GAINESILLE, FLA. (MARCH 5, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff heads into this weekend’s AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway as a rookie in the already talent-stacked Funny Car ranks but that doesn’t mean the driver of John Force Racing’s Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet doesn’t have a large target on his back at the same time.
The California native and Atlanta-area resident has taken over the reins of the Cornwell Tools program which has won the previous two NHRA Funny Car championships for John Force Racing. That’s a tall order for any driver, let alone one with just 13 Top Fuel starts, but the confidence Vandergriff exudes during his on-the-job Funny Car training leaves little doubt he’ll be up to the task in front of him.
The third-generation drag racer has spent the time since his hiring was announced last December solely focused on being as prepared as possible for the Gatornationals. He attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School at Gainesville Raceway, learning the specifics of driving a Funny Car as opposed to the dragster, and spent six days testing at the central Florida facility getting into a rhythm with his new crew lead by Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker.
Quotes
What are your feelings knowing that all the planning and preparation comes down to Q1 this Friday?
“We are done testing, the next run for me is going to be Q1 and I feel ready. I feel like we tested very well. We had a really strong test session last week, and yesterday we had two runs and one of them was a strong run. I feel prepared and I’ll be ready for Q1 on Friday.”
What has your life been like from the time the announcement was made last December and now?
“A lot of visualization, for sure … mental preparation. For those months that I couldn’t get in the race car yet, I would think about it over and over and over again. And then at the test session last week, hopping in and just trying to bring those visualizations that I had to the racetrack. I think it translated pretty well. We made 11 runs and eight of them full passes. We then came out yesterday and made two runs, one of them a full pass. So, it was a lot of preparation, a lot of getting used to the car and going to Frank Holley’s school, as well. It really, really prepared me well.
How is the team coming together?
“Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker are my crew chiefs and it’s a great duo. They work well together. They’ve worked together for a lot of years. Chris has been a mentor for Bunker, so that relationship is very strong, and Chris leading us is the right guy. He’s the right guy for this job, and I’m super excited to have him, and he’s doing it the right way. We’ve made very good test runs, all thanks to him and the Cornwell Quality Tools team. We’re all new, but we’re coming together. Our camaraderie is great already, which is good coming into the first race of the year. So, we’re really, really confident in what we’ve got going, and it should be really good.”
| Jordan Vandergriff | Race Result | Qualified | Event Round Record |
| 2019 (TF) | 2nd round | 15th | 1-1 |
| 2025 (TF) | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
Number starts: 0
Wins: 0
No. 1 qualifier: 0
Final rounds: 0
Event Round Record: 1-1
Track & TV Schedules
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.
The first round of the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, with the semifinals slated for 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:30 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will also air at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.
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