BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Aug. 19, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team have already achieved many milestones in the Funny Car driver’s rookie season but their participation in this week’s NHRA Brainerd Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway or the entire season may not have happened if it weren’t for his performance there last year.
It was at Brainerd in August 2025 that Vandergriff made the first of two starts for injured Top Fuel driver Shawn Reed. Vandergriff hadn’t raced since the 2019 season so it had been more than five years since he’d driven in competition and having spent that season and the one previous as a trackside reporter for NHRA on FOX.
The third generation drag racer made the best of the opportunity. He qualified third and then earned the Round 1 win against Kyle Satenstein (3.778 seconds to 3.851) before bowing out in the second round to Clay Millican (3.715 seconds to 3.726).
His performance at Brainerd and two weeks later at the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals helped catapult him into where he is today, driving for John Force Racing and just 54 points out of first place with two races remaining on the regular season championship schedule.
The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after 12 of 20 races are: 1. Ron Capps, 884; 2. Jack Beckman, 847; 3. J.R. Todd, 842; 4. Jordan Vandergriff, 830; 5. Matt Hagan, 820; 6. Chad Green, 703; 7. Austin Prock, 687; 8. Alexis DeJoria, 685; 9. Spencer Hyde, 578; 10. Daniel Wilkerson, 577.
Quotes
What are your memories of last year when you subbed for Shawn Reed after more than five years out of the seat?
“Life is crazy and what a difference a year can make. Last year, under unfortunate circumstances, I was fortunate enough to get back into the race car and I still thank Shawn Reed and Shawn Reed Racing for the opportunity. It was a long time out of the seat, and I was just so honored and excited to get back in the seat at Brainerd. I had never driven at Brainer before and, looking back on it, it was the best weekend of my life up to that point. I was getting the opportunity to drive again. Now, coming into Brainerd with John Force Racing, my life has changed drastically in an extremely positive way. Last year in Brainerd was good so our goal is to make this year even better by coming home with the Wally.”
It’s one thing to qualify but to get that first round win had to be even more rewarding so what were you feeling after taking that win light?
“I think it opened a lot of eyes when I won that first round in Brainerd. I think people realized, hey, maybe he can do this still and I proved to myself that I can still do it. Deep down, I knew I could, but you never know until you get back in. So, winning that first round proved to a lot of people and to myself that I still had it.”
You’re less than three rounds out of out of first place in the point standings with two races remaining. Did you see yourself in this position at the at the beginning of the season?
“I think, maybe delusionally, I did. I had confidence in myself, in Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker (crew chiefs) and this entire Cornwell Quality Tools Funny Car team. I knew if we hit the ground running, like we did in pre-season testing, we were going to have a good shot at it. Being at John Force Racing, we have everything we need to win and be competitive so I think I knew that we’d be near the top. Now that we’re here, within striking distance of first place, I think it’s a little more real now. I think we’re exactly where we should be. We’ve won two races and I think we are a top contender for not just the regular season championship, but the overall championship as well.”
You competed in Night Under Fire so you haven’t been away from the track as long as others but are you itching to get back behind the wheel?
“I was ready to get back behind the seat as soon as Night Under Fire ended. I was leaving the track Saturday and I was like, ‘We don’t race tomorrow?’ I was ready to get back in the race car then so these past weeks off have been slow. They felt so slow. I’m ready to ready to get back in the Cornwell Quality Tools Chevy.”
Track Schedule
Qualifying will feature two rounds at 3:30 and 6:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Aug. 21 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 12:00 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 23.
TV Schedule
Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday and 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, and eliminations at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday.
Race Results
| Brainerd | Race Result | Round by Round Results | Qualified | Event Record |
| 2019 (TF) | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2020 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2021 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2022 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2023 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2024 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2025 (TF) | 2nd Round – filled in for Shawn Reed | Beat Kyle Satenstein; lost to Clay Millican | 3rd | 1-1 |
Wins: 0
No. 1 Qualifiers: 0
Event Record: 1-1
2026 Results
| Event | Qualify | Round by Round | Round Record | Points Position |
| Gainesville | 8 | Beat Jack Beckman, John Smith; lost to Chad Green | 2-1 | 4 |
| Phoenix | 5 | Beat Alexis DeJoria, lost to Matt Hagan | 3-2 | 7 |
| Pomona1 | 3 | Beat Daniel Wilkerson, Chad Green; lost to Ron Capps | 5-3 | 5 |
| Charlotte | 2 | Won 1st quad; lost in 2nd quad | 6-4 | 5 |
| Valdosta | 3 | Beat Jeff Arend, Spencer Hyde, Hunter Green, Ron Capps | 10-4 | 4 |
| Chicago | 10 | Lost to Chad Green | 10-5 | 5 |
| Maryland | 4 | Beat Dave Richards, Chad Green; lost to Jack Beckman | 12-6 | 5 |
| Epping | 1 | Beat Jeff Arend, Chad Green, J.R. Todd; lost to Beckman | 15-7 | 4 |
| Bristol | 13 | Beat Alexis DeJoria; lost to Ron Capps | 16-8 | 4 |
| Norwalk | 11 | Lost to J.R. Todd | 16-9 | 5 |
| Sonoma | 1 | Beat Jason Rupert, Matt Hagan, Austin Prock, Daniel Wilkerson | 20-9 | 2 |
| Seattle | 9 | Beat Spencer Hyde; lost to J.R. Todd | 21-10 | 4 |
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