INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Sept. 6, 2026) – Jack Beckman and the PEAK SQUAD won today’s PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Call Out and all four John Force Racing teams qualified solidly for Monday’s Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Beckman, driving the PEAK Chevrolet sporting the black-and-white flame job special paint scheme honoring John Force’s dominant 1996 championship, defeated Matt Hagan in the Call Out final round with a run of 3.980 seconds at 323.19 mph to Hagan’s 4.290-second run at 227.19 mph. It was Beckman’s fifth career Funny Car All-Star race victory at Indy (2007, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2026). The PEAK SQUAD defeated Chad Green in Round 1 and J.R. Todd in the semifinal of the Call Out.
The PEAK SQUAD also led the way in qualifying for the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals by earning the No. 3 spot with a Q1 run of 3.937 seconds at 326.79 mph. Beckman will line up in Round 1 of eliminations against No. 14 qualifier Jeff Arend (4.076 seconds, 303.78 mph). Monday will be an opportunity for Beckman to earn his third U.S. Nationals Funny Car title (2015, 2020) and possibly sweep the weekend for the first time since 2015.
Alexis DeJoria and the Bandero Café Night Stalker Chevrolet SS Funny Car team qualified sixth with their Q1 run of 3.947 seconds at 329.26 mph and, in doing so, they clinched a spot in the 2026 Countdown to the Championship. The 2014 U.S. Nationals Funny Car Champion will face No. 11 qualifier Chad Green (4.002 seconds, 317.87 mph) in the first round. DeJoria defeated Ron Capps in the first round of the Call Out but fell to Hagan in their semifinal matchup.
Jordan Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team saved their best qualifying run for the fifth and final pass of the event, earning the No. 7 spot with a run of 3.948 seconds at 327.59 mph. Vandergriff face No. 10 qualifier J.R. Todd (3.981 seconds, 327.74 mph) in the first round of eliminations.
Josh Hart and the Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster team qualified 12th with their Q1 run of 3.812 seconds at 323.50 mph. As the No. 12 qualifier, Hart will face Leah Pruett, who qualified fifth with a run of 3.772 seconds at 326.24 mph, in Monday’s first round of eliminations.
The first round of eliminations is scheduled for Mon., Sept. 7, at 10 a.m. ET.
Quote from Jack Beckman, PEAK 1996 John Force Tribute Chevrolet SS Funny Car:
“John’s car is still undefeated and the PEAK SQUAD is four more win lights away from immortality. I’m just so happy for the team. I screwed up yesterday so it’s nice to get to redeem myself today with this great group of guys. We smoked the tires in the first round of the Call Out but got away with it. I said in the interview at the top end that the Peak Squad doesn’t miss it twice in a row and we were going to be tough the rest of the way … and look what happened. We rallied. This is the fifth time I’ve won this special points race at Indy and that’s some rare air. They didn’t have even have them some of the years I was competing so, to get a chance to come back qualified number one for it, and then to clinch the deal on Sunday at Indy is amazing. The only thing better than this is the double-up at Indy with the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals win … and we’re the only one left that has a shot at it.”
Quote from Alexis DeJoria, Bandero Café Night Stalker Chevrolet SS Funny Car:
“I’m so proud of this Bandero Café Chevy team. They worked late into the night getting the car ready after last night’s mishap and the Night Stalker body will be back for first round of eliminations. We had a great run in the first round of the Call Out but our luck ran out in Round 2 when we spun the tires. Our final qualifying run down the track qualified us for the Countdown so it’s great to lock that up and now it’s all about Monday of the U.S. Nationals.”
Quote from Jordan Vandergriff, Cornwell Tools Stars & Stripes Chevrolet SS Funny Car:
“It’s fantastic to be the driver of the Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet Funny Car at the Cornwell Quality Tools US Nationals. We really needed that run. I just had a feeling coming up to Q5 that we had it figured out. The temperature was coming down a tiny bit and the car launched hard and clean. Toward the end of the run, I think it started spinning the tires a little bit and got wiggly on me so I tried to keep it down the middle. But, in the end, it was a great run for this Cornwell Quality Tools team.
Quote from Josh Hart, Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster:
“It’s a great feeling to say the John Force Racing Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster team has clinched our spot in the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Countdown to the Championship. With that accomplished, it’s all about going rounds tomorrow and turning our luck around one round at a time.”
TV Schedule
Television coverage of eliminations on Monday begins at 12 p.m. on FS1 and shifts to FOX at 2 p.m. ET
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