Epping Bound: John Force Racing Teams Ready To Make Noise At New England Dragway

The NHRA New England Nationals come at a pivotal point in the 2026 season. With the summer stretch of the schedule beginning to take shape, every round win, qualifying point, and strong performance becomes increasingly important in the battle for championships.

The outlook at John Force Racing is encouraging across the board.

Josh Hart continues to believe his Speedmaster Top Fuel team has championship-caliber potential. Jordan Vandergriff is gaining confidence and experience at an impressive rate in his rookie Funny Car campaign. Jack Beckman appears to have rediscovered the consistency that made the PEAK Squad one of the most feared teams in the category. Alexis DeJoria is building momentum while chasing her first victory under the John Force Racing banner.

Together, the organization heads to New England Dragway positioned to make a serious impact on the championship picture in Top Fuel and Funny Car.

Josh Hart Finds Motivation In Team, Family, And Fans Ahead Of NHRA New England Nationals

The results may not have matched the expectations of Josh Hart and the Speedmaster Top Fuel team over the past several races, but confidence remains as strong as ever inside the John Force Racing camp. Hart sees the NHRA New England Nationals as an opportunity to reset, refocus, and remind the competition what his team is capable of accomplishing.

The Florida-based driver burst onto the scene in spectacular fashion to open the 2026 season, winning the NHRA Gatornationals in his debut with John Force Racing. Racing in front of family, friends, and hometown supporters in Ocala, Florida, Hart delivered a storybook victory that immediately established the Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster as a championship contender.

Since then, however, the season has presented challenges.

Despite encountering mechanical issues and inconsistencies over the past several events, Hart remains firmly in the championship hunt. He enters Epping fifth in the NHRA Top Fuel standings and sits less than one round behind Tony Stewart in fourth place.

For Hart, the standings are encouraging, but his focus remains squarely on improving the performance of the Speedmaster team alongside crew chiefs David Grubnic and John Collins.

Confidence Remains High Despite Recent Challenges

While some drivers might become frustrated after a difficult stretch, Hart views the situation through a broader lens.

“We got a good jump start at the beginning of the season. We’ve battled some gremlins the last couple of races, to say the least,” Hart said. “As a driver, all I can do is focus on my reaction time, which has been good. I can absolutely say that I have not lost confidence in this team whatsoever. We will rise together, and we fall together.”

That unwavering belief is fueled by the support system surrounding him at John Force Racing.

“It’s been a great camaraderie. The John Force Racing group has been nothing but supportive and this is a marathon, not a sprint. We all know what we need to do going into Epping.”

The championship-caliber atmosphere inside John Force Racing continues to motivate Hart, especially knowing the potential of the equipment underneath him every time he stages.

“I still think that I am sitting in the fastest car in the world. So that’s a lot of motivation there.”

New England Fans Provide Extra Energy

Few stops on the NHRA tour generate the atmosphere found at New England Dragway.

The Epping facility has earned a reputation for passionate fans, packed grandstands, and an electric race-day environment. Hart is well aware of what awaits this weekend and believes the energy from the crowd provides an extra boost.

“The fans at Epping are truly second to none,” Hart said. “They always pack the house and the energy is always strong. That’s definitely my motivation to put on a good show, do my job and drive the fastest car in the world.”

With several races packed tightly together on the schedule, momentum can shift quickly. A strong performance in New Hampshire could put Hart and the Speedmaster team right back in the thick of the championship conversation heading into the heart of summer.

Balancing Racing, Business, And Family

One of the most impressive aspects of Hart’s career is his ability to successfully manage multiple responsibilities away from the racetrack. In addition to competing in Top Fuel, Hart remains heavily involved in Burnyzz Speed Shop while balancing life as a husband and father.

The secret, according to Hart, is maintaining clear boundaries between each part of his life.

“I would say that it’s very compartmentalized,” Hart explained. “I try really hard not to cross over. When I’m at the racetrack, I focus on racing. When I’m at Burnyzz, I focus on Burnyzz. And when I’m at home, I focus as best I can to be the best father and best husband I can be.”

Hart refers to that approach as keeping each part of life “siloed,” allowing him to stay fully engaged wherever his attention is needed.

“Keeping them siloed, as I like to say, I would like to think keeps me above the curve. It keeps me dedicated to that department when I’m there.”

With only a handful of races completed in the 20-event NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, Hart understands there is still plenty of time to make a run at the championship.

Jordan Vandergriff Looks To Keep Cornwell Tools Funny Car Momentum Rolling At Epping

Jordan Vandergriff’s rookie NHRA Funny Car season has already delivered the full emotional range of professional drag racing. There have been breakthrough highs, quick turnarounds, and tough reminders that 12,000-horsepower Funny Cars do not hand out easy lessons.

Now, the first-year Funny Car driver heads to the NHRA New England Nationals with momentum back on his side.

Vandergriff and the John Force Racing Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team earned their first NHRA Funny Car victory at South Georgia Motorsports Park during the inaugural NHRA Southern Nationals. Two weeks later, they were out in the first round at Route 66 Raceway. Last weekend, however, the team rebounded with a strong semifinal finish at Maryland International Raceway, where Vandergriff fell to teammate and eventual runner-up Jack Beckman.

Jordan Vandergriff Ready For First New England Dragway Start

Although New England Dragway is not one of the four new tracks on the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule, it will be new territory for Vandergriff as a driver.

“We have four new tracks on the schedule this year. We had success in Georgia and Maryland, and the other two races aren’t until the Countdown, but there are more new tracks for me,” Vandergriff said. “I haven’t driven at every racetrack on the schedule yet, so going to Epping is new for me as well.”

The difference this weekend is that his crew chiefs and John Force Racing teammates already have years of Epping data. For Vandergriff, the learning curve will be more about sight lines, staging comfort, fan energy, and understanding the atmosphere around one of NHRA’s most passionate race markets.

“It’s different because the crew chiefs have the data and the teams have worked with these racetracks before but, for me, it’s another new experience, and I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Vandergriff said. “I did the TV stuff for the past two years, and Epping is Brian Lohnes’ (NHRA on FOX host) home track. He always talked it up a lot, and then when you go up there, you realize how much the fans there love NHRA drag racing.”

Vandergriff has already taken notice of the unique traditions surrounding the New England Nationals, including the fan-favorite “Number 1 Clawifier Award.”

“It’s such a big event. The ‘Number 1 Clawifier Award’ last year was amazing, and they’re doing that again this year. The love from the fans and the Epping staff is apparent, and I can’t wait to race there.”

Cornwell Tools Team Rebounds After Chicago

The past three races have been a perfect example of how quickly momentum can change in NHRA Funny Car competition.

After winning in South Georgia, Vandergriff experienced a first-round loss in Chicago. Instead of letting that setback linger, the Cornwell Tools team responded with consistency in Maryland and put itself back into late-round contention.

“Coming out of the first-round loss at Chicago after winning in South Georgia, I was talking about the highs and lows of drag racing, and now we’re coming off another high with the solid finish at Maryland,” Vandergriff said. “I think it proves this Cornwell Quality Tools Funny Car team can put things behind us very quickly.”

That mindset has become a key part of the team’s early success.

“We come into each day knowing that the day before has already happened. It doesn’t matter anymore. We have to focus on today,” Vandergriff said. “We went into Maryland with that mindset, and it really worked out for us.”

The results backed it up. Vandergriff said the team strung together six clean runs before meeting Beckman in the semifinals, where Beckman produced the quickest and fastest pass of the event.

“We were consistent all weekend. We had six runs in a row until the semifinals against Jack (teammate Jack Beckman, who ran the quickest and fastest run of the event in the semifinals), so we feel really good about this race car going into Epping.”

Three-Race Stretch Could Help Vandergriff Find A Groove

The New England Nationals also marks another first for Vandergriff: the middle race in his first three-weekend stretch as a nitro Funny Car driver. With Maryland last week, Epping this weekend, and Bristol next week, Vandergriff believes the repetition could help accelerate his development.

“Another ‘first’ for me will be this three-weekend-in-a-row stretch, with Maryland last week, Epping this week and Bristol next week,” Vandergriff said.

Fortunately, he has plenty of experienced people around him inside the John Force Racing organization. Vandergriff credited Mike Neff, crew chief of Alexis DeJoria’s Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car, for helping him understand what the next few weeks could do for his comfort level.

“I’m so fortunate to have a lot of people within the John Force Racing organization that have experience,” Vandergriff said. “Mike Neff (crew chief of the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team) and I had a conversation after the race last Sunday, and he said, ‘Hey, man, you’re going to feel like you’re in a groove here over these next three races and you’re going to feel more comfortable. You’re going to feel like you’re in rhythm and it’s going to be really good for you.’”

That team-wide support has helped Vandergriff adapt quickly to one of the most demanding categories in motorsports.

“I’m so glad we have so much experience on this team, and everybody’s willing to help everybody else.”

With a win already in hand, a semifinal finish fresh in the notebook, and more laps coming quickly, Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools team appear to be gaining traction at the perfect time.

Jack Beckman Sees PEAK Squad Returning To Championship Form Ahead Of NHRA New England Nationals

Few drivers are more honest about performance than Jack Beckman, and the veteran Funny Car standout knows the first third of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season has not unfolded the way the PEAK Squad expected.

But after a breakthrough weekend at the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals, Beckman believes the John Force Racing PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car team has rediscovered the consistency and performance that made it one of the sport’s elite programs.

Now, as the NHRA New England Nationals heads to New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire, Beckman and the PEAK Squad are eager to build on that momentum and turn speed into victories.

Maryland Performance Signals A Turning Point

The signs of a resurgence were impossible to ignore at Maryland International Raceway.

Beckman captured his second consecutive and 35th career No. 1 qualifier, posting a strong 3.935-second run at 326.79 mph. The PEAK Chevrolet backed up that performance throughout eliminations, culminating in a semifinal victory over John Force Racing teammate Jordan Vandergriff.

That semifinal run may have been the team’s most impressive pass of the season.

Beckman blasted to a 3.923-second run at 328.22 mph, setting both low elapsed time and top speed of the entire event while showcasing the full potential of the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car. Although the team ultimately finished runner-up, the performance reinforced what Beckman and crew chiefs Dan Hood and Tim Fabrisi had been working toward all season.

Hungry To Get Back On Track

For Beckman, the runner-up finish created more motivation than frustration.

Instead of welcoming a break between races, he and the entire PEAK Squad are eager to get back to work at Epping and continue the progress they made in Maryland.

“If we’d close the deal in Maryland, a week off would be fine with me, but I, I think that it just kind of wet everybody’s appetite for our capabilities, and probably, I think, if I speak for myself, I might be speaking for the whole team, we left there frustrated, knowing we left something, uh, uh, knowing that we probably, that we had the best car that day, and came close to walking away with the trophy, but didn’t get it, so. All of us want to get right back out there.”

That mindset is common among championship-caliber teams. The runner-up finish proved the PEAK Squad has the speed to win, and now the focus shifts toward capitalizing on those opportunities.

Finding The Source Of Early-Season Inconsistency

One of the biggest challenges for Beckman’s team through the opening six races was inconsistency. There were flashes of brilliance, but not enough repeatable performance to consistently challenge for victories. Maryland may have changed that.

Beckman believes the team identified a key issue that had been limiting performance earlier in the year.

“I think we found a smoking gun with our inconsistencies, so I would like to think, and I certainly hope, that we’re back to where we were in early 2025.”

The data from Maryland supports that optimism. Beyond the impressive elapsed times, Beckman was encouraged by how predictable and repeatable the race car became throughout the weekend.

“We’re still near the top of the sheets for overall quickness, and the car was very repeatable and predictable in Maryland on what could’ve been a tricky track.”

That consistency becomes even more important as the NHRA schedule transitions into the summer months, where teams face hotter racetrack temperatures and more challenging conditions.

Crew Chiefs Deliver Under Pressure

Beckman credited crew chiefs Dan Hood and Tim Fabrisi for their ability to adapt throughout a demanding race weekend. Maryland International Raceway presented teams with a unique challenge, including changing weather conditions and a transition area that demanded precise tuning decisions.

“Dan and Tim (crew chiefs Hood and Fabrisi) managed the bump out there and managed the changing weather conditions beautifully,” Beckman said.

The semifinal pass against Vandergriff stood out as a perfect example of the team’s execution.

“Our run in the semifinals just might have been the run of the year up to this point relative to the track temperature and the conditions.”

Perfect Timing For A Turnaround

If the PEAK Squad truly has solved its consistency issues, the timing couldn’t be better. The summer stretch of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series often separates contenders from pretenders. Teams that can repeatedly navigate hot tracks and changing conditions gain a substantial advantage in both qualifying and eliminations.

“Now we know what we’re capable of and, if that fixed our inconsistency issues, there probably is not a better time in the year to do that because in the next three to four months, we’re going to be facing higher track temperatures and we’re going to need a consistent race car,” Beckman explained.

“Hopefully, this gives us something to build off of for qualifying points and round wins.”

New England Dragway has developed a reputation as one of the most fan-friendly and energetic stops on the NHRA tour. It also provides another opportunity for Beckman to secure his first victory of the 2026 season.

Alexis DeJoria Finds Inspiration In Family History Ahead Of NHRA New England Nationals

Motivation comes from many different places in professional drag racing. For Alexis DeJoria, one of the biggest sources of inspiration heading into this weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals has nothing to do with horsepower, elapsed times, or championship points.

Instead, it traces back nearly four centuries.

As DeJoria and the John Force Racing Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team prepare for the New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire, the veteran Funny Car driver is embracing a deeply personal connection to the region she considers one of her home tracks.

While NHRA drag racing is built on revolutions, whether it’s the 12,000-horsepower nitro engines spinning massive rpm or the giant Goodyear slicks turning through smoky burnouts, DeJoria’s connection to New England is rooted in a different kind of revolution altogether.

New England Holds Special Meaning For Alexis DeJoria

For many drivers, Epping is simply another stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule. For DeJoria, it carries a much deeper significance.

“My mother’s family is from Rhode Island, so I’ve always considered New England Dragway to be a home track,” DeJoria said.

Her family’s connection to the region stretches back to the earliest days of American history.

“Her ancestors came to North America in 1638 and fought in the American Revolutionary War, which allowed her to become a member of the prestigious Daughters of the American Revolution. It’s something we take a lot of pride in, so it makes racing in Epping that much more special.”

That family heritage gives the New England Nationals a unique place on DeJoria’s schedule every season. While the Funny Car category is one of the most competitive in motorsports, the opportunity to race in front of fans in a region tied closely to her family history adds another layer of motivation.

Building Momentum With John Force Racing

The timing couldn’t be better for DeJoria and the Bandero Café team.

The 2026 season has shown steady progress for the Mike Neff and Jonnie Lindberg-led program. The team has consistently improved throughout the opening races, demonstrating the kind of performance needed to contend for race wins. DeJoria enters Epping believing the pieces are finally coming together.

Her confidence is backed by previous success at New England Dragway, where she has already enjoyed memorable performances during her Funny Car career.

“I’ve had some success in the past at New England Dragway, with a runner-up finish in 2014 and a semifinal finish last year,” DeJoria said.

Chasing A Milestone Victory

Despite her successful Funny Car career, one achievement still remains on DeJoria’s list: her first NHRA national event victory with John Force Racing. Capturing that milestone at a track she considers a home venue would make the accomplishment even more meaningful.

“To get the win in this year’s NHRA New England Nationals, which would be my first win for John Force Racing, would be incredibly gratifying and special for many reasons,” DeJoria said.

The confidence inside the Bandero Café camp remains strong. After months of development and continued improvement, DeJoria believes the team has all the ingredients necessary to compete for a Wally trophy.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been in the winner’s circle, but I know we’ve got what it takes to get back there.”

That confidence extends beyond the race car itself and reflects the strength of the entire John Force Racing organization.

“I have all the confidence in the world that, on any given Sunday, this John Force Racing Bandero Cafe Chevy SS Funny Car will be the victor.”

New England Dragway has earned a reputation as one of the most passionate stops on the NHRA tour. The fans consistently pack the facility and create one of the most energetic atmospheres in drag racing. The combination of family history, personal connection, and a competitive race car makes this year’s event particularly meaningful for DeJoria.