When Jordan Vandergriff climbed into the Cornwell Tools Funny Car for his first preseason test runs with John Force Racing, he carried expectation, rust and a dose of nerves.
It had been since April 2024 that he last drove a Funny Car, and even that experience had been limited.
His opening run during the Professional Racers Organization test session revealed how thin the margin can be between routine and mistake. Vandergriff left the starting line, kept his foot planted, and listened as the engine labored downtrack.
Inside the cockpit, he questioned whether the car had been dialed back significantly for his return. The answer surfaced quickly once the team reviewed the data.
The throttle stop had been left on the car.
The moment underscored the realities of a new driver and a reconfigured group working together for the first time. It also provided an early reminder that testing exists for correction as much as performance.
“We’re a new team and that was the first time that we all went up there together to make a run, myself included,” Vandergriff said with a smile. “And I hit the gas and I knew my foot didn’t go all the way to the floor. I was like, ‘Well …’ It was funny. It’s the first run for me too. So I was like, ‘Well, I don’t know if it is on. It feels like it’s on, so I’m just going to stay.’”
He admitted the subdued charge downtrack briefly crossed his mind as intentional.
“Man, they really slowed that thing down for me, I’ll tell you that,” he said.
The following pass was a half-track shutoff, and later that afternoon Vandergriff completed his crossover licensing from Top Fuel with a 3.91-second elapsed time.
“The first run after that was the half-track shut-off and then first full run was that night,” Vandergriff said. “We went 91 for my first full pass. So yeah, it was great. We had a big first hiccup, but we got over that. We overcame that and since then it’s been really good. We’ve made some really solid, solid passes.”
The licensing run marked a key milestone in Vandergriff’s return to nitro competition. It also reinforced that the early oversight had not masked any deeper issue with performance.
John Force Racing’s Funny Car program had been among the benchmark operations in recent seasons, and Vandergriff entered the opportunity aware of the car’s capability.
That potential surfaced quickly.
On the second day of testing, Vandergriff climbed to the top of the Funny Car leaderboard, validating both the car and his growing comfort behind the wheel.
“And you know what? It’s crazy to be after day two of testing be the quickest Funny Car, and that’s what this car is capable of,” Vandergriff said. “Coming into this ride, I knew that this Cornwell Tools Funny Car can do that, can be quick, can be the quickest, and it turns out we’re picking up where it left off.”
The result reinforced that the throttle-stop miscue was procedural rather than performance-based. The speed was there.
For Vandergriff, the greater adjustment centered on reacclimating to a Funny Car’s unique demands after time in Top Fuel.
The rhythm of the run, the drop in RPM and the sensation of acceleration differ dramatically between the two categories.
As testing progressed, the pressure he initially placed on himself began to ease.
“No, I think the pressure is decreasing, if I’m being honest,” he said. “I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to drive this car well, and I knew coming into this, this car was going to run well based on what it’s been the last two years.”
His focus, he said, was singular.
“The focus here in testing was for me to get comfortable behind the wheel of this car,” Vandergriff said. “And so far, so good.”
Comfort, in this case, meant repetition and trust.
Trust in the crew, trust in the tune-up and trust in his own ability to respond when the clutch locked up and the car charged past half-track.
Driving for John Force Racing added another layer to the transition.
The team’s history and visibility within the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series carry weight for any driver, particularly one stepping into the seat as a crossover rookie.
Even as his comfort in the cockpit increased, one reality of the job remained.
The presence of John Force still commanded attention.
“Oh, absolutely,” Vandergriff said. “He just walked over right now talking about that last run and I was like, ‘Yeah.’ I still say, ‘Yes, sir. No, sir.’ He deserves all the respect and I’m going to give it to him.”
