BRADENTON, Fla. Austin Prock did the unthinkable when he made his Funny Car debut during the inaugural PRO Superstar Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park.

He won the big-money preseason event and went on to dominate the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Hell look to start his second season wheeling the John Force Racing Flopper prepared by his father, Jimmy, in similar fashion as the second running of the event takes place Thursday through Saturday.

One qualifying session will take place on Thursday, with three more scheduled Friday to set the eight-car elimination field.

Being the defending champion always gives you a little extra confidence, said Prock.

Im looking forward to hitting the gas again on this Cornwell Tools Chevy SS. As a team, weve put together some really nice pieces and I cant wait to see how they handle. Im just ready to get back into the swing of things. This Cornwell Tools team is just so exceptional. My plan this year is the same as it was last year and thats just to not mess it up for them.

Jack Beckmans view of this weeks second annual PRO Superstar Shootout wont be as spectacular as it was a year ago when he was an analyst for the inaugural event, but thats just fine with Fast Jack Beckman.

The 58-year-old Beckman will be back in the seat, wheeling John Forces PEAK Antifreeze Chevrolet, competing in the event for the first time.

This is going to be thrilling for me for so many reasons, said the 2012 NHRA Funny Car champion. I attended last years event as the color commentator with no clue that I would ever be back in a 300 mile-an-hour race car.

Now, for the first time in five years, I will be running the entire season in pursuit of the NHRA Funny Car Championship for Chevrolet and John Force Racing.

Summoned to fill in after Force was injured in a 300 mph crash last June at Richmond, Va., Beckman responded with two wins in eight starts, finishing second in the driver standings.

Our PEAK Chevy is a brand new, never run machine which we will get dialed-in with multiple tests runs, Beckman said.  Beginning Thursday evening, qualifying (for the eight-car Shootout) will begin and it will be cutthroat.  For the first time in my career, I will experience three qualifying sessions in one day (Friday) while fans pack the stands to see the Friday show.

One of the unique aspects of the Superstar Shootout is the redraw for seeding among the eight qualifiers in each class.

A NASCAR, IndyCar and USAC champion Tony Stewart, who now owns and drives his own Top Fuel car, discussed the draw.

Ive never been part of a chip draw like that, especially in drag racing, so I think it adds just a different element to it, he said. Its exciting because obviously instead of having the number one qualifier go up against number eight on Saturday, you dont know who you will get. It could be one versus two and it could be seven versus eight run each other, but thats the exciting part about the chip draw so its a wildcard factor.

It can really change the complexion of a race day. Its not something that I think we want to do all the time, but for a special event like the PRO Superstar Shootout, I think its an awesome element that just adds another level of excitement to it.

With new crew members, including crew chief Mike Knudson, working on his Tony Stewart Racing Funny Car, Matt Hagan looks at the Superstar Shootout as a testing opportunity.

We have a new crew chief and a new guy working on the bottom end of the race car coming into Bradenton, Hagan explained. Well view the event as one big test session to get back into the groove of things and make sure the guys are a well-oiled machine. It will be nice to make a few runs for Knud (Mike Knudsen crew chief) to get comfortable and get our procedures down on the starting line.

It is nothing new since hes been tuning the car already and weve won a few races with him making the call. Everything is about routine, so itll be good to get that down.

Kalitta Motorsports is paying tribute to the late Scott Kalitta with throwback livery at Bradenton.

J.R. Todds Team Kalitta GR Supra Funny Car will sport the bright red Kalitta Flying Service livery of the Funny Car Scott Kalitta raced to his first NHRA national event win in 1989. Kalitta won the NHRA Top Fuel championship in 1994 and 95 and is one of only 19 drivers to win races in both Top Fuel and Funny Car.

It means a lot to me to run a Scott Kalitta tribute car, Todd said. Scotts family lives in the area, and Im sure theyll be at the race again this weekend. Its a big deal Ive always wanted to run a throwback car since I started with Kalitta Motorsports. I ran the Bounty Hunter car in my first race driving for Connie (Team Owner Connie Kalitta), and now to drive a throwback to Scott and Scotts Funny Car that I have the honor to drive means a lot.

Im sure the fans will like it any time you have any sort of throw-back, it draws a big reaction from the fans.

Daniel Wilkerson, in his sophomore season as a full-time driver, has been eagerly awaiting his chance to get back into the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car tuned by his father Tim Wilkerson.

The offseason went by super quick for us here at SCAG Wilkerson Racing, Daniel Wilkerson said. We did a lot to pick up our game over the winter and there were a few rule changes we had to work on, so I had to sit in our Mustang to fit head pads and I got all excited. I was like a little kid with his first go-cart. I cant wait to get to do race car things with my friends again. Getting to kick off our season at the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout is a great way to do it.

Elite Motorsports is taking nine Pro Stocks to the Superstar Showdown.

Defending race winner Erica Enders leads the team as she looks to defend her title and start the season on a winning note.

Our sport, like a lot of sports, is all about momentum. I took a lot of pride in winning that first SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout race, the atmosphere was electric. I dont like the word epic, but thats what it was for me, said Enders. The way that the fans were involved and engaged; coming back from the top end after we won the finals in Bradenton there were, like, just hundreds of people lined up giving me high fives as I went by. It gives me goosebumps to talk about. I loved starting the year off like that.

Other Elite Motorsports drivers this weekend will be Jeg Coughlin Jr., Troy Coughlin Jr., Aaron Stanfield, Greg Stanfield, Fernando Cuadra Jr., Christian Cuadra, David Quadra and Stephen Bell.