MARTIN, Mich. (Sept. 21, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff and John Force Racing’s Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team caught a big break in the first round of the rain-delayed inaugural NHRA Great Lakes Nationals but then proceeded to drop the hammer on the rest of their opponents en route to the team’s third win of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season that kicked off the six-race Countdown to the Championship.
Jack Beckman and the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car team had three strong runs, including his career fastest speed and this season’s quickest Funny Car run, as well as the identical time (to the thousandth of a second) and speed in their semifinal loss to Matt Hagan. The day for Alexis DeJoria’s Bandero Café Chevrolet Funny Car team and Josh Hart’s Speedmaster Top Fuel team came to an end in Round 2.
Hagan had lane choice in the final round against Vandergriff and grabbed the holeshot by two hundredths of a second (.015 to .037) but struck the tires immediately after, while the Cornwell Tools Chevy streaked to victory with the team’s quickest run of the day, 3.858 seconds at 329.43 mph.
“It almost doesn’t even feel real,” said Vandergriff. “We struggled so much, but my guys looked at everything and we finally dissected the singular problem. Once we found that, we went out there (and went 3.871). It’s just an unbelievable weekend and a credit to my team.”
Vandegriff’s third victory of his rookie Funny Car season (South Georgia, Sonoma, Martin) was the first time in 23 years that a No. 16 qualifier went on to win the event.
The big break of the day came in the opening round when Vandergriff lined up against No. 1 qualifier Austin Prock. The Cornwell Tools Chevy smoked the tires off the line but Prock red-lighted, giving the automatic win to Vandergriff. In Round 2, Vandergriff outran Daniel Wilkerson by four-hundredths of a second (3.871 seconds to 3.911 seconds) and the semifinal race against J.R. Todd was even closer (3.896 seconds to 3.899 seconds).
“We capitalized on some good luck in that first round and I’m just very fortunate to be part of this team and for this opportunity. We came out of round one, diagnosed the problem and fixed it. Today’s win is a total credit to my entire team. Funny Car is a battle and I recognize how hard these next five races are going to be. It wasn’t easy today and it’s not going to get any easier. It’s a gauntlet out there, but thankfully today was our day.”
The victory makes Vandergriff the ninth John Force Racing driver to win a Countdown to the Championship race and, in doing so, earned the organization’s 45th Countdown event. He joins John Force (7 Countdown wins), Robert Hight (16), Brittany Force (7), Austin Prock (7), Mike Neff (2), Courtney Force (2), Jack Beckman (2) and Ashley Force Hood (1).
Beckman ran the quickest Funny Car run of the 2026 season (3.832 seconds) and the fastest run of his career (337.08 mph) to take the Round 1 win against Jeff Diehl. In Round 2, the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car continued to impress, running 3.841 seconds at 334.08 mph as Ron Capps spun the tires at the hit. In the semifinal against Hagan, both cars ran 3.864 seconds at 333.09 mph, with Hagan’s .029-second reaction time earning the victory over Beckman’s .041 reaction time.
“We set low ET of the year in the first round, that’s how good the PEAK SQUAD is right now,” said Beckman. “And it’s not just that it’s fast, it’s consistent. It’s unbelievable. We’re a little disappointed because we thought we could run another hundredth or two (of a second) quicker in the semifinals. The silver lining is our teammate (Vandergriff) went out there and got the win. So, we’ll leave the race third in points and we’re going to be right back in the thick of things in four days at Rockingham. I don’t care if it’s hot or cold. Our PEAK Chevy can run great in any conditions. I just can’t wait to get strapped back in for Q1 at Rockingham.”
DeJoria lined up the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS against Hunter Green in Round 1, taking the win with a run of 3.884 seconds at 335.07 mph while Green’s car suffered an engine explosion that fortunately took place behind DeJoria. In the second round against Matt Hagan, the Bandero Café Chevy shook the tires one hundred feet or so into the run, forcing DeJoria to back out of the throttle and handing Hagan the win.
“it was a long weekend with Sunday turning into the Monday here in Michigan,” said DeJoria. “The Bandero Café Chevy ran well in qualifying and the first round of eliminations. In the second round, unfortunately, we overpowered the track against Matt Hagan and that was the end of our day. This is the first of three consecutive weekends of racing. We’re on to another new facility in Rockingham, North Carolina, in just a few short days, so we don’t have to wait long for another shot at it. We’re seventh in the standings after the first race in the Countdown to the Championship. Getting a round win and a bonus point this weekend is good but we’re focused on stepping up our game for these next races.”
In Round 1, the Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster smoked the tires early in the run but his competition, Shawn Reed, cut a red light which automatically disqualified his run and sent Hart to the second round. In Round 2 against Spencer Massey, the Speedmaster dragster shook the tires soon into the run, forcing Hart to get out of the throttle while Massey took the win.
“The Speedmaster team was focused on capitalizing on the great Q4 run we made Saturday afternoon but the racing gods apparently thought otherwise,” said Hart. “It’s frustrating because we all know what this team is capable, and we have the trophy from Gainesville to prove it. So, we’ll take a deep breath, reload, and head to Rockingham focused on that second win of the season.”
The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after 15 of 20 races are: 1. Shawn Langdon, 2,217; 2. Doug Kalitta, 2,206; 3. Tony Stewart, 2,138; 4. Antron Brown, 2,115; 5. Leah Pruett, 2,112; 6. Josh Hart, 2,093; 7. Billy Torrence, 2,077; 8. Maddi Gordon, 2,074; 9. (tie) Justin Ashley, 2,046; Will Smith, 2,046.
The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after 15 of 20 races are: 1. Matt Hagan, 2,208; 2. Jordan Vandergriff, 2,185; 3. Jack Beckman, 2,154; 4. Ron Capps, 2,145; 5. J.R. Todd, 2,139; 6. Austin Prock, 2,099; 7. Alexis DeJoria, 2,088; 8. Daniel Wilkerson, 2,069; 9. Chad Green, 2,055; 10. Spencer Hyde, 2,033.
The 16th of 20 races on the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule is the Sept. 25-27 NHRA Nationals at the Rock at Rockingham (N.C.) Dragway.
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