Jordan Vandergriff has never participated in the four-wide format in the nitro categories at zMAX Dragway, but that doesn’t diminish the confidence he and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team has rolling into the April 24-26 NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.
“I raced at Charlotte in an alcohol dragster once, but this will be my first time in the four-wide concept so it’s going to be a new experience for me,” said Vandergriff. “I don’t really know what to expect yet but I think I’m going to have a lot of those experiences this year so I’m just going to go for it. I have the benefit of working on NHRA on FOX the last two years. Being at these races and watching the procedures, I’ve been told many things by many different people already, so I think I’m very prepared for it. I know Lanes 2 and 3 are more difficult so I know what I’m looking for already. It’s going to be a different feel, but I’ll be ready for it.”
“Lanes 2 and 3 are difficult because you’re looking across the Christmas Tree,” Vandergriff added. “In Lane 2, your tree is to your left, and your stage bulb is the 2nd bulb on the left so you’re looking all the way across the tree. In Lane 3, your bulb would be the 3rd bulb on your right all the way to the right. So it’s kind of a longer view for Lanes 2 and 3. Lanes 1 and 4 are the easier ones because you’re just looking right at your bulb. I think I’m going to take a little more of my time because you never know when other people are going to go in and, with four of us, it’s going to be a little longer anyway, so I might as well take an extra second for myself, too.”
The Atlanta-area resident has powerful reason for the confidence. He established a personal best speed record, 334.57 mph, in Round 1 of eliminations at the Winternationals and ran 330+ mph en route to his second-round victory. In the semifinal matchup against three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion and eventual event runner-up Ron Capps, Vandergriff grabbed the holeshot (.069 to .077) and then made his career-best run 3.889 seconds but Capps took the win with a run of 3.863 seconds.
Vandergriff and his John Force Racing team are currently fifth in the 2026 Funny Car standings after a semifinal finish in the season-opener at Gainesville, a second-round showing at Phoenix and semifinal finish at Pomona.
“I feel great about how this year has gone so far,” said Vandergriff. “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.”
Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools team qualified to compete in this weekend’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on the strength of their semifinals finish in Pomona. The event will take place as part of Saturday’s qualifying runs scheduled for 12:50 p.m. and 3:20 p.m.
The post Jordan Vandergriff Ready for First NHRA 4-Wide Experience first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
