One year ago at Brainerd International Raceway, Jordan Vandergriff returned to NHRA Drag Racing competition after a six-year layoff and today finds him the No. 1 Qualifier in Funny Car heading into Sunday’s eliminations for the NHRA Brainerd Nationals.
Vandergriff wheeled John Force Racing’s Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Funny Car to a run of 3.879 seconds at 325.50 mph in his fourth and final qualifying run of the weekend. His third No. 1 qualifying positions this year are the second most by a driver in his or first season at John Force Racing. The only first-year driver with more No. 1’s was Robert Hight who had five in 2005. Vandergriff will have a Bye run in the first round and will face the winner of first-round matchup between John Force Racing teammate Alexis DeJoria and Dave Richards.
“That Q4 run felt quicker than I’ve been all weekend and, as it turns out, it was quicker than everybody so far this weekend,” said Vandergriff. “That’s a credit to my guys: Chris Cunningham, Jason Bunker, and the entire Cornwell Quality Tools team. They worked hard last night and whatever changes they made, it worked and we find ourselves with this yellow hat (awarded to the No. 1 qualifier).”
“What a difference a year can make,” Vandergriff added. “I thought about what happened here for me last year. I got the opportunity I had been waiting on for a very long time and I still thank Shawn Reed for giving it to me. And then to get the call of a lifetime from John Force over this offseason to drive this Cornwell Quality Tools Chevy, and the success we’ve had already so far this year, it’s astonishing to me.”
Jack Beckman qualified the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car in the No. 6 spot with his Q1 run of 3.903 seconds at 324.67 mph. He will face No. 11 qualifier Chad Green (3.972 seconds) in round one.
DeJoria qualified the Bandero Café SS Funny Car eighth with her Q4 run of 3.915 seconds at 326.08 mph. She will face No. 9 qualifier Dave Richards (3.924 seconds) in the first round.
Josh Hart qualified the Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster in the 10th position, running 3.774 seconds at 327.35 mph in Q4. He will line up against No. 7 qualifier Tony Stewart (3.758 seconds) in the first round.
Beckman and Hart participated in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge based on their semifinal finishes at the July 26 NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash.
Hart defeated Leah Pruett in the first round, running 3.774 seconds at 327.35 mph to the run of 4.786 at 151.58 mph by Pruett, who backed off the accelerator after an extended wheel stand.
In Beckman’s round one matchup, the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car ran 3.926 seconds at 323.81 mph to Austin Prock’s low ET of the weekend run of 3.881 seconds at 327.19 mph.
Final eliminations are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 23. Television coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday on FS1.
The post Jordan Vandergriff Tops Brainerd Funny Car Field One Year After Return to Competition first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
