John Force Racing Targets Big Wins At Route 66 NHRA Nationals In Chicago

The John Force Racing team is ready for a big race weekend at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois. Funny Car rookie Jordan Vandergriff comes in riding high after winning his first race at the Southern Nationals. Jack Beckman is the defending event winner. While Josh Hart and Alexis DeJoria are both ready to push for wins of their own.

Jordan Vandergriff Carries Momentum From First NHRA Funny Car Win Into Route 66 Nationals

Jordan Vandergriff’s first NHRA Funny Car victory was everything a young driver dreams about. It happened in his adopted home state of Georgia, came just five races into his rookie season, and validated the confidence John Force Racing placed in him and the Cornwell Tools team entering 2026.

The win at South Georgia Motorsports Park was a milestone moment for the 31-year-old Funny Car rookie, but Vandergriff understands one victory alone won’t define the season. Instead, the breakout performance showed the rest of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series that this new-look Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team is already capable of competing for wins and championships.

First Funny Car Victory Came Quickly For Vandergriff

It didn’t take long for Vandergriff to make his mark in Funny Car competition.

After showing flashes of potential early in the season with semifinal appearances and strong qualifying performances, Vandergriff finally broke through in South Georgia with his first NHRA national event win. The accomplishment was especially meaningful considering the preparation and patience required to reach that moment.

“That first win was something I’ve been going after for a very long time and getting it under my belt is a dream come true,” Vandergriff said. “But honestly, this week it’s been ‘back to work.’ I understand that the first win is huge, for me personally and for my career, but the first win for this Cornwell Quality Tools Chevy team is hopefully the beginning of more this year and a run at the championship.”

That mindset reflects the maturity Vandergriff has developed since first competing in NHRA Top Fuel with his family-owned operation back in 2019. Even though his Funny Car career is still in its infancy, the foundation for success has clearly been building for years.

Wally Rode Shotgun Back To Atlanta

Like many first-time NHRA winners, Vandergriff made sure the iconic Wally trophy received VIP treatment following the victory celebration. After leaving South Georgia Motorsports Park, Vandergriff drove roughly three-and-a-half hours north to Atlanta with the trophy buckled into the passenger seat of his Chevrolet pickup truck.

“Wally had a great time driving back up to Atlanta sitting in the passenger seat,” Vandergriff said. “We chatted the whole way, talked about the weekend, what he’s been up to and how many other people he’s been with. We had a great time and he’s got a place of his own: I have a coffee table in my living room and it’s all his, with his medal and his hat, just chilling.”

The story perfectly captures the emotion and excitement surrounding a first NHRA victory, especially for a driver who has spent years working toward this exact moment.

Emotional Celebration With Uncle Bob Vandergriff Jr.

One of the most memorable moments from Vandergriff’s breakthrough victory happened after he crossed the finish line.

As the Cornwell Tools Funny Car driver sprinted up the racetrack in celebration, he was greeted by his uncle, Bob Vandergriff Jr., a longtime NHRA competitor who played a critical role in helping launch Jordan’s professional racing career.

For Vandergriff, the emotional trackside celebration felt like a full-circle moment.

“As I look back on it, it was just a storybook ending,” Vandergriff said. “As I was running back up the track, I was thinking about my entire career and then I looked up and I saw him (his uncle) on the track. I thought it was the perfect ending for him to meet me on the track because I wouldn’t be racing if it wasn’t for him.”

Vandergriff credited his uncle for providing the opportunity that eventually led to his current ride with John Force Racing.

“He gave me an opportunity back in the day to drive for him and I wouldn’t have any of these opportunities without him. I wouldn’t have even be running up the track in celebration if he hadn’t done the same thing. So, to cap off the win with him means a lot to me and my family and it’s a memory we will forever remember.”

The win in Georgia may have been Vandergriff’s first Funny Car triumph, but the team’s performance throughout the opening races already hinted that success was coming. Now sitting just 28 points out of the Funny Car points lead entering Chicago, Vandergriff believes the South Georgia victory officially announced the team’s arrival as a legitimate contender.

“Winning at South Georgia shows that this Cornwall Quality Tools Funny Car team is not one to mess with,” Vandergriff said. “We’re here to win. We knew coming into the season that there was going to be an unknown factor with me being a new driver and a new crew chief duo and a new team.”

That uncertainty has quickly faded.

“The win is a sign that we’re here. We’ve arrived. We can hang with the best of them. So, that’s how we feel going into Chicago. We’re right in the thick of the points, only 28 points out of first, which is a really good place to be. We want to go to Chicago and do it again.”

Josh Hart Looking To Reignite Championship Momentum At Route 66 Raceway

Josh Hart’s transition to John Force Racing started exactly the way any driver dreams it would. The Florida-based Top Fuel driver opened the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season with a statement victory at the Gatornationals, snapping a five-year winless drought while delivering an immediate payoff for the newly formed Speedmaster-backed partnership. Hart also earned the first No. 1 qualifier of his career and reset both his personal elapsed time and speed records during the breakthrough weekend in Gainesville.

Now, as the NHRA tour heads to the Route 66 NHRA Nationals Hart believes the Speedmaster Top Fuel team is positioned to return to that elite level of performance. While the team has continued to show flashes of speed and consistency through the opening five races of the season, Hart knows the next step is converting strong runs into maximum points and race wins.

Route 66 Raceway Holds Special Meaning For Hart

Hart has already enjoyed success at Route 66 Raceway, reaching the final round at the 2023 NHRA Route 66 Nationals before finishing runner-up. The facility itself remains one of Hart’s favorite stops on the NHRA schedule because of its unique stadium-style atmosphere.

“The Chicago runner-up situation is always bittersweet but I love this event!” Hart said. “The venue is like a gladiator stadium.”

Speedmaster Team Focused On Executing At Higher Level

Even with some recent struggles, Hart remains confident in the direction of the Speedmaster Top Fuel operation. The team, led by veteran crew chiefs David Grubnic and John Collins, continues working to refine the setup and regain the consistency that fueled the Gatornationals victory. Hart believes the pieces are already in place for another breakout performance in Chicago.

“The Speedmaster team will regain its ground this weekend at Route 66 Raceway,” Hart said. “I love being a part of this John Force Racing program and I know the work David Grubnic and John Collins (crew chiefs) and all the crew has put in since South Georgia is going to pay off for us.”

The focus now shifts toward execution during qualifying and eliminations, especially with the NHRA season beginning to enter a critical stretch.

“We’ve proven what we’re capable so we need to take advantage of this opportunity to execute and earn maximum points,” Hart added.

Alexis DeJoria Carrying Momentum Into Route 66 Nationals As Bandero Café Team Continues To Build

Alexis DeJoria and the John Force Racing Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team appear to be finding their rhythm at exactly the right time during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

After battling difficult track conditions and an unpredictable weekend at the NHRA Southern Nationals in Adel, Georgia, DeJoria and her Mike Neff and Jonnie Lindberg-led operation emerged with a semifinal finish and valuable momentum heading into the Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

With five races now complete in the 20-race NHRA schedule, DeJoria sits firmly in sixth place in the Funny Car points standings and remains within striking distance of the drivers ahead of her as the championship battle begins intensifying.

Bandero Café Team Continues Building Consistency

The semifinal performance at South Georgia Motorsports Park may not have ended with a trip to the winner’s circle, but it represented another important step forward for the Bandero Café Funny Car team.

Adel presented teams with challenging racing conditions throughout the weekend, including changing track conditions and rain that canceled the final qualifying session. Despite the circumstances, DeJoria and the John Force Racing crew adapted well enough to make a deep elimination run and continue building consistency.

“The Bandero Café team had a good Southern Nationals regardless of the tricky track conditions and worked hard to earn out semifinal finish,” DeJoria said. “There’s so much more to come from our team.”

That confidence reflects the growing chemistry between DeJoria, veteran crew chief Mike Neff, co-crew chief Jonnie Lindberg, and the entire John Force Racing operation. While the team is still developing, the flashes of performance have already shown they are capable of competing with the elite Funny Car programs in NHRA.

“On any given Sunday, Mike Neff, Jonnie Lindberg, the crew and I are capable of getting into winner’s circle,” DeJoria added.

Route 66 Raceway Could Be Turning Point In Championship Hunt

With the season now officially 25 percent complete, the upcoming Route 66 Nationals arrives at an important point in the championship chase.

Teams that can establish consistency during this stretch of the schedule often position themselves for serious title contention later in the season. For DeJoria, Chicago presents an opportunity to continue the momentum built in Georgia while closing the gap on the drivers ahead in points.

The veteran Funny Car driver has shown throughout her career that once momentum starts building, her teams can quickly become dangerous on race day. The Route 66 Raceway facility has also historically produced standout performances and dramatic Funny Car racing, making it an ideal stage for another strong weekend from the Bandero Café operation.

Jack Beckman Looking For Another PEAK Performance At Route 66 Raceway

Jack Beckman and the John Force Racing PEAK SQUAD are headed back to Route 66 Raceway with plenty of confidence.

On paper, Beckman’s 2025 Chicago victory looked like a dream weekend. The PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car qualified No. 1 and ended the event in the winner’s circle. But behind the scenes, the weekend was filled with mechanical problems, tire-smoking runs, and high-pressure moments that nearly derailed the entire operation multiple times.

Beckman’s Chicago Victory Was Far From Easy

Beckman’s win at Route 66 Raceway last season became one of the most memorable victories of his Funny Car career because of everything the team overcame to get there.

While the final result showed a dominant weekend, Beckman explained that the PEAK team spent most of the event fighting through adversity.

“It really looked like it was a scripted weekend for the PEAK SQUAD,” Beckman said. “We qualified number one, we win the race. It’s an absolute storybook description but it misses a lot of the details.”

The drama started during qualifying. Unlike a typical NHRA weekend where Friday conditions produce the quickest runs, Chicago’s best conditions arrived Saturday. Beckman and the PEAK team responded with a massive 3.85-second run that vaulted them to the top of the qualifying order.

But the momentum nearly disappeared immediately afterward.

“It was an unusual event in that the quickest qualifying runs didn’t come on Friday, they came on Saturday,” Beckman explained. “We were sitting mid-pack when we came up for the first Saturday run and we go right to the top with a 3.85.”

The team expected to improve again during the final qualifying session before disaster struck at the starting line.

“We thought it might even be a little bit quicker for the last qualifying run. We go up to the line and our car won’t start. The crew did a number of quick checks but couldn’t find the issue. We eventually found a broken air fitting that disarmed the ignition system. But the silver lining there is it happening qualifying, not on race day.”

PEAK Team Survived Multiple Close Calls On Race Day

The problems continued once eliminations began.

During morning warmups, the Funny Car once again refused to start, creating another stressful situation for Beckman and the team.

“Race day comes and the car won’t start in the morning warmup,” Beckman said. “It’s a different issue in the ignition system. We replace the box and now we’ve dodged a couple of bullets.”

From there, the PEAK SQUAD battled traction issues throughout eliminations but continued finding ways to win rounds.

“We win 1st round and then smoke the tires in the second round but were still able to win,” Beckman explained. “The car smoked the tires again in the semis but I pedaled it and we got the win.”

The final round matchup created another dramatic chapter when Beckman faced then-teammate and reigning Funny Car world champion Austin Prock. In a classic Funny Car showdown, Beckman used a razor-sharp reaction time advantage to score a holeshot victory despite Prock making the slightly quicker run.

“Then we close it with a holeshot win over our teammate, Austin Prock, the defending Funny Car champion and that’s as good as it gets,” Beckman said.

Beckman’s .049 reaction time gave him just enough advantage to hold off Prock, winning with a 3.935-second run at 325.77 mph compared to Prock’s quicker 3.933 at 329.02 mph.

“As a driver, it feels unbelievable to give back to a team that’s given you a fast car all year long because it’s typically the car that wins the race,” Beckman added. “We bookended qualifying number one and that amazing final round victory with a lot of nail biting.”

Winning PEAK’s Home Event Made Victory Even More Special

For Beckman, winning in Chicago carried even more meaning because of PEAK’s close ties to the event and the large turnout from sponsor representatives and employees. The veteran Funny Car driver considers sponsor races among the most meaningful victories in all of drag racing.

“The big races to win are typically your hometown race, milestone events, the U.S. nationals and, and the Pomona races,” Beckman said. “They’re the legendary races. But I also put right up there winning your sponsor’s event because their name goes on the trophy at the end of the day, too.”

Beckman said the support from PEAK and Old World Industries employees made the victory especially memorable.

“When you win at your sponsor’s event, and your sponsor is a company like PEAK and Old World Industries, where all the employees understand the culture of the product that they’re selling, it’s something special,” Beckman said.

“We had so many PEAK employees show up to the race last year. It wasn’t mandatory. They wanted to be there and they were there at the end of the day with the team in winner’s circle holding that trophy up.”

Beckman wants another Route 66 victory, while avoiding the chaos that made last year’s victory one of the toughest  and most rewarding wins of his Funny Car career.