/Getty Images for Infineon Raceway
“And then we had a rain delay.
“In Southern California. Now it’s happened a lot at the Winternationals, but it doesn’t happen that often in November. It’s just been a weird start to the last race of 2024.
“So, we get some sunshine (and) we drag the car up there and run 3.828 and my best speed (334.82 mph) since 2020. It’s the fastest I’ve been this year by more than two miles per hour,” he said.
“Our car is unbelievable early in the run,” he continued “It is the quickest car from the time you step on the throttle to 200 feet. Our Achilles’ heel has been keeping all eight cylinders lit all the way to the finish line. The guys clearly figured it out on that run.
“So, John Force’s cars wind up one and two Friday night and we put a little cushion between us and number three in points, and there’s more to come tomorrow and Sunday.”
Although Beckman led Friday’s qualifying, his John Force Racing teammate Prock will clinch the championship, merely needing to turn out for Saturday’s qualification to finalize his claim. Speaking about his success, Prock explained to the media:
“When I got in the race car at the beginning of the year, my dad told me he wanted a championship.
“When it gets to my hands, it’s going straight to my dad’s hands.
“You don’t get shots to race with your family very often, or if ever, so to come out with our rookie year together and dominate like we have, it’s been an awfully fun ride, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Meanwhile, in the Top Fuel category, Brittany Force faced disruptions due to the rain, interrupting her attempts to make headway against challenging conditions. Shawn Reed led the standings with a time of 3.712 seconds, while top competitors like Ida Zetterström, an NHRA rookie, achieved a personal best.