The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads to zMAX Dragway for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals. The John Force Racing teams all have big opportunities ahead of them at Charlotte.
Josh Hart: Turning Frustration Into Fuel
Few drivers are entering Charlotte more motivated than Josh Hart. After a razor-thin second-round loss at Pomona, the John Force Racing Top Fuel driver is focused on converting that disappointment into performance. Hart’s HendrickCars.com dragster has shown it can run with the best, and now it’s about execution.
“We need to, we need to use it to focus, prepare, and execute. It’s definitely fuel for the fire, and we will do exactly that, conquer and divide.”
With a Gatornationals win already under his belt and a top-three standing in points, Hart is firmly in the championship hunt. The four-wide format, however, adds another layer of complexity.
“It’s awesome. We, as drivers, just have to pay attention. A lot of people don’t understand that when you’re in these cars, and you’re turning into a lane, you can’t necessarily differentiate which lane you’re headed towards. So, as long as you know what lane you’re in and you can focus on the bulb that you need to focus on, you should be able to do your job. I think that it’s a pretty cool spectacle for the fans. The difference for me is now I’ve got a dog in the fight that I’m confident with, so that we can win this race.”
Jordan Vandergriff: Ready For The Unknown
For Jordan Vandergriff, the 4-Wide Nationals represent a new frontier. The Cornwell Tools Funny Car driver will make his first four-wide nitro start, but he’s not coming in cold. Vandergriff is riding momentum from a career-best performance at Pomona, including a 334.57 mph pass and a semifinal finish.
Vandergriff is still learning how to navigate the nuances of driving a nitro Funny Car, and he’s happy with how his first season behind the wheel has gone.
“I feel great about how this year has gone so far. This Cornwell Quality Tools Funny Car has really been running well, and that’s thanks to Chris Cunningham, Jason Bunker, and all of my guys. We’re sitting fifth in the points, and I think we’re coming off our strongest race in Pomona. We qualified third, made it to the semis, and only got beat by the quickest ET (elapsed time) of the whole event. So, coming out of Pomona, I think Charlotte, with the four-wide format, gives us a chance to possibly be holding one of those diamond Wally’s at the end of the weekend.” Currently sitting fifth in points, Vandergriff is positioned for a potential breakout weekend.
Alexis DeJoria: Closing In On A Milestone Win
Alexis DeJoria knows exactly what it takes to be a contender at Charlotte, she’s done it before. With a No. 1 qualifier and a runner-up finish already on her 4-Wide Nationals résumé, the Bandero Café Funny Car driver is now chasing the one thing missing: a win.
“I’ve always been a fan of 4-wide racing, so I’m feeling pretty confident heading to Charlotte. The 4-Wide Nationals is a race I’ve always wanted to win, and we’ve come close a few times in the final quad, including last year, and especially the runner-up finish in 2023. The Bandero team has what it takes to win, and this weekend we could seal the deal.”
Despite a mixed start to the season, DeJoria remains firmly in the points battle and continues to build consistency.
“Consistency is the key, and it’s something we’re continuing to build on as the season continues. We made the final round at Gainesville, had a setback at Phoenix, but came back strong with consistent three-second runs at Pomona. We’re a new team, and it’s a long season, but we’re right in the thick of the points battle, so we’ll just keep grinding.”
Jack Beckman: A Turning Point In The Making
Jack Beckman’s 2026 season hasn’t started the way he’d like, but don’t mistake that for a lack of performance. The HendrickCars.com Funny Car has shown flashes of speed, and Beckman believes Charlotte could be the turning point.
“The good news is we got our first round win, even though it took us three races. The bad news is that’s all we got. We had the second-quickest elapsed time in the first round. We were only outrun by one thousandth (of a second) by the car we had to run in the second round. We just missed the tune-up slightly in the second round. We’re shooting at bullseyes here, and right now it seems like we’re still adjusting our scope. We had a great preseason test, and then we’ve just had a couple of curveballs thrown our way. It’s odd going into the fourth race of the year and only having one round win. But we can add the equivalent of four round wins with a win this weekend, which is really odd because you only run three rounds. As soon as we win our first race, it’ll put us right back up in the thick of the points.”
The HendrickCars.com partnership adds another layer of motivation, especially racing in Rick Hendrick’s backyard.
“Yeah, I am very proud to consider Rick a friend of mine, to the point where I can call him on the phone and ask him questions. He’s opened up his private car collection to us and made sure we were absolutely taken care of. He’s an unbelievably successful person, and he is so highly regarded that people forget he’s a car nut just like the rest of us. He’s a hot rod guy. He started out drag racing before he got into oval track racing. He loves this stuff. It was so cool to get him out to the track last year and just listen to him and John talk. I introduced him to Don Garlits, and it was cool because I was just a fly on the wall, enjoying every second of it. So, to carry his name across our car says a lot for our sport, that the most successful team owner in NASCAR history is on the side of our car. Not only does he like our sport, he likes to come out and watch his Funny Car run, so hopefully, we can get him in the winner’s circle.
A win at Charlotte can provide a huge swing in momentum, much-needed points, and a potential shift in the championship chase for a team. Each of the JFR drivers is looking for a win at zMax to help elevate their season.
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