NHRA Champ Austin Prock Did WHAT This Offseason?!

0:00Okay, everybody. We have a special addition stack and pennies because it's not every day you get to talk to a fellow like this Doesn't come doesn't live in town. We talked a lot of NASCAR winners. We talked to some motorsports people We're broadening our horizons if you will Stacking them deep sound them cheap. I taste like gasoline Rubber and victory. Where's that here stacks? Back to back defending and raining 30-year-old from Pittsburgh, Indiana and town so we had to get him over here the nonsense garage Please help me welcome Austin Brock Well, thanks guys for having me man. You've had quite the exciting offseason my friend. Yeah, yeah It's been a busy one to say the least I'll be honest, man. Obviously I am a I would say that I'm a fringe NHR a fan. I have a lot of friends Clay Milliken's a good friend So I keep up with it from afar, right and appreciate

1:05Standing next to a drags to rifle off from the trism's tree and blow your hair back, but I'll be honest When I did a quick Google search to do my research on you I did not realize you had all the stuff going on. I mean you just assume hey back to back two-time NHRA funny car champ Just gonna keep running her back. You got a whole family team. Nope. You packed it up Packed it up move over to Bob Taska racing. So Is the whole change is it weird? Is it uncomfortable? Are you excited? Is it all of those things? It's all those things. I worked at you know my previous employer from the time I was in high school till you know Just a few months ago. So that shop for the listeners. Yeah, John Force racing. So The that shop was kind of like home to me and being in a another race shop was kind of like being in another woman's bed You know, it just felt weird doesn't feel right. Yeah, and You know, it's been it's been fun. You know, I have my family with me still We moved as a bunch and got my whole team with me all the crew members a few other employees from the race shop

2:10So all familiar faces in there just a huge undertaking Making over this race team You know that oh there's been a lot of change going on the only thing that's the same in that building right now is the Expedition that toes the race card and the Ford Mustang dark horse body that's on it everything else has changed and We've been working 15 to 18 hour days seven days a week for the last few months and As a race car driver who didn't think I'd be in there, you know getting dirty with the boys But you know, I'm the one closing the doors at the end of the night So I know you're not wearing that ring when you're working on those top floors. No, some days I do I this thing's kind of hammered. I busted a couple diamonds out of it on the floor in the shop But yeah, yeah, yeah, I got to get your pause dirty and you know earn your keep What's the point in winning if you're not gonna wear it exactly? Yeah, I got a next week I get my second one on on the same hand and you can bet your ass off two of them on be dragging it around Blinding me yeah, they won't be 12 ounce curls anymore. They'll be 15 ounce

3:12Your dad was that forces for 27 years. Yeah, really that's all you've known your whole life, right? Yeah, for sure I never knew anything outside of that building and that's been a huge You know learning curve at John Forrest racing everything's done in house and you kind of live in your own world You know, you build your own parts you build your own chassis You don't deal with any outside manufacturers and going over to task erasing you deal with all outside manufacturers and you know trying to get things how they need to be the right way And you know, it's just been let alone the work But just making the relationships making the connections with the people that you need to deal with day in and day out has been a eye opener for sure So zoom out a little bit and give our majority NASCAR fans audience a little bit context, right? Let's back up So you had started drag racing straight line Relatively late. I don't know early 20s. Oh, we'll track guy. Let's go. Yeah, so you quarter magic kids you started Some spring cars right from from Indiana you pointed out

4:15Pittsburgh, Indiana is the quote unquote birthplace of Jeff Gordon We don't really know for sure where he's exactly born. We'll we'll talk to Jeff here in a couple weeks after drawings and but So you had some oval track experience naturally you gravitated to where your dad was and there was an opportunity and now you're hauling ass But is there any sort of oval racing interest that you keep on NASCAR at all do you watch spring cars? Yeah, I keep up with all of it, you know, this year like I said, I've been so busy in the shop I didn't even realize that NASCAR season was starting until the Sunday of the Daytona 500 So I'm definitely a NASCAR fan definitely a fan of all motor sports You know, you got horse power and four tires. I'm in so yeah, I enjoyed it I and I respect all all forms of motor sports and you know I'm game to get behind the wheel of any of them too. I love Indianapolis because like we were talking about I was like, well, where's your shop? You're like, oh, it's right next door to forces But like I love going and seeing Tommy from cold hard art like when I went and saw him and had lunch There was Indy car guys of lunch. There's the Indy race part spring car team at lunch like there's it's such a

5:19Melting pot for all sorts of different racers So like is there Indy car teams around you and spring car teams around you as well? Yeah, for sure Tony Stewart racing is right down the street from us and drag team now Yep drag team and spring car team Rico A Bruce taking over the range on that with Ricky Warner Those are two good friends of mine. So I'm excited for them this season But yeah, that's one nice thing about Living in Indianapolis area is it's all racers, you know, they're not much going on there Other than a few good steak houses and the you know the the racing scene and You know being around our breed essentially, you know, racers. We're we're all a little different But when you're surrounded by them, it's really nice speaking of a little bit different I feel like people that inhale nitro methane for 11 are a little bit different Because you got to be damn near crazy to go and that fast speaking of clay like clay last week He was in Cory's busted Daytona and I was like How you reverse age and then like you I was like Cory actually going to beer I was like we're out the check his ID and you're like no, I'm 30. Yeah, so what is it about nitro that makes you guys looks so much young

6:22It's the fountain of youth. Yeah, I honestly believe it does Well, yeah, no, I swear like I mean there's some there's some grassroots drag racers, you know, pioneers They'll live till 90 95 years old and all they did was huff nitro their whole life. Dude don't there's got to be something Don Perdone looks like he's you know 65 years old. Yeah, he's almost 90. Yeah, I've you ever met Don Perdone. Yeah, so I was at Daytona I was like dark I forget but Eddie would the wood brothers. He's like hey you're a racer coming here. I want to meet somebody and he walked me over He's like this is snake and I was like shit like they that was I wasn't ready, but I was like hey man So it's like he has like an aura around him. Yeah, he's like the rich or petty drag race for sure He have a short story to go along with that Don Perdone actually got me my first sponsorship to get on the NHRA tour in 2019 So yeah, he's a good family friend of mine. Oh shout out snake guys like him. I grew up Close to English town New Jersey. So my dad we would go to English town all the time So I was like a huge Bernstein. I was a big Joe Motto fan like my dad to my kid has a Joe Motto diecast in his room

7:27It's like a Pennsylvania guy. Yeah, Scranton. Yeah, and I love maple Grove I never been to maple Grove, but I was like because we went to English town, but Yeah, just like guys had so much swag like Bernstein Like and you had to back then because it was so skates. It's still sketchy. Yeah, and you then it was really sketchy. Yeah, but like I'm looking at this 11,000 horsepower blows my mind Every time I see it. Yeah, it's like we think 900s good, you know World Alice sprinklers got 900. Yeah, things got a lot of power Where the hell are they getting 11,000? Yeah Yeah, if you ask my dad it actually makes 13,000 by the torque sensor You win back-to-back championships by having a 13 year. Yeah, yeah, we make more horsepower than essentially any other race car in one cylinder That's so crazy So you driven both top fuel dragsters and funny cars Get into the weeds a little bit about how they drive differently because I

8:30That like it would be this looks the same to me. Yeah The the funny car is Tenfold harder to drive okay, you have the same amount of horsepower the same power plant and 125 inches of wheelbase rather than 300 You know, so I always for you know circle track racers or grassroots racers. I compare it to Non-wing sprint car the nitro funny cars the non-wing sprint car the The dragsters like driving a Cadillac down the freeway, you know It just kind of floats through there is it tough to drive? Yeah, but nowhere near is As tough as the nitro funny car. You got the bomb in front of you know the the engine sitting right on top of your feet The bell housings in between your feet the driveshafts between your legs You know the driveshaft when I sit in that thing the driveshafts a half inch away from my ass You know, and then you're sitting on top of the rear tires to brass balls sit on both sides of which which the funny car is one of the only cars I believe or motor sports where you actually sit on top of the rear axle

9:32So like getting that feel like when it steps out it feels so much different compared to any other race car Where you're just in front of the rear axle or or you know in the middle of the race car It definitely gives you you know Different aspects the first one feel like right because you you had this idea of what you expect going from alcohol cars To then top fuel dragsters to then I have one say how hard how are you gonna be holy moly? Yeah, I didn't have much drag racing experience before I got in the dragster. I only made probably eight runs in an alcohol dragster before I got in the top fuel car and John forcy threw me on a crash course like I've literally licensed in Supercomp dragster super gas and then got into the a fuel alcohol dragster Made I think three runs in an alcohol funny car But I only made just enough runs to get my license and each of those in the first time I ever competed Was my first professional debut in Pomona, California first race of the year. I licensed in the dragster

10:37Three days. I think two days before the national event made just enough runs to get my license And they sent me there and q1 was my first ever full pull never even went to the finish Which was ready. Where'd you qualify? I think we qualified in the top half. I think we might have been eight And I one first round in a pedal fast. I had never had to pedal a race car before I stood on the gas first round race in my teammate at the time and both of our cars shook and just instinct I got out of the gas slapped it again when you have slow tire shake like that You have to be able to decipher what the tires do and to understand how to apply the throttle back So One sensation is like the tire will like waffle the slot sidewall and if it does it as soon as you stand on the gas That means it's slow So you can just get off and slap it the quicker you slap it the better you're gonna run If it goes out there and goes 60 feet or 100 feet and then does that it's fast So then you have to get off let the tire recover roll into the throttle So it was a slow shake. I slapped it turned on the wind light no pair shoots

11:39Shortest shut down on tour got it stopped it and crash it and went on to second round. Did you forget the parachute? So they shouldn't come out. No, I went for them. I set them all up and they did not deploy Is that a common thing the drivers do their own pair shoots kind of like hey if I'm gonna jump at this airplane I want to be the one to mess this up. Yeah It's kind of Gone the other way a little bit you know, just like any other motor sport the driver used to always be hands on on the race car And you know some drivers are getting away from that I'm still heavily involved in every aspect of the race car You know, I'm surprised my hands aren't black right now. A cap still does it. I saw caps. Yeah caps caps packs his parachute It's I mean I do it because it's kind of the my crew has Better areas elsewhere to put their time and effort So I just do it to help help out if I can't get to it If I have media appearances, I have no problem You know trust in my guys to pack my parachutes. I trust them to assemble the engine in 30 minutes And send me on a 340 mile an hour run. So you go from the dragster and you get into the funny car the first time

12:44What what was did it feel like going from a non-wing to a wing from non-wing spring car? They were you like holy shit. That was harder and I thought it was yeah, absolutely I mean they the front like like your field of vision is tighter to yes You can't see out of it the front ends off the ground half the run They steered like shit. They don't have more downforce They do but the front it's so short that one tire if any tires are on the ground It's just one you know the things torqued up left front off the ground You know and aiming the race car is really important Just because it is shorter wheelbase when you do give it wheel input It's more prone to making the the rear axle free and just slipping So aiming the race car is much more important because when you stand on the gasvite carries the front end If you're trucking you want a land where you need to be On the racetrack, you know, if I'm in there hacks on the wheel from the start to the 330 Where they're starting to apply the clutch the crew chief's gonna be really mad at me because it's gonna smoke the tires a lot

13:45I think every land when you have wheel in it. Oh, yeah, take off one way or the other? Yeah, I mean it'll like I've had runs where it'll stick the tire You know and it'll leave all goofy and it'll pull the front end up and when it pulls the front end up It'll sit on the left rear and drive you towards the fence and then you're just in there. You can't lift I mean, you can but you know, then you're losers, you know, so You just hang on and you give it wheel But you start feeding it and then you go Well, this is all happening in a few thousands tens of a second your feeding wheel and you're like well I can't do that because when it lands it's gonna yank and then make it smoke the tire So like I'll start to give it wheel and then before it lands I'll bring it back and then try and feed it like just asking Jesus to take the wheel Naturally, but when you get sideways, you're giving a wheel. Yeah, yeah, natural So it's crazy. Yeah, they're Definitely always entertaining as soon as you think you got it under control it throws you first Before we had AT&T business wireless coverage our delivery GPS wasn't the most reliable once our driver had to do a 14 point turn to get back on

14:47Wrap a 14 point turn and influence a even live stream the whole thing Not good for business Now with AT&T business wireless routes are updating on the fly and deliveries are on time And the influence of the get us 53 new followers though AT&T business wireless connecting changes everything Some loop. What do you think? makes The what's the difference between the great ones and the good ones? I think being able to handle all conditions of what it's capable of doing You know when you make a night if you're on a gripped up race track and you go A to B all cylinders lit You hold the wheel fairly straight It's when you get into the situations where the crew chiefs got you you know There's there's a little bit of grip on the starting line if you're lined up way outside of the groove and you got to launch the tracks Greasy out there bring it back to the middle of the race track without making it being smooth being finessed

15:48Just like any other motor sport when it smokes the tires or it shakes like making the right instinct decision to get the tire to recover because Even if my car smokes the tires I'm hoping the guy next door does too and I always want it if we smoke the tires I always want to be the guy that wins because I did the better job recovering the race car So all that's really important to me being able to when when you drop a cylinder when it's running on eight the thrust per Propulsion is even on each side when you drop a cylinder it actually thrust steers So if you lose a cylinder on the left the right thrust is gonna drive the car around to the left literally from the exhaust pushing the exhaust I'll tell you a story about that here in a second So when when it drops a hole it feels like you're trucking through there It'll drop a hole. It feels like you got T-bone. That's how quick it turns oh So as soon as you feel that the more square you can keep the thrust The easier it is to get back you might be hand over fist to keep it straight

16:49But if you let it get away from the the vector of the thrust out of going straight You can't get it back and you just feed wheel until you have to lift whether you're gonna cross the center line or hit the wall So what's your story? So my dad figured out how important thrust was a few years back. I think it was 2017 and He decided to the exhaust he decided to lay the exhaust back To help instead of push down push back instead of downforce help it propel the race car So he dreams up these pipes dude. I mean they built them hack You know they built them with broomsticks. They had broomsticks in the headers to try and figure out what angle They thought it needed to be well They put these things on and one started carrying the front end more made the race cars way more difficult to drive Because the front ends lighter but faster and two exactly and two The sun was up one day the track was like 120 or 115 degrees, which is fairly warm for us. Track temperatures equates the grip

17:52and he ran the national record with the sun up and He walked off the starting line just with his tail between his legs like What did I just create you know and now every now every cars got every cars got him laid back Any try I had to build a rule around it saying you can't lay him back more than this and it was a whole deal But it picked the category up mile-and-hour and ET like crazy and all he did was tip him back Everyone silver did that with Larson spring card. Did you ever see that where they flip the collectors up? He was like he wasn't doing good and they flipped him up and everybody was talking about he started winning again But they they'll bust your chops for having your collectors up like in the modified series because they say it's downforce So like everybody and F1 uses their exhaust to go over their wings like that That's been a thing even a NASCAR for a little bit With the next-gen car Because everybody's cars are the same the margins are so slim So everybody was trying to get their pipes out a little further for a little more downforce and how you know Everybody's got CFD now and it wraps around the car

18:54So you know talking about that You switch manufacturers and I always wonder like I understand what manufacturers support no EM support means for the NASCAR Sikes have been around for ever but like how important is that on the NHRA side with data and Tires and everything that they do. It's just as important You know the obviously your arrow package is important and being able to have Access to engineers and the resources that these big corporate manufacturers have This is something new to us that we have and I think that my team can really take advantage of it My brother is a mechanical engineer. He actually used to work down here He was a race engineer for Stewart Haas and oh here 2019 to 2022. I think I was in 2011. Yeah, he was on Boyer's car and then he was on briscoe's car Was there anything that he took from NASCAR? It's what he learned tired data. Yeah, he learned he learned so much down there The budget is so much more you have so much more room to expense on R&D

19:56He learned so many things like he's he's a big reason of the success that we've had in NHRA drag racing You know that they the year. I think Harvick won the Brickyard 400 My brother Thomas designed the rear clip for it. So that was kind of a cool, you know Edition to his resume kissing me off because we were we were leading Yeah, and Rodney short put us laughing the cost came out where I was a blaney. Okay, we run second And it's still chaps my ass. Yeah, so I appreciate bringing it up I got a random question if you We're at the bar prior to having a couple beers and you just grabbed John Smith sitting there and you literally put a helmet on him Plugging the top to a car. What would happen? He'd crash How so say say it's like okay when it goes green pal you just mash it and see what happened Yeah, they you're accelerating so fast ESPN back in the day did this Like diagnostics on NHRA drag racing and if you were lined up one degree off and you stood on the gas

20:57How many feet you would travel off to the left? Mm-hmm by the finish line and it was like hundreds of feet so one just being able to steer it and understand where you're going and two being able to withstand just getting your head rocked Which you know jesus is that off the off the bounds? It's four to five off the starting line and then we'll jiggle the engine we take a little timing out of it To get the tire to regain traction and then when we jam the timing back in it and apply the clutch We'll get six through the middle of the race track So like it leaves it launches hard. This is a funny car dragster. You can apply the clutch a lot more aggressively because of the wheelbase But it leaves it'll have the front end in there. It'll land You'll feel the tire kind of catch back up and then they send it and it'll pull the front end off the ground in the middle of the racetrack If you apply the clutch really aggressively But yeah, just just being able to understand How quick you need to react to that thing when it leaves and it goes left

21:58You know being on top of it and understanding what direction you're going to bring it back into the middle of the groove I think the majority of like I would say 98% of people Wouldn't even want to touch on the gas. Yeah, like they wouldn't want to get in that pan So like a lot of first time drag racers even though it's just like super comp like a super comp dragster It runs like nine seconds in the quarter mile at 150 miles an hour. Mm-hmm fast car But not like what we do But when they hit the throttle let off the trans break hit the throttle 90% of them lift when it hits when it hits them in the back of the seat their foot comes off the gas And that thing's running, you know, nine ten seconds. Just saying my nitro funny car When I stand on the gas in two tenths of a second it goes from 2,600 RPM to 8,600 RPM And in less than eight tenths of a second. I'm doing a hundred miles an hour. How much Eight tenths of a second it takes about 60 feet about the length of a semi truck from a dead stop doing a hundred

23:02Dude, do you wear like a like a whoop strap or fit bit? Is that a fit better? What do you know this is a wristband? Have you ever want like a whoop to see what your heart rate is during a run? No, I've always wanted to any cherries talked about like getting one that they can you know use as a community one to put on television I would love to see what it looks like You got to be pinned like I mean when I get out of the race car at the top end I always say I feel like I could knock out Mike Tyson Like there is no better feeling in the world than getting out of that race car After going three hundred and forty miles an hour and then feeling the shoot it So I've been a picker guy forever and we work 12 seconds at a time 10 seconds at a time whatever it is And they did that to us when they first started doing it and our Heart rate would stay fine until after the stop and everything was over then it would shoot So I wonder if you guys are the same way where you're like you're like in flow state And then when it's done it's like oh, yeah, it's crazy. I would I would believe that because like when

24:04I kind of Coral ate us to like sharp shooters, you know like you have to be Calm breathing very focused Meticulous like when you're lining up and like waiting for the tree to drop and then you know when you stand on the gas obviously You get four g-stone at you. I'm sure your heart rate goes through the moon too. That's got to be a just an unbelievable experience How do you try to get like Are you head? Are you like cranking up music? Pound in an energy drink like what sort of like Physical space do you need to be in prior to like Your your your 341. Yeah, yeah, I like to vibe like I'm always blaring music in the staging lanes either whether it's in my Exhibition or what's your music? I on race day. I love hip-hop like what you're going to like Mark Barnes Yeah, yeah, I love Gucci man. I love that about Mark Martin I've been I've been a big on Primo rice lately and

25:06What's other dude? Your dad vibe out for some Crap off. Yeah, he doesn't he doesn't screw with me though on race day. I play whatever I keep winning championships. I'll let you listen wherever you want to. Yeah, one thing I think that is super cool that Ford does Is they get everybody together at the beginning of the year? Were you able to be part of this yourself? Yeah, that was that was my first day of school the network That gets done there with like even when I think about guys like Vaughan or Ben Hobson who drives their drift cars Daniel or car like you get to meet everybody that's involved How cool is that been to be a part of it's been awesome I just left another deal like that today. We had a immersion day. They called it, you know learning the ins and out of Ford racing and You know what their vision is and how they want us to promote their brand. So It definitely is cool that they get everybody in all different categories together. You meet a lot of people and You know everybody's been really nice so far. So yeah, it's definitely been cool. I've never had

26:07Got to experience that in my previous career. So I definitely loved the way they handle business Did you see Blaney's mustache up close? Yeah, I sat next to him today the thing it was like tickle and me from a foot away That dude that thing looks like cousin hits it on the top of her left, bro. They just hilarious. What um You're young man. You're 30 years old two-time NHR a champ. What is like How much more Do you chase how much more do you get to go after and then do you even think about what you want to drive next or what you want to do? Yeah, I'm cut throat. I just want to keep winning You know, that's the only expectation I have out of myself out of my team You know, I want to go three in a row, you know, that's the goal right now and You know the the more you win the better position You know, you're going to set yourself up for the future. So and the longevity of your career too So yeah, I want to race it out all the way until the day I'm done and when I'm done I might just disappear like martin Truex. Well, bro. You keep you know, breathe the nitramethan

27:10You can run to your 100. Yeah, I I I watched I was on my dad's shoulders sitting on my dad's shoulders and watch John forest quick time On a Friday like Friday nights in my favorite time. Yeah uh watch some quick time At english town and then my kid was on my shoulders and watch John forest quick time Whatever it was three years ago. So like The career the the runways long and you have two at 30 like what what's the record? Do you see a 15 16? Yeah So is that a goalie yours or is your goalie yours to spread your wings and maybe do because you're a cord magic kid race midgets spring cars and You know that I wonder if it's any anapolis thing because like celzy Tony a lot of those guys run that but like Is that something with the four connection? Maybe like kid like the Jumping in a little trouble. Yeah, I would love to like like I said earlier anything with an engine in four wheels I'm game to drive uh I believe in myself that I could do a good job too You know, I'm a racer at heart and if you got that passion inside you know I believe you can do anything you want So I'm always open to trying new things um, you know, I you know, I'm young you know as you said 30

28:16But in the racing industry, I'm kind of old now. So you know, no dude not in Funny cars. Yeah Yeah, but go another routes, you know Um, not to say that's never gonna happen, but you know the the idea of it's probably getting smaller But uh, yeah, I'm always open to anything. I don't know where my career is going to take me I'm happy where I'm at, but we're always open for new adventures. It's Mark Rushbrook Head over over for brace and came to you right now. It's like Pick a car to run. We got you know broncos into car. We got Obviously the cup cars. We've got Half one car Would be like, oh, give me the keys for that one Ah, that's a hard decision um, you know, I Off the top of my head. I really think that those V8 supercars are pretty interesting. They uh, they seem like they Hall asked they seem like they're a handful. They're tough to drive You know, you can beat and bang. It seems like and everything, you know, you can still be pretty quick that way

29:19Of stock car has always been on my list of things to drive. I'd never got the opportunity to do it I had opportunities right before I went drag racing and you know after that everything was kind of sold up But uh, or a wing sprint car world about law wing sprint car racing or high limit sprint car racing For our listeners Do you feel like Sprink cars would be better if they put starters on them and you didn't have to push them off with the Jeep every time you ran No, it ruined the sport Get out here Oh, man, so there's a where's that sign that that would be like making NASCAR turn right instead of last No, it would not it would actually be like hey, you know what? It's 2026. Let's start these things off well Just in 1887 lawson, Larsson was in here and We had this somebody gave a sign right there says put starters on sprink cars on a friend of mine In the Lanx city. She brought me stickers. I got to bring him in here But uh, Larsson was like, you know, I always felt the same way Till I drove at their late mind, and I just started it and drove out on the track And I was like this is pretty nice. Yeah, have you ever drove one before?

30:21No, buddy. I would yeah, first time I got in the rumble midget Uh, I didn't have started. So they're giving all this stuff and like hey You know, you know, Luciconi. I know the same blue. Yeah is a just a legend in world. They know The world of super like super modified midgets. Yeah, all that So he's like my mentor there and I'm like, hey man. Just one small as you I don't start this thing. So like oh, you got to Get it going watch the fuel or watch your oil then flip the fuel on and then fire it up And then like the fuel was too far away. So my belts had to be loose So then I like start it and I pull my ear buds out when I get the time I'm like what the hell am I doing here? But to your point shutting it off With the fuel is just a sketchy because when you shut off us Like it gets way lean. Yeah, way loud, but I can't even imagine Do you know I'm still sweating from the story there's just something about though Like when you jam that thing in gear and the push track gets behind you and Start, you know, shoving you off and the wheels are locked up and the thing's skating and all the sudden

31:24Odorides are compression Like and also when that sucker fires like you just said there's no turning back. Yeah It's game on you got to go but you got to let her read you got to let it eat I want you to we pulled Not this video game got the other one. I sent the group chat the His his record setting run there's been Nobody faster and funny car. Correct. No three four one point six eight. Yeah Do you did you know like when you made that rumour you like that might be it like I knew it was trucking I didn't know that it was gonna run 340 because when it starts pulling it always feels fast But I caught the scoreboard out of the corner of my eye and Obviously, it was pretty impressed So and the the best thing about this run is that was Round one of eliminations like we just dropped it on them, you know Where's the scoreboard for you to catch it on the left side of the wall? So but like yeah, he's passing it four It used to be in a quarter mile and moved it back Yeah, so we raised to a thousand feet so the scoreboard is right at a quarter mile

32:26So 320 feet past finish back back that thing up good right to where he staged so When you go up to the line right you got the explain to me like I have never watched drag racing before You're driving this Auto Club yeah the old the old casserole GTX hot rod here and so you're pulling up to the line Walk me through that process. All right, so Um They'll I'll back up from the burnout they'll raise the body do the final adjustments on the race car What are those final adjustments? Um, they'll you know look over everything They'll take the like burnout switch off of it that changes the fuel map Um, they'll do they chart now on alcohol and no no, it's all on nitro They'll charge the clutch make sure the the bearing on the clutch is all the way push back and it's starting position Yeah, look at fuel pressure oil pressure makes sure everything's functioning properly Look for leaks. They'll drop the body all my dad will roll me into the beams just before the first pre stage ball

33:28Yeah Once I'm set there he'll nod to the other crew chief make sure he's ready He'll just the barrel valve the final adjustment on the barrel valve What's the barrel valve? Where the it's our fuel manifold essentially so inlet outlet a fuel returns Um, he'll adjust the barrel valve and when he walks off all uh, I'm very Like time-oriented and my routine. I think that doing the same thing over and over again benefits me Because it puts me in a state of mind that I'm comfortable and I'm not thinking overthinking So he'll walk off. I'll do my count. I'll roll in pre stage let the other guy pre stage At this point when you're ready to pre stage like you got to be ready to go um, so once both cars are pre-staged all I got the brake on I actually have a push brake all let off of the clutch So that you'll actually if you listen closely if you ever go to the races you'll hear the RPM drop Because the clutch pedals out and it's just it's tugging or And you're holding it with the brake all bump in

34:30Just because you you just want to light that stage ball the first one the second Okay, the second one is the fully stage ball because when you just light it Your racetrack is longer So you can you'll get more performance out of the race car I have a I have an option to roll seven feet or I mean seven inches closer to the finish line But it makes the ET and speed look worse and but your reaction time better because you're closer to the actual starting beam So I just like that bulb Another guy will go in and when that yellow light drops Hammer down and you have to be 100% focused on those amber bulbs You know because you're asking these cars race so close to each other now You'll win or lose by a thousandths of a second So one thousandths out of my human body is can make or break us Potentially winning the race if it's first round So when you were watching right they light up Your pre stage lights and then he I dude he literally just dropped it with his thumb look He just he just pulled it

35:33He's a god nailed it So Yeah, I'll do that was all your break you push it forward Yeah, and then let it go punch your foot Yeah, so and your break and throttle have to be in sync all the time because if I hit the gas with the break on It's gonna screw up the first few rotations of the tire like literally the first quarter rotation of our tire Can dictate if the cars going down the racetrack or smoking the tires instantly So like having those in sync being a machine simultaneously Getting off the break and on the throttle is really important I was talking to Clay Milliken last week in his bus and you know tires are super important asphalt racing So I was asking about the tires and he's like, you know, we'll actually I was asking about stagger he's talking about the crown of the track and he said we actually We'll measure the tires and use them smaller ones or bigger ones for our gear ratio Yeah, because you're locked into a geary run, but that's how you'll change gear Yeah, the the smaller tire will give you more um drive shaft speed initially

36:33You know because it's gonna it's gonna free up quicker where the taller tire is harder to pull You know, even though we have 13 11,000 13,000 draws are down. Yeah, yeah, so you will tune we also use our tires This is a shit show. That looks like a bouncy one. Yeah We'll actually use our tires. So a new tire we don't have suspension So we actually use our tires as suspension as well. Oh there do so a new a new tire has a stiffer sidewall and then like a eight run tire has a much softer sidewall. So we'll Depending on the track conditions. So a tire with eight runs on it. Yeah, you can get it to that You don't want to run it any more than that, but you can junk a set of tires in one run or you could get eight out of them This depends. Yeah, that this is a pedal fast right here. Yeah, this was a bucking bronco. That was not intentional Can you is it this one here? This one you beat him. Yeah, I actually did end up winning that round too That's I had no intentions of doing that. No, but yeah

37:34It's just So it's starting to come loose Yeah, and I thought it was just barely on the edge of making it or not So what I tried to do was just roll out half throttle and flat foot it back Well, it just blew them off and then I was kind of behind the race car Well, once I like got back to I tried just rolling into the throttle Well as soon as I cracked the blades It picked the front end up and when it picked the front end up my foot came off the throttle And when it landed my foot went back on the throttle and it literally bucked me for 800 feet Just And move your head like do you doesn't do you move much in your seat or you have a pretty locked in you're locked in like you can barely Breathe when you get strapped in these things like we get strapped in One of my crew members Bobby straps me in and like he literally tries breaking me in half like you cannot You put on your chest really like you're so tight that you can't form a full sentence like you run out of breath You're you're a mouthpiece. I'm like no, I don't some drivers do I'd never

38:36I never was a fan of wearing a mouthpiece In any motor sport. Oh, that was John's big Rick. Yeah. Yeah, that was nasty when Man, I asked this question the captain who's on here, but it came across wrong because I was I was a virtual but like We are in the car like in a funny car, and it blows up and blows the body off What is that what is the pressure like in there? So feel like a bomb goes off for sure. Yeah, it is a bomb Like I mean that that body weighs 200 pounds and you have three four thousand pounds a downforce on it And it blows it into the air like that like that kind of puts it in retrospect like your ears like what is it? Yeah, it gives you a headache like it literally can be a cuss as you Whoa, but it It'll blow your visor open. Come on. Mm-hmm. I've seen it kind of how much you were I wear a bell Where a bell do you have a strap like a lock on it? Yeah, they so this is my I grew up racing Bell and when I raced over there

39:36We he was all Simpson branded. Yeah, so I got back with Bell this year But they just delivered my helmets last week, and it's got this new formula one lock on it. It's a spring loaded like Lock in like when it goes down the button comes out and then you have to press the button in to peel it up That thing's nice It's a little bit of a pain to get open with this is me off Yeah, after a burnout your choke damn it. Yeah Yeah, you don't want to open your visor in one of these There you we have fresh air in them, and that's the only way you can breathe is Breathing that you open the visor you're just inhaling Fumes natural. Yeah, and smoke. I got some soft balls for you Well, you bring up smoke. I want to transition that the Tony to Sony. Yeah, I mean That guy could literally race wheel barrels and be successful and he's incredible has Um, has that how successfully has been surprised you No, not at all. I I've known Tony since I was 10 years old and uh, you know He's always impressed me. He's just a natural god-given talent

40:37You know anything he touches he wins in and uh, he does a really good job in that race car You know, they put a good race car under him. He's gonna win a lot more too, you know our sport It's It's almost reversed of a normal sport or like a NASCAR like 6040. It's kind of the other way true to driver You know, you got to be on when it's time to be on But if your race car is not going up the racetrack the only time you can help it out is if the other guy screws up Just as bad as you so uh, you put a good race car under him. He's gonna be lethal That's what that's this is the video I was talking about. Oh, yeah, this is it You getting a stuck throttle. Yeah Whoa, it looks like you're doing a really long burnout man. Yeah pretty much He did get her shut down and yeah, how you explain it was exactly how it looked Yeah, still doing 145 miles an hour. Yeah, and it was shut off It was probably running 220 fucking sideways Hey, so Tony has a Tony has a impeccable way of explaining Breaking down race cars even when I work for him his feedback was phenomenal

41:39But one thing I heard him say that like Leipold like man, that's a no-brainer, but you never think about it. He said My My first run of the nitro car my head was six feet behind. Yep. Like he he's like I got to work on getting caught up because The car was six feet in front of where my head was is that how like is that a common thing with? Yeah, it's just like anything like when you move up the ranks when you're grown up racing You know you you go up to that next level and the cars driving you you're not driving it and it's like that But on steroids, you know, you're accelerating like Nobody should accelerate essentially. It's the fastest accelerating vehicle on the planet. Human bodies are not built for that. Yeah, no I was gonna ask you because I'm Uh a big I was a big drag race van grown up. What's your favorite? paint scheme or car of all time That's hard. I loved um Gary Selsie's Oakley Mo Parkers back Yeah, because I was saying Scotty Kings. Yeah, they were so sweet all hand-painted by banty

42:44They were beautiful. Dude, I literally have that. That's what I've been looking at But also and it had his mustache on the side. Yeah, like kind of like a caricature of himself Well, Scotty can and had he was the one that wore the glasses over his head Yeah, but then like I was always I always got excited When the moon eyes car came out, but like I Was a swamp thing Who's that who was a swamp rat? Swamp rat Uh, big daddy dog cars. Yeah, that was a swamp. Yeah, those things were so sick And I was like, did you ever watch grown up? We'd be driving a quarter measure races Eight years older than you so might have been out, but like and they walked away. Yeah, yep That was like I watched them a lot. Yeah, like watching that thing flip over backwards turn and come back down the track and Like those guys, but is there any other cars that kind of stick out to you that were like iconic? Uh, yeah, I mean John forces cars. Obviously the Superman cars back in the day when they used to do the themed You know all across all motor sports, you know steep kenser had one

43:47Joel motto had one force had one like those were cool days the rap fink cars were cool You know the skull cars don't perdome school cars with scabs Those the teen cars one was blue one was green black and green Those were supports. Yeah, for sure The Winston cars will be able to bring back the wins 10 days baby That's right. Some darts and some drag racing boys the duffel bag Pass them out Uh, so you're You're in greens will win like when's it start up? Uh, yeah, we race next weekend. So uh, I'll go back to Indie tonight and uh work Till Saturday trucks leave Sunday morning and uh start testing Tuesday Test Tuesday Wednesday have Thursday off to regroup and Fridays first uh Gator national events. Yeah, qualifying Friday Saturday race Sunday. Awesome, buddy Well, yeah, it's been fun to talk to you. I appreciate that. We'll definitely be watching along. How can fans follow your journey?

44:47Yeah, proc rocket underscore tf Um, it's my old top fuel handle. I never changed it That on all platforms awesome proc on Facebook. Uh, it's a good blend of uh motor sports and culinary arts. Oh, let's ask you about that Right. This guy's like the most a good follow. Yeah, this guy's like the uh, uh, you know, most interesting man out there This guy drives three hundred forty miles an hour and also has a culinary arts degree. Yeah, what's your what's your go-to dish? Yeah, I don't have one. I'll dream stuff up wake up in the morning right at down and go to the store No recipes just off the cuff and uh, just get down Yeah, yeah, I try. Yeah, he's he's like an idol. Yeah, him and Bobby foie. You ever met him? Uh, no, I haven't. Hopefully Ford can hook me up with that You don't want to meet your idols, dude. You might cook him a dish. He might tell you suck. Yeah, I would hope he does You know, I want him to be the guards ramsy. I see on television. Well, if if Gordon ramps you'd say man around you had a kitchen What would you make for? Ah, I don't know. It's just however, I cook well how I feel I feel like how you feel right now

45:49Yeah, the first thing that came to mind is I made it. It's kind of chilly in here I made a bomb lobster bis the other day And first stab at it and it was on it like not toot in my honor It was the best lobster bisque I've ever had. Let's go. It was good. Maybe I'll stop on that right when you come to Charlotte You better have some lobster bisque in the trailer. We'll stop by buddy Oh, man, so I'm excited. We got to ask him a question three questions. Yeah, we can't let him go just yet Generally, these are oval track guys that are sitting here But that's not often we get a dragster guy. So you need question if you had to pick one car and one racetrack to race out the rest of your life Would you go with? IRP pavement midget. Okay, sick Some of those fun. I've ever had in the race car man That is a cool you got to commit there no break floated in there run the right front towards the wall and hammer down Hey, they're coming back. Yeah, I know I actually I got some I'm gonna do the Ford focus deal I believe that a little Thursday night thunder series this year. I want to do the one at the speedroom

46:49Yeah, I have some little 500 little hooks in the water journey. I won my first focus midget racer first time ever standing Yeah, that place looks sick question number two What's the most embarrassed you've been at the racetrack? Uh, probably that video you just showed me bebop in the throttle for 800 feet I won I did win, but I mean that is pretty down look and I thought it was cool as hell and you still want so what fans thought it was awesome like I went back to the trailer And I'm like tail between my legs head down and all the fans are like dude. You're the best drag race forever I'm like all right. Let me tell my dad that. Yeah, he's pissed right now Last question man. If I had the you're you're close to our age Um, so you'd get the men and black reference cement men and black. Yeah, right. You get the pen. Is that sorry? Remember? Yeah If I had that pen and I got the zap all your memories, but you only got to keep one racing memory would he keep Ah

47:50That's tough Probably winning my first championship that or Win in my first ever race Win in the championship probably I pretty much locked it up one race before the uh The season was over. It was Mathematically done, but I had to show up to Pomona and just get like entry points So winning the final round in Las Vegas to Cap it off. We won it on a Monday race got canceled on Sunday for Some weather conditions and rolled it out there Monday and won the race No fans there just the boys just the team and celebrate it big No traffic leaving no traffic leaving. Yeah, awesome Well, you guys know where to find us whether you're listening Where we find your podcasts or YouTube special edition episode because we had a special guest Special edition guest here in Austin proc back to back champion go over three in a row, buddy. We wish you luck That's right. Everybody follow along Austin and that uh was a Bob Taska racing that four Mustang dark horse

48:52It's gonna be a good cool year I'm certainly gonna be keeping up with you more this year wish you luck and thanks for subbing in yeah Thanks for having me. This is a good time. Yeah, buddy. Y'all have a good day keep stacking pennies guys talking next week. Bye