John Force Racing (JFR) has officially extended its partnership with HendrickCars for the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. This renewed collaboration ensures that HendrickCars, the online automotive retail platform of NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick, remains a prominent sponsor across JFR’s lineup of championship-winning drivers: Brittany Force, Austin Prock, and Jack Beckman.
The agreement, announced in late January 2025, solidifies HendrickCars’ presence on JFR’s Top Fuel and Funny Car entries throughout the upcoming season.
Comprehensive Sponsorship Details for 2025
Under the extended partnership, HendrickCars will serve as the primary sponsor of Brittany Force’s Top Fuel dragster at two high-profile events in 2025. These races are both held at North Carolina’s zMAX Dragway: the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals on April 26-28 and the newly added Carolina Four-Wide Nationals during the Countdown to the Championship playoff on September 20-22.
These four-wide events, where four cars race simultaneously, hold special significance as Brittany Force made history in 2016 as the first woman to win an NHRA Four-Wide Nationals event.
Beyond these headline races, HendrickCars will be a major associate sponsor on Brittany’s dragster at all other national events in the 2025 season. The blue-and-white HendrickCars branding, which debuted on her Top Fuel car in 2024, will continue to appear alongside her primary sponsor, Monster Energy.
The renewed deal also extends to JFR’s Funny Car operations, with HendrickCars remaining a key associate sponsor on the Chevrolet Camaro Funny Cars driven by Austin Prock and Jack Beckman. Prock’s car, which he drove to the 2024 NHRA Funny Car world championship, and Beckman’s car, which he pilots on behalf of recovering team owner John Force, will both carry HendrickCars logos in 2025.
Team Leadership Perspectives on the Partnership
JFR team owner John Force expressed gratitude and excitement about the continued alliance with Hendrick’s organization. “It’s an honor and a pleasure to work with Rick Hendrick and HendrickCars on this partnership,” Force said in the announcement. “I’ve known Rick a long time. He sets the standard when it comes to excellence and success in motorsports. I’m excited for my daughter and hope our teams can bring home a few Wally winner’s trophies for HendrickCars.”
Brittany Force, John’s daughter and the 2017 and 2022 Top Fuel world champion, will again carry the HendrickCars colors at select events and spoke about the partnership’s importance. “I’m honored to be teamed up once again with HendrickCars,” Brittany said, fresh off a victory at the NHRA Nevada Nationals in Las Vegas late last season. “We’re looking forward to celebrating a victory in their hometown,” she added, alluding to the Charlotte races where HendrickCars is the title sponsor and the Hendrick organization is based.
Rick Hendrick, a NASCAR Hall of Famer and owner of the 14-time championship-winning Hendrick Motorsports team, reaffirmed his commitment to drag racing through this partnership. “I’ve had a lifelong passion for drag racing. It’s how I first fell in love with motorsports, going to the local dragstrip with my dad,” said Hendrick, Chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group. “I’ve been a fan of John and his family for a long time, and our company is proud to partner with everyone at John Force Racing. They’re terrific representatives of HendrickCars, and we look forward to another exciting season.”
Brittany Force: A Legacy of Championship Performance
Brittany Force, 36, is one of the star drivers who will benefit from the extended sponsorship. As a two-time NHRA Top Fuel World Champion (2017 and 2022), Brittany has firmly established herself in the sport’s elite ranks. She also holds NHRA Top Fuel speed and elapsed-time records on the drag strip. Her 338.94 mph run in 2022 stands as one of the fastest ever, and she has clocked the quickest elapsed time in history at 3.623 seconds.
Brittany’s 2022 championship marked the first time a woman had claimed multiple Top Fuel titles in over three decades, and she remains the first and only woman to win an NHRA Four-Wide Nationals event, accomplished at Charlotte in 2016. With HendrickCars’ backing, Brittany will campaign her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy/HendrickCars Top Fuel dragster in pursuit of a third championship.
In 2024, she narrowly missed the title but did grab a late-season win at Las Vegas, showing strong momentum. The HendrickCars sponsorship helped keep her team competitive, a fact not lost on Brittany. She credits the partnership, which first began as a four-race deal in 2024, with giving the team “a boost when we needed it” and additional resources to chase performance.
For 2025, Brittany will once again have HendrickCars adorning her dragster at key races, and she’s determined to put the Hendrick brand in the winner’s circle on their home turf in Charlotte. With the expanded partnership providing additional technical resources, Brittany and her team have been working throughout the off-season to refine their approach and setup, particularly focusing on consistency in qualifying and eliminations.
Austin Prock: Defending His Championship Title
The partnership extension also covers Austin Prock, JFR’s rising star who is fresh off a championship season. At just 29 years old, Prock captured the 2024 NHRA Funny Car World Championship in what was remarkably his rookie year in the Funny Car category. Prock had previously competed in Top Fuel but transitioned to Funny Car in 2024 to fill in for veteran driver Robert Hight, who stepped aside for health reasons.
Driving the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car tuned by his father, crew chief Jimmy Prock, Austin delivered a dominant debut season. He won eight national events, earned a record 15 No. 1 qualifying spots, and clinched the championship title in the NHRA Mission Foods Series Funny Car class. Prock even set the national speed record for Funny Car with a blistering pass of 341.68 mph during the 2024 Finals in Pomona, the fastest speed ever recorded in NHRA competition.
The HendrickCars logo was along for the ride on Prock’s championship run. The 2024 partnership made HendrickCars an associate sponsor on his Funny Car, and that continues in 2025. Now the reigning Funny Car champion, Prock is “plenty motivated to begin my title defense” and retain the crown for JFR.
“We’ve got the car and the opportunity to try and go back-to-back,” Prock said, emphasizing that his team is still pushing to improve despite last year’s success. With HendrickCars’ support, Prock and his team aim to keep their performance at championship caliber. The partnership also represents a unique crossover of NHRA and NASCAR worlds: Prock’s Chevrolet Funny Car carries the Hendrick name into drag racing glory, something Rick Hendrick noted with pride as he congratulated the young driver on his title.
“Fast Jack” Beckman: Veteran Excellence in John Force’s Absence
Drag racing veteran Jack Beckman will likewise carry HendrickCars branding in 2025 as he continues to fill the seat of NHRA icon John Force. Beckman, 57, is a former Funny Car world champion (2012) who was called upon to drive for JFR midway through the 2024 season under challenging circumstances.
In June 2024, John Force, the 75-year-old NHRA legend with a record 16 Funny Car championships, suffered a horrific crash during eliminations at the NHRA Virginia Nationals. Force’s Funny Car blew an engine and crashed at over 300 mph, leaving him with serious injuries including a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a fractured sternum. The crash, which saw Force’s car careen into both guard walls, sidelined the sport’s winningest driver (157 career wins) for the remainder of the 2024 season.
As Force focused on recovery, “Fast Jack” Beckman stepped into the driver’s seat of the PEAK Antifreeze Chevrolet Camaro Funny Car for the second half of 2024. Despite having been out of full-time competition for a few years, Beckman quickly shook off the rust and performed admirably. He claimed two national event victories in 2024 while subbing for Force, helping John Force Racing stay in the hunt and demonstrating that the car was still a contender. Those wins marked Beckman’s first trips to the winner’s circle since 2020 and reaffirmed why he’s regarded as one of the top Funny Car talents of his generation.
“The last eight races of 2024 we saw that the NHRA is definitely better for having Jack Beckman back in the driver’s seat,” said a representative of primary sponsor Old World Industries (Peak) when announcing Beckman’s retention.
For 2025, Beckman will remain the full-time driver of John Force’s Funny Car, pursuing another championship on behalf of the recovering team owner. John Force Racing confirmed that Beckman will campaign the PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS in 2025 as John continues his rehabilitation. Force, who has made steady progress but is still under the care of TBI specialists, has been supportive of Beckman’s role with the team.
John Force’s Recovery Journey
Team patriarch John Force has made remarkable strides in his recovery since his June 2024 accident. The 16-time champion has been undergoing intensive physical therapy and working with specialists in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. Though he won’t be behind the wheel for the 2025 season, Force remains actively involved in team operations from a strategic perspective.
“The recovery is going better than expected, but it takes time,” Force said in a recent team statement. “I’m grateful for the doctors, my family, and all the fans who have supported me through this. Having Jack drive my car gives me peace of mind, and I’m focusing on getting stronger every day.”
Force has been making occasional appearances at team facilities and even attended the final race of the 2024 season in Pomona to witness Austin Prock’s championship moment. His presence at the track provided an emotional boost to the entire organization and showcased his determination to remain involved despite his injuries.
Strategic Value of the Partnership
The extended partnership between John Force Racing and HendrickCars represents more than just a sponsorship arrangement. For JFR, the association with the Hendrick brand brings additional credibility, resources, and marketing opportunities. For HendrickCars, the partnership offers exposure to the passionate NHRA fan base, complementing their extensive NASCAR presence.
Industry analysts note that this cross-series marketing approach has been particularly effective for automotive retailers like HendrickCars. NHRA fans are known for their brand loyalty and automotive enthusiasm, making them an ideal audience for a company selling vehicles online. The partnership also allows HendrickCars to reach a diverse demographic through JFR’s varied driver lineup.
“Motorsports partnerships remain one of our most effective marketing channels,” explained a Hendrick Automotive Group representative. “The fans are engaged, passionate, and highly likely to be in the market for vehicles. Having the HendrickCars brand on these championship-caliber cars gives us tremendous visibility.”
2025 Season Outlook and Expectations
As the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series approaches, John Force Racing enters with high expectations across all their entries. The team is coming off a championship season with Austin Prock in Funny Car and narrowly missed adding a Top Fuel title with Brittany Force.
The continued support from HendrickCars provides stability for the organization as they pursue multiple championships. Team analysts suggest that JFR has the technical resources, driver talent, and sponsorship backing to contend for titles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car categories.
“We’ve spent the off-season refining our approach, particularly on the Top Fuel side,” said David Grubnic, Brittany Force’s crew chief. “The 2024 season taught us a lot, and with HendrickCars’ continued support, we’re implementing those lessons for 2025.”
The season will kick off with the NHRA Gatornationals in March, where JFR will debut their 2025 car designs featuring the updated HendrickCars branding. The team is particularly focused on the Charlotte events where HendrickCars will be primary sponsor on Brittany Force’s dragster.
Conclusion
As John Force Racing and HendrickCars enter their second full season as partners, both organizations emphasize the shared values that make the relationship successful: commitment to excellence, family-oriented business approaches, and dedication to motorsports heritage.
The partnership extension solidifies what began as a four-race arrangement in 2024 into a comprehensive, season-long collaboration for 2025. With HendrickCars’ branding appearing across the JFR fleet and serving as primary sponsor at key events, fans can expect to see the distinctive blue-and-white livery in victory lanes throughout the season.
For Rick Hendrick and John Force, two legendary figures in American motorsports with a combined 30 championships between their organizations, the partnership represents more than business. It’s a joining of racing families with deep roots in their respective disciplines and a shared vision for motorsports excellence that transcends the track.
As the 2025 NHRA season unfolds, the John Force Racing and HendrickCars partnership will be showcased at 21 national events, bringing together drag racing’s most successful team with one of the automotive industry’s most recognized brands in pursuit of championships and continued racing history.
