Just like other motorsport counterparts, competition is the lifeblood of drag racing.

But a close second to competition are rumors: beliefs, allegations, or simply hypothesizing about something that may or may not become reality. Call it Silly Season or whatever, but fans, media, and other teams love to hear gossip, be it good, bad, or ugly.

Such is the case with John Force Racing. Just over a week after Force, the winningest driver in drag racing history (16 championships, 157 national event wins) shocked the sport by officially announcing he’s done driving after more than 60 years of challenging the two-lane, as well as daughter Brittany Force retiring to begin a family, reports furiously flew over the weekend that two-time defending NHRA Funny Car champion Austin Prock is leaving – or may already have left – the Force fold for a new organization.

But that’s not all: many of those same rumors also include Austin Prock – career winner of 17 Funny Car and four Top Fuel national events – taking his father and crew chief Jimmy Prock, and his brother and co-crew chief Thomas Prock, along with at least one of Austin’s major sponsors at JFR coming along with him to his believed new home.

Where Might Prock Be Heading?

Nothing has been formally announced, but several of those same rumors have the Prock family moving to Bob Tasca III Motorsports for 2026. Ford is set to make a major announcement about its overall 2026 racing operational plans on Jan. 15 in Detroit (which includes its involvement with BTM), but I can’t see how, if the rumors are true about Prock going to Tasca and Ford, they can be kept under wraps for nearly two more months.

On the surface, Prock to Tasca makes some sense. There used to be an alliance between Force, Tasca, and Ford several years ago, before Ford (and primary sponsor Castrol Oil) ended their long-term relationships with Force after the 2014 season.

But I’m not so sure I totally believe the Prock-to-Tasca scenario. There is one other major NHRA team that is currently undergoing significant changes in its corporate structure that I still believe the Prock’s could wind up with – even if I’m in the minority with my opinion. It’s a story I’ve heard privately for well over a year. For now, I’m not naming that other organization because of the uncertainty of the rumor’s validity, but it would not be a surprise or a reach if things do play out that way for Prock instead of with Tasca.

Sure, things may have changed, and the Tasca camp may still ultimately become the new home for Austin, Jimmy, and Thomas next season, but I won’t be 100% convinced until an official announcement is made.

Why Would Prock Want to Leave JFR?

One might wonder why all three of the Procks would want to leave JFR, particularly when Force has said numerous times in the last two years that Austin was the future of the organization and would likely eventually take over from John as JFR’s No. 1 driver.

Truth be told, Prock has already become JFR’s No. 1.

Given what he’s done for Force and JFR in the last few years, why wouldn’t Prock want to stay on and become Force’s hand-picked successor for the organization?

But if there ever was a time for the Procks to move on, now is that time. His value and talent have never been worth more. With uncertainty surrounding JFR and its future, it makes sense for the Procks to get out while the getting is good – or while they can.

Prock’s situation is very similar to that of current NHRA TV announcer and former Funny Car driver Tony Pedregon, who defeated Force, his boss at the time, to win the 2003 Funny Car championship – only to jump ship after that season to join older brother Cruz in a family team for the next several years.

How Will Prock’s Departure Impact How Many Cars JFR Fields in 2026?

If the rumors about the Prock’s packing up and leaving JFR in their rearview mirror ultimately do play out, John Force Racing’s future is concerning. It was only a few years ago that JFR had a four-car contingent. But as of this writing, the organization only has two cars slated to compete next season: “Fast Jack” Beckman in Force’s Funny Car and Josh Hart, who will replace the retired Brittany Force in JFR’s Top Fuel dragster.

That’s not saying when the season-opening race in Gainesville, Florida rolls around March 5-8, JFR will still be a two-car operation. A highly-placed source told me Sunday night that the organization is currently negotiating with at least two other high-profile drivers to bring the team back to a full four-car contingent for 2026: three Funny Cars (of which one would obviously replace Prock – unless by some miracle he stays put) and one Top Fueler.

If those rumors prove to be true, the names I’ve heard will not only be surprising to many drag racing fans, but will also give JFR a much-needed performance and financial (can you say “pay-for-play”/buying a seat potential?) boost if Prock and family do indeed leave.

Not Only Does JFR Need More Drivers, It Also Needs Better Leadership

But JFR also faces another significant problem: leadership. Or more precisely, lack thereof.

Right now, the organization gives the impression of being a rudderless ship that is seemingly holding things together with chewing gum and baling wire. Could that also be part of Prock’s rationale for moving on?

Robert Hight quit as team president earlier this year to start a new career as a firearms accessories company owner. The 76-year-old Force, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a crash near Richmond on June 23, 2024, is not the man he used to be and remains so limited physically and otherwise that he can’t run things by himself.

Sure, Force excitedly said during his retirement announcement that he has several big announcements coming in the next few months, but could that all be hyperbole built upon uncertainty and fear for JFR’s future – or perhaps even a dig at Prock and what he’ll miss if he and his family do leave?

Countless people have come and gone through the revolving doors at JFR over the years – including Jimmy Prock, who left JFR in 2014 just as Ford and Castrol were also departing – to work for the late Don Schumacher. The elder Prock eventually returned to JFR (reportedly only upon the condition that Force give Austin a chance to drive), but there is very little optimism for the future of a company without a strong leader to replace both Force and Hight.

With all the talented people in the sport that are available, why hasn’t Force hired someone who is significantly more qualified to run the company and trust its future and his and his family’s legacy with? I can think of at least a half-dozen names off the top of my head that would be a significant addition to the long-term leadership of JFR.

Even one of the sport’s greatest champions, as both a driver and team owner, Don Prudhomme, who has had a long-standing feud with Force, took to Facebook to question Prock’s departure.

Another thing to keep in mind, while two of Force’s daughters still work for the organization in administrative capacities, it appears none of them are interested in taking over leadership of the company.

NHRA will celebrate its 75 anniversary next year and has said it will honor Force’s legacy and impact on the sport in 2027 (which would mark his 50 year of racing in NHRA). That seems odd to me. Why not make Force the centerpiece of the 75 anniversary, rather than wait until the following year, given all that he’s done for and meant to the sport and its fans?

Or could 2027 be JFR’s swan song as an organization? I’ve read several online comments from fans questioning whether JFR will still be in business in a few years, or if perhaps Force will eventually be forced (no pun intended) to sell the operation to a new owner. The fans’ logic makes sense: I can see that happen – perhaps more so out of necessity to remain viable.

As the old saying goes, nothing lasts forever. We’ve seen other greats like Richard Petty eventually be forced to sell his organization, so the current entity no longer carries the iconic Petty name.

That’s likely what’s going to happen to JFR, in my opinion.

JFR Already Has a Potential New Leader Already in the Family

There is one person who I would love to see take over the Force enterprise, someone who is already part of the family: son-in-law Graham Rahal, who is married to Force’s youngest daughter, Courtney. The veteran IndyCar driver has already carved out a successful business empire with several companies and even a motorcycle racing operation he owns. And with only a few more years left in his racing career, while Rahal is also being groomed to eventually replace his father Bobby as the point man for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, he’d also be the perfect guy to take JFR into the future.

As much as I hate rumors, oftentimes that’s the only way truth and reality emerge. What eventually happens to Prock, Force, and NHRA remains to be seen, but like eating at a buffet, the more offerings that are put on display, the hungrier we get for more gossip.

That’s exactly where we’re at right now. Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride going forward – with even more likely and potentially larger surprises still to come.