John Force Racing has signed their final driver for the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season – and it’s a feel-good story that is sure to make you smile.
After filling in for an injured Shawn Reed for two races this year, Jordan Vandergriff has even bigger shoes to fill going into a new season as he is set to replace the vacated ride of Austin Prock at John Force Racing.
The California native completed his rookie season in 2019, making his way to three semifinal rounds with a best result of runner-up in Dallas. Following that, the driver took a hiatus from the top ranks and continued his career working as an NHRA on FOX reporter for 2024 through the 2025 season.
“This is a dream come true to have the opportunity not only with John Force Racing, the premier team in NHRA Drag Racing, but to drive the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Funny Car for the greatest Funny Car driver of all time,” said Vandergriff. “As a kid growing up in the sport, you look at John and you see the greatness he’s portrayed, so the fact that I get to drive a Funny Car for him is amazing.”
This opportunity for the 30-year-old has been years in the making, including plenty of hard work and determination. That said, piloting JFR’s third Funny Car entry could prove to be an adjustment for Vandergriff in 2026. His most recent events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series have been in Top Fuel competition, which look vastly different to the eye of any average racing fan.
“I think the transition to Funny Car is going to be fine. I’ve proven that I can drive the Top Fuel car well and the Funny Car presents a new fun challenge,” he explained. “It’s a shorter wheelbase and a lot more violent but I did some test hits in 2024 in John’s car and, ever since, I’ve had to itch to drive these cars.”
John Force stated that the process of finding the right fit for his race team was very thorough.
“We worked closely with the folks at Cornwell Tools to make sure we had the right fit for their program,” he said. “Jordan did a great job when he tested with us a couple of years ago but we didn’t have a place for him at the time. Now that we have all of our drivers in place, we can focus 100 percent on preparing our cars and teams for the 2026 season.”
After today’s driver announcement, the team solidified its lineup for next year. Drivers Jack Beckman, Alexis DeJoria and Vandergriff will lead the charge in Funny Car, while Josh Hart will compete in Top Fuel.
There will be more news to follow with JFR in the coming weeks.
