Jordan Vandergriff Leads John Force Racing’s Championship Push Into St. Louis

There are four races left in the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, and it’s officially crunch time for John Force Racing.

The NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, Oct. 2-4 at World Wide Technology Raceway, will close out a grueling stretch of three consecutive Countdown to the Championship races. It also represents a critical opportunity for JFR’s Jordan Vandergriff, Jack Beckman, Alexis DeJoria, and Josh Hart to make a move in the standings.

Vandergriff enters St. Louis second in Funny Car points and still very much in the championship fight. Beckman needs a rebound after a costly first-round loss at Rockingham, while DeJoria believes her team is on the verge of its first JFR victory. In Top Fuel, Hart remains committed to building the Speedmaster program while trying to climb several positions in the standings.

It hasn’t taken Vandergriff long to transform from Funny Car rookie into championship contender.

Through 16 races, Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS team have earned three victories at Valdosta, Sonoma, and Martin, along with runner-up finishes at Epping and Brainerd.

That performance has Vandergriff second in the Funny Car standings, 84 points out of first and 22 points ahead of third. Rockingham didn’t go according to plan, but Vandergriff isn’t allowing one difficult weekend to change his outlook heading into St. Louis.

“We took a hit at Rockingham but we’re still second in the points heading into St. Louis. We have one of the best race cars on the property every single weekend. The Cornwell Quality Tools Funny Car has a chance at every of these next four races so I’m feeling confident with what Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker (crew chiefs) will bring to the race track this week and every week.”

Four races doesn’t leave much time to erase an 84-point deficit, but Vandergriff has already demonstrated that his Funny Car can win. Now the challenge is making every opportunity count.

The Midwest Nationals will complete the second stretch of three consecutive races Vandergriff has faced during his rookie season. The earlier stretch came while Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools team were still developing their combination. This time, they’re entering the third race knowing they have a car capable of competing for a championship.

“This is my first full season as a driver and my first Countdown and let me tell you, it’s definitely a grind. It takes a toll mentally and physically. It takes a toll on the crew guys and all the parts and pieces. We’re hitting crunch time now so we have to muster up everything we have to give it all we have and I’m looking forward to it. I think these three races in a row feel a lot different than the three in a row earlier in the year. In the first three, we were catching our stride as a team and, with these three in the Countdown, we’re in our stride and have to make every single run count. We have to perform at our best every time we go down the track.”

If Vandergriff is trying to close the gap at the front, Jack Beckman is fighting to keep his championship hopes alive.

A first-round loss at Rockingham dropped Beckman and the PEAK Chevrolet SS team from third to fifth in the Funny Car standings. He enters St. Louis 126 points out of first. That’s a substantial deficit with four races remaining. Fortunately for Beckman, World Wide Technology Raceway has been very good to him.

The 2012 Funny Car world champion has won the Midwest Nationals three times, in 2012, 2016, and 2024. He’s also been runner-up three times, in 2010, 2013, and 2025. Another trip to the final could be exactly what his championship hopes need.

“I think it’s a convergence of when you’re driving well and your race car is performing well, and then the overall mitigating factor is always good fortune/luck there. St. Louis has treated me well. I have three trophies from there. This weekend is probably going to be our do-or-die race. A first-round loss can be a dagger for your chances at a championship and, unfortunately, that’s what happened to us at Rockingham. So, at St. Louis, we’re just going to have to run smart, go for the qualifying bonus points, race the track as hard as we possibly can and hope that some fortune swings our way. That would put us right back in the thick of the championship hunt leaving St. Louis.”

But Beckman doesn’t have to sit around thinking about the Rockingham loss. The back-to-back-to-back schedule gives him an immediate opportunity to respond.

“We lost that first round at Rockingham by only four thousandths of a second. We have such a great race car. The entire PEAK SQUAD, starting with Dan and Tim (Hood and Fabrisi, crew chiefs) making great calls, and all the pairs of hands on the car, servicing it and putting it together the right way, makes it just such a predictably quick car. It’s just that they have 12,000 horsepower to deal with. These cars are fickle. They do some odd things sometimes, throw you curveballs. We’re just going to have to manage that as best as possible for the next four events if we want a shot at the championship.”

Alexis DeJoria might not be in the same championship position as Vandergriff, but there’s still plenty for the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS team to accomplish.

DeJoria enters the weekend seventh in Funny Car points. She’s 26 points behind sixth and only 44 out of fifth. That makes several positions in the standings very much attainable over the final four races. More importantly, DeJoria believes her Mike Neff and Jonnie Lindberg-led team is close to breaking through for its first victory with John Force Racing.

The six-time NHRA Funny Car winner has already reached two finals this season, at Gainesville and Chicago.

“We are so close to a win. We’ve had a good strong showing these past couple of races but just didn’t go as far as we thought we would on race day. Can’t seem to catch a break. Last Saturday in qualifying, we had the best car on the track. That was the confidence boost we all needed and I know we are ready to get those hard wins.”

With four opportunities remaining, DeJoria isn’t looking for a major reinvention. The performance is there, now the team needs to turn that performance into win lights on Sunday.

Josh Hart’s championship situation is different, but the goal remains the same: keep moving forward.

Hart and the Speedmaster Top Fuel team enter St. Louis tied with Maddi Gordon for seventh in the standings. They’re just three points behind sixth, 20 behind fifth, and 40 behind fourth. That gives Hart plenty of opportunity to make a significant move before the season ends.

World Wide Technology Raceway has also been a productive track for Hart. He finished runner-up there in 2022 after reaching the semifinals in 2021. After three consecutive weekends on the road, however, managing the grind becomes part of the challenge.

“You have to keep a firm grasp on everything. You have to stay regimented. You have to stay energized and recharge the batteries. When you sign up for the NHRA tour, you know what you’re getting into from the jump. I love drag racing and I love running the Top Fuel car so I conduct myself the same way as I always do. I’m blessed to be able to do it right now.”

Hart and the Speedmaster team showed what they’re capable of when they won the opening race of the 2026 season. The results since then haven’t always matched those expectations, but Hart isn’t looking for a quick exit from the challenge.

His commitment to working with David Grubnic and John Force Racing remains strong.

“I know there’s a hundred thousand other people that would kill to have my seat. I prayed for this opportunity and here I am. I’ve wanted to work with David Grubnic my entire Top Fuel career. I watched him set records and win races and win championships. So here we are and if this is where we need to start, then I’m prepared to make the commitment to him and to JFR to see it through. I’m a very loyal person. Some say loyal to a fault, but once I am committed to something, I will do it until it doesn’t make sense anymore. My patience and tolerance for that is probably more than most people, because of all the things that I’ve experienced in business and in life. I would say that the reinforcement comes from my family, especially my wife. She supports me, and even when she thinks I’m crazy, she will continue to support me.”

St. Louis represents four different opportunities for John Force Racing.

Vandergriff needs to start cutting into an 84-point deficit if he’s going to turn an outstanding rookie season into a Funny Car championship. Beckman needs a big weekend to keep his title hopes alive. DeJoria is hunting the breakthrough victory that her team’s recent performance suggests is possible. Hart wants to climb the Top Fuel standings while continuing to build his program for the future.