Story By: JERRY BONKOWSKI / JOHN FORCE RACING – SONOMA, CA – Bob Tasca’s best-of-the-event .022 reaction time got his Funny Car to the finish line .001 of a second ahead of Austin Prock’s quicker Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Sunday in the semifinal round of the 36th Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.
It was a disappointing result for Prock and the team that has dominated the Mission Foods pro tour all season long, especially after the 28-year-old Funny Car rookie posted the quickest time of eliminations (3.843 seconds) in the first round. Nevertheless, it had little impact on the Cornwell team’s bid to secure the No. 1 qualifying spot for the upcoming Countdown to the Championship.
Tasca’s starting line advantage made his 3.931 a winner over Prock’s 3.901. He then outran Ron Capps in the final round and moved past Matt Hagan into second place, still 211 points off Prock’s lead.
“I had my best light of the weekend (.053),” said a disappointed Prock. “We made a good run, but they made an outstanding run. It sucks to get beat by a thousandth, but I’m so proud of this Cornwell Tools Chevrolet team. Hopefully, it goes our way the next time.”
In the Top Fuel division, Brittany Force matched Prock’s effort in taking her Monster Energy dragster to the semifinals where, like her teammate, she lost to the eventual race winner, in her case Antron Brown.
Nevertheless, it was a Monster weekend for the two-time former World Champion who qualified third, beat Josh Hart in a critical first round match between drivers currently battling for the No. 10 starting position in the Countdown. She then beat Billy Torrence, who had posted quick time of Top Fuel eliminations (3.662 seconds) in the opening round. However, things unraveled quickly against Brown as the John Force Racing dragster lost traction early and slowed from an opening 3.688 and a second round 3.746 to 4.692.
“Overall, this was a really good weekend,” said the 16-time tour winner and former Rookie-of-the-Year. “We made quite a bit of progress. Our goal was to qualify in the top five (and) we qualified third. First round, that .68 was an outstanding run. It slowed down a little in the second round but that was because the track was heating up. But it was another solid, clean run.
“Unfortunately, I drove into smoke in the semifinals. I let the car settle and tried to pedal it, but I could see him too far out ahead of us, so I just let it go. We’ll pack up and head to Norwalk (Ohio, for this week’s Night Under Fire match race) where we can keep continuing to figure this car out and get her ready for the Countdown.”