Jordan Vandegriff Will Drive the Third John Force Racing Funny Car
Vandergriff, who hasn’t driven a Flopper in competition yet, will have Chris Cunningham as his crew chief with Jason Bunker as his assistant. Cunningham has been an integral part of the team since 2016 in a variety of positions, most recently working with Danny Hood on Jack Beckman’s Funny Car. In addition, Frank Hawley has signed on to mentor Vandergriff as he learns the ins and outs of driving an NHRA Funny Car.
JFR had plenty of resumes to sift through before anointing Vandergriff, a third-generation drag racer who has, most recently, substituted for the injured Shawn Reed in Top Fuel, in addition to his work on NHRA’s FOX broadcasts. The two starts Vandergriff, 29, made for Reed at Brainerd and Indianapolis last summer whetted his appetite to race again. He’s been on the lookout for the right ride for at least five seasons, he said.
“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,” Vandegriff said as he accepted the accolades of fans at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
“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.” Vandergriff began his professional career in 2019, racing 11 Top Fuel contests with a runner-up result at Dallas and a pair of semifinal round finishes. The past two NHRA seasons, he’s been an NHRA on FOX reporter.
“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,” Vandegriff admitted. “”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 the itch to drive these cars.”
Cornwell Quality Tools first joined John Force Racing in 2019 and has steadily increased its participation in the sport of straight-line racing. The company haas been primary sponsor for this particular Funny Car the past two seasons, resulting in a pair of championships with Austin Prock, who departed JFR after earning his second straight title. The company was primary sponsor on Brittany Force’s Top Fuel dragster team at this year’s U.S. Nationals, when she set the national speed record of 343.521 mph.
“We are incredibly excited about today’s announcement from John Force Racing, and to welcome Jordan Vandegriff to the Cornwell Tools Funny Car program,” said Bob Studenic, Cornwell Quality Tools CEO. “Jordan is a dynamic talent with the skill, professionalism and competitive fire that align perfectly with Cornwell’s values and our commitment to excellence. This is an exciting moment for Cornwell Tools,” which has more than 810 dealers representing the brand. “We’re proud to continue our longstanding relationship with John Force Racing and we can’t wait for our dealers to experience another season of world-class competition with the Cornwell Tools Funny Car.”
With Vandergriff’s announcement, JFR will take to the 20 water boxes on the 75th anniversary NHRA tour with 2012 Funny Car titleholder Jack Beckman, six-time Funny Car winner Alexis DeJoria and Vandergriff in Funny Car. Josh Hart was already announced as the driver of JFR’s Top Fuel dragster; the two-time winner gave up his own team to join JFR.
“We’re proud to announce Jordan Vandergriff as the driver of the Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car for John Force Racing,” said John Force. “We worked closely with the folks at Cornwell Tools to make sure we had the right fit for their program. 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.”