AUSTIN PROCK & GAIGE HERRERA VICTORIOUS AGAIN AT AMERICAN REBEL LIGHT VIRGINIA NHRA NATIONALS; JUSTIN ASHLEY DECLARED TOP FUEL WINNER
Gaige Herrera has won nine of 20 races in Pro Stock Motorcycle during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
DINWIDDIE, Va. (June 23, 2025) – Funny Car points leader and reigning
world champion Austin Prock won for the second straight year at Virginia
Motorsports Park on Sunday, defeating John Force Racing teammate Jack
Beckman in the final round of the fifth annual American Rebel Light
Virginia Nationals.
Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the ninth of 20 races
during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Justin
Ashley was awarded the Top Fuel victory after Shawn Langdon’s
final-round run was disqualified due to a rulebook violation.
In the final round, Prock went 4.061-seconds at 318.02 mph in his
12,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car, holding off
Beckman at the finish line and picking up his third win of the season.
Prock defeated Cruz Pedregon, Bob Tasca III and J.R. Todd to advance to
the final round en route to his 15th career victory. Prock and team
delivered a strong performance and it came at an ideal time after the
reigning champ lost in the first round at the past two races.
It was also an emotional win for Prock, as the matchup between JFR
teammates took place a year after legendary Funny Car driver John Force
was involved in a massive crash at Virginia Motorsports Park. Prock won
on that trying weekend a year ago and was thrilled to hand another
trophy to Force with his boss in attendance on Sunday.
“A lot of emotion for sure. Getting to win last year, that was huge
and being able to take the Wally to John as a team, that’s what we
wanted to do again today, and I’m happy that we could go back-to-back
and get the job done for him,” Prock said. “The trophy’s going
home with him. I might have to hide it in his suitcase or something. He
won’t take it off my hand, but it’s definitely going back with him.
“He does so much for me, and he’s given me an opportunity in a
lifetime to live my dream, so to win for him again today and be able to
celebrate his health and have him back out at the racetrack and doing
good and getting better every day means a lot for our team and all our
partners and even NHRA. This sport is not the same without John Force.
We’re very blessed to have him at the racetrack.”
Beckman moved back to second in points, reaching the finals for the
third time this season and 75th time in his career after round wins
against Jim Campbell, Paul Lee and Daniel Wilkerson. Prock leads his
teammate by 60 points heading to the halfway mark of the season.
In Top Fuel, Langdon’s run from the Top Fuel final round on Sunday at
Virginia Motorsports Park has been disqualified. The disqualification is
due to a rulebook violation related to missing bolts on the bellhousing
inspection cover.
Per the NHRA Rulebook and related SFI Spec 6.2, the cover is required to
be secured by no less than 12 bolts. During a post-run inspection, the
cover on Langdon’s dragster did not meet the requirement of 12 secured
bolts.
The final-round run has been disqualified and, as a result, runner-up
Ashley has been awarded the event victory.
Ashley, who picked up his first win of the season reached the final
round for the fifth time in the past six races, defeating Doug Foley,
Steve Torrence and Doug Kalitta. He moved to third in points with the
victory, which is the 16th in his career.
Gaige Herrera had to chase down Angie Smith in the finals in Pro Stock
Motorcycle, but the points leader won for the second straight year at
Virginia Motorsports Park with a run of 6.826 at 198.79 in the final
round on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki. Smith left first on
the back-to-back world champion, going 6.853 at 196.76, but Herrera had
just enough to get past her at the finish line.
It gives Herrera his third win of the season and 24 in his career, with
all of those coming since the start of the 2023 season. He continues to
impress at every turn, defeating Ron Tornow, Steve Johnson and No. 1
qualifier Brayden Davis to reach the final round. The qualifying
dominance hasn’t been there as of late, with Davis claiming the top
spot at the last two races, but Herrera remains in control on raceday,
stretching his points lead to 100 points over Matt Smith.
“I almost fumbled there in the final with my light,” Herrera said.
“A 150-degree track is just insane but NHRA did a phenomenal job and
Andrew [Hines, crew chief] had my bike consistent all day. Angie had a
fast bike and I had a little doubt when I looked over before 1,000 foot
and I saw her and thought ‘This is a little too close’ because the
Buells always have the mph. So when I looked over, I saw I was actually
pulling away from her (and) that was a good feeling.
“I’m having a lot of fun. Racing is all about competition, and that’s
what I love, it’s what drives me and pushes me to do better than I can.
I want to say I’m nervous racing Brayden and he always says he’s nervous
racing me, just because of all this good success I’ve had.”
Smith reached the final round for the first time this season and 10th
time in her career after defeating Dystany Spurlock, Matt Smith and
Richard Gadson.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action June 26-29
with the 19th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit
Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.
-NHRA-