John Force Racing Drivers Set Sights On Wine Country Wins At Sonoma Raceway

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series rolls into the Western Swing at Sonoma Raceway for the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals. With just four races remaining before the field is cut for the Countdown to the Championship, every round win, every qualifying bonus point is critical.

For John Force Racing, that urgency runs across the entire stable. Jack Beckman and the PEAK SQUAD are riding a four-race surge that’s vaulted them into title contention. Rookie sensation Jordan Vandergriff is quietly building one of the best first-year campaigns in recent Funny Car memory. Alexis DeJoria is chasing her first national event win with the team in Northern California wine country. And Top Fuel racer Josh Hart hits Sonoma with a brand-new race car and a fan base that’s always had his back.

Jack Beckman and the PEAK SQUAD Look to Turn Consistency Into Wins

Jack Beckman and the PEAK SQUAD have quietly become one of the hottest teams in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. After climbing from eighth to fourth in the Funny Car standings over the past four events, the 2012 Funny Car world champion heads to Sonoma just seven points behind second-place Matt Hagan.

The PEAK Chevrolet Camaro has reached three final rounds in the last four races, but the John Force Racing team has only one Wally to show for it, a rain-delayed New England Nationals title completed at Bristol Dragway.

Beckman says the team has finally diagnosed what knocked them off rhythm earlier in the year, and now the mission is simple: stop leaving trophies on the table.

“We’re frustrated because, in three of those four races, we were in the final round, and we only have one trophy to show for it. The guys are ticked off and motivated. We found our smoking gun, why we had lost the consistency from last year. I think Maryland was a very visible turn in our season for getting back our consistency. The records show it. That’s just not me being overly optimistic. It’s a factual statement that the PEAK Camaro is arguably the best Funny Car over the last four races. So right now, we just want to capitalize on our progress. Getting to the final round gets you a lot of points but there’s only one round win that gets you the trophy. We’ve only closed the deal once on that, so the objective moving forward is to be as close to perfect as we can be on race day.”

A Track Loaded With Personal Meaning

Sonoma Raceway is a track tied to some of the most emotional moments of Beckman’s career. He won there in Funny Car in 2015 after qualifying No. 1, and finished runner-up from the top spot in 2010. But his favorite Sonoma memory has nothing to do with a Funny Car at all.

“My best win at Sonoma was a divisional race there in 2004. I was the defending NHRA Super Comp World Champion, so the number ‘1’ was on the side of my car, and I was still going through chemotherapy. I was completely bald. I was pale, and I was 30 pounds lighter because of the chemo, but I was able to win, I was able to win a trophy after I wasn’t sure I was going to be breathing anymore, so that one would be tough to beat.”

He’s plenty fond of his pro-tour Sonoma résumé, too, especially the record-setting 2015 event.

“But, in terms of my pro career, 2015 was amazing. We just came off a win at Denver. We put the laid-back headers on the car for good in the second round at Denver, and that changed the face of Funny Car racing. Starting with Sonoma, we came out and lowered the boom on the national record. I think we ran four-hundredths-of-a-second quicker than the national record on the hero run Friday night, and then we came out Saturday needing a one percent backup. It was a hot day and a very warm track, and we still ran quicker than the national record in the heat on Saturday. It was amazing to get to do that, and then we did it four times on race day and left there with the trophy.”

Jordan Vandergriff Turns Lifelong Sonoma Memories Into Rookie Championship Push

Jordan Vandergriff has never made a competitive Funny Car pass at Sonoma Raceway, but the Northern California facility has already played a major role in his drag racing story, and now the John Force Racing rookie gets to add another chapter.

Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS team sit fifth in Funny Car points through 10 races, just 40 points out of second place with four races left before the Countdown. For a first-year Funny Car driver leading a brand-new team, that’s a remarkable result, and Vandergriff isn’t interested in playing it safe anymore.

From Crew Member to Contender

Long before strapping into an 11,000-horsepower Funny Car, Vandergriff was working the pits on his family’s Top Fuel team, including a memorable 2018 Sonoma Nationals win.

“I haven’t raced there, but I was a crew guy on my family’s Top Fuel team when we won there with Blake Alexander in 2018 against Tony Schumacher in the final round. I was a rat guy, floater, whatever-needed-to-be-done guy for my family team.”

His ties to the Northern California track go back even further, to childhood road trips watching his uncle race.

“I love Sonoma. Growing up in SoCal when my uncle raced. It was one of the tracks our family would always take a trip to. Some of my early memories as a kid was staying at the hotel in Sonoma, getting breakfast, and then heading to the track. So, Sonoma’s a very near and dear place in my heart, being a California race.”

While Sonoma is famous for its wineries, don’t expect Vandergriff to be sipping cabernet between rounds.

“I know that a lot of people go to wineries and take tours of the region and all that stuff, but I’m all business. Going to the racetrack is what I like to do. My favorite place in Sonoma is Sonoma Raceway.”

A Rookie Season That’s Turned Into a Title Threat

With crew chiefs Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker building chemistry all season, Vandergriff says the team’s mindset has shifted from simply gaining experience to genuinely chasing a championship.

“The mindset for our Cornwell Quality Tools Chevy team has switched. I think the first half of the year has been about getting me comfortable, meshing as a team, and seeing what Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker (crew chiefs) can do together. I would say we’ve exceeded expectations so far, and now we are a player in this championship race. We have a great race car and a great team, and I’ve done pretty well as a driver. We’re contenders, so we have to have that contender mindset and go full force. I think we’re gonna be a contender in the regular season championship and in the season championship, as well.”

A Sonoma win would net Vandergriff his second Diamond Wally of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season and put a legitimate charge into the Funny Car points battle.

Alexis DeJoria Chases Wine Country’s Signature Trophy

The second half of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series opens at Sonoma Raceway, and Alexis DeJoria has her sights set on one of drag racing’s most unique prizes, the traditional Sonoma winner’s wine goblet awarded alongside the Wally.

As a California native, DeJoria would love nothing more than to bring that goblet home while delivering the John Force Racing Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team its first national event win together.

Steady Progress All Season Long

DeJoria sits seventh in the Funny Car standings, but the numbers tell a story of major improvement in her first season with John Force Racing. She’s already logged 13 round wins through 10 races, more than her entire 11-round-win total from last season combined.

Crew chiefs Mike Neff and Jonnie Lindberg have kept the Bandero Café Chevrolet qualifying seventh or better in six of the first 10 events, including third-, second-, and second-place qualifying efforts over the last three races. DeJoria trails fifth place by just 43 points heading into Sonoma.

A Track With Deep Roots

Sonoma has been part of DeJoria’s racing life since her Super Comp days in NHRA Division 7, long before she became a Funny Car star.

“I’ve been racing in Sonoma for quite a long time as a California native and running NHRA Division 7 during my Super Comp years. I have great memories as far as family and friends attending, and who doesn’t love wine country.”

Rather than overthinking the championship math, DeJoria says the plan for Sonoma is the same one that’s fueled her breakout season.

“We will treat Sonoma like any other day at the drags and put everything we have into making more consistent passes and qualifying well. It’s all about going rounds on Sunday.”

Josh Hart Targets a Strong Finish With a Fresh Race Car

Sonoma Raceway also opens the second half of the season for Josh Hart and the John Force Racing Speedmaster Top Fuel team, and the timing lines up well for a driver looking to build momentum heading into the Countdown.

After winning the NHRA Gatornationals to open 2026, Hart has spent the season chasing consistency. He’s seventh in Top Fuel points, just 33 points behind Tony Stewart in sixth, 49 behind Antron Brown in fifth, and 55 behind Maddi Gordon in fourth with four races to go.

Fans Make Sonoma a Favorite Stop

Hart calls Florida home, but Sonoma has earned a special place in his heart because of the crowd.

“There are some racetracks that just have more positive fan energy than others, and Sonoma, for me, is one of them. They have always been supportive of me. At one time, it was questionable whether we were going to continue racing there, and hearing the stories from the fans about what it would do if they stopped that event was almost heartbreaking. So, the fact that it’s going strong, I can only imagine that the energy out there is going to be epic.”

New Car, New Opportunity

The Speedmaster team debuts a new combination at Sonoma, giving Hart and crew chiefs David Grubnic and John Collins a fresh platform to build on before the Countdown begins.

“I think that it’s awesome what NHRA has done by promoting the regular season championship, and, at this point, that’s a goal for maybe next year. With us starting Sonoma with a brand new car, I’m going to take it one round at a time. I continue to just pinch myself that I drive for John Force Racing, I work with David Grubnic and John Collins (crew chiefs), and have an awesome sponsor in Speedmaster and all of our other sponsors. I’m extremely blessed. I don’t take it for granted and am excited to get out there and represent properly.”

With the margins in Top Fuel as tight as ever, a strong Sonoma weekend could move Hart several spots up the standings before the playoff field locks in.

Between Beckman’s late-season surge, Vandergriff’s breakout rookie campaign, DeJoria’s steady climb, and Hart’s fresh start, John Force Racing arrives at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals with four drivers who all have a real shot at making noise before the Countdown to the Championship field is set.