The Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team with rookie Funny Car driver Jordan Vandergriff have developed into a championship-caliber team over the past few months, and they know the final four races of the season, beginning with the Oct. 2-4 NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway, is crunch time.
Vandergriff and his John Force Racing team are second in the 2026 NHRA Funny Car point standings after 16 races on the strength of three event victories (Valdosta, Sonoma, Martin) and two runner-up finishes (Epping, Brainerd). They’re currently 84 points out of first place and 22 points ahead of third place.
“This is my first full season as a driver and my first Countdown and let me tell you, it’s definitely a grind,” said Vandergriff. “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.”
The Cornwell Tools team proved its mettle with a victory in the Countdown-opening Great Lakes Nationals and, despite a second-round exit last week at Rockingham (N.C.) Dragway, Vandergriff’s confidence in his Chris Cunningham/Jason Bunker-led team has never wavered.
“We took a hit at Rockingham but we’re still second in the points heading into St. Louis,” Vandergriff said. “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 (crew chiefs) Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker will bring to the race track this week and every week.”
Vandergriff and two-time NHRA Top Fuel World Champion Brittany Force will be signing autographs at the John Force Racing merchandise trailer on the midway on Friday, Oct. 2, from 6:45-7:15 p.m. CT. He will also be a guest of the SpeedFreaks at the Budweiser Pavilion on the midway on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10:45-11 a.m. CT.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 5:30 and 8 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 2, and the final two rounds of qualifying at 12 and 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 3. Final eliminations are scheduled for 9 a.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 4.
Television coverage begins Friday, Oct. 2, with a first-day qualifying show from 6:30-8 p.m. ET on FS1. A second-day qualifying show is scheduled to air on Sun., Oct. 4, from 11 a.m.-noon on FS1. Elimination rounds will air Sun., Oct. 4, on FOX from 2-4 p.m. ET and 4:30-6:30 p.m. ET.
