NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

For Jordan Vandergriff, nothing about this week is normal. 

The driver of the Cornwell Quality Tools Funny Car arrived at Bristol Dragway carrying unfinished business from the previous event. 

After weather delayed the completion of the NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, Vandergriff's Funny Car final round against teammate Jack Beckman was pushed to Friday night at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, creating one of the most unique situations of the 2026 season. 

"It's a new experience for me," Vandergriff said. "Everything this year so far has been new for me, but this especially feels different. I've been thinking about it all week and trying to stay in race mode the best I could." 

The unusual circumstance wasn't lost on him when he woke up Friday morning. "I got ready at the hotel and I was like, 'You know, I'm racing for a Wally today,'" he said. "I've got to pretend like it's Sunday. It's just a different experience." 

While the final round officially belongs to Epping, Vandergriff sees Bristol's freshly resurfaced racing surface as a potential advantage. "I think running the final here in Bristol gives me a little bit more of an advantage over Jack," he said. "If we were running it in Epping, he had that .090 light in the semifinals and probably would have done it again in the final. Bringing it here, I'm looking at it positively and saying, 'You know what? It swings back in my favor.'" 

Vandergriff's enthusiasm for Bristol extends beyond the opportunity at hand. Having spent years around the sport in various roles, including his time with FOX Sports, Thunder Valley was always one of the venues he dreamed of racing. 

"When I came here with FOX, Bristol was always one of the most beautiful tracks on the circuit," he said. "I always wanted to race here because I wanted to drive into the mountains, into the trees, into Thunder Valley." 

While longtime fans remember Bristol's distinctive old racing surface and famous dogleg shutdown area, Vandergriff is perfectly content experiencing the track's next chapter. 

"I'm good with the new pavement," he said. "I think running on this new freshly paved surface, it's going to be fast here. If the sun holds off, it's going to be fast and it's going to be great."  The confidence comes from a team that has excelled at new facilities and fresh racing surfaces throughout the season. 

"This Cornwell Quality Tools Funny Car can go fast on brand-new pavement and new tracks," Vandergriff said. "We're going to treat this like a new track, just like South Georgia and Maryland, where we had success." 

As if competing for one trophy wasn't enough, Vandergriff enters the weekend with a chance to complete what he jokingly refers to as a Funny Car "hat trick." 

After qualifying No. 1, winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and advancing to the delayed final round in Epping, a victory Friday night would complete a remarkable run. "It hit me when we left Epping," he said. "We had such a great weekend. Number one qualifier, we won the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and we made it to the final. 

Vandergriff will race for the Epping title Friday night, compete in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, and then chase the Bristol event title on Sunday. 

"I've got to stay locked in all week," he said. "I think I'm ready." The stakes extend well beyond trophies. Entering Bristol, Vandergriff sat just 29 points behind the Funny Car points leader. A victory in the delayed Epping final would dramatically tighten the championship battle and potentially move him within striking distance of the top spot.

For a rookie Funny Car driver, it might seem surprising. For Vandergriff, it feels exactly like what he envisioned. "It does feel real to me," he said. "Coming out of testing, I knew what this Cornwell Quality Tools team was capable of. We knew what they were capable of the last few years. They were dominant." In fact, Vandergriff admits he was frustrated earlier this season when some questioned whether he could contend for a title in his first year behind the wheel. 

"I told people I wanted to win this championship, and people kind of blew me off a little bit," he said. "I got my feelings hurt a little bit earlier in the year. I was like, 'No, I don't think you guys understand. I think we're capable of doing this.'" Like many great competitors, he turned the skepticism into motivation. "I took it personally," he said with a laugh. "I try to use everything I can to channel my energy into good things, and motivation is one of them. I tried to prove that I belong in this seat and that this Cornwell Quality Tools team belongs flying those colors." 

Much of that confidence comes from the organization surrounding him. "John Force Racing is the premier team in drag racing," Vandergriff said. "If you want to drag race at the top level, you want to be at John Force Racing. The quality of the equipment, the talent of the employees, the crew chiefs, everything they have at the fab shop—it's the mecca of drag racing." 

The journey to this moment has been years in the making. Talks with John Force Racing began in 2023, but Vandergriff's pursuit of a Funny Car opportunity started long before that. Years spent waiting, learning, and working in different roles throughout the sport ultimately prepared him for this opportunity. 

"I just kept working at it," he said. "Nothing ever really materialized for a long time, and that's when I realized how hard this is for everybody. I'm fortunate that Cornwell Quality Tools believed in me and John believed in me and gave me this opportunity." "All those years on the sidelines got me ready for this moment. I feel more ready now than I would have even last year." And fittingly, the delayed Epping final carries special significance for the organization he'll represent when he rolls to the starting line Friday night. 

"John's last win was in Epping," Vandergriff said. "Knowing that going into that race, and us qualifying one, two, three in Epping, was big for this organization." Now, with an Epping and Bristol Wally on the line, Vandergriff is embracing every bit of the unusual challenge. For a driver who has spent years waiting for his opportunity, there is nowhere else he'd rather be.