It has been an emotionally trying week for the legendary John Force Racing operation.
Adria Force Hight, the eldest daughter of 16-time NHRA champion John Force and a foundational figure behind John Force Racing, passed away April 28, at age 56. As a former CFO and key executive, she was instrumental in building the family team from its inception.
Racing went on this weekend at the Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park. Funny Car driver Jordan Vandergriff honored Adria and the family by winning his first NHRA national-event title Sunday.
“Adria got this one for me, and I truly believe that. I had a feeling since this morning when I thought about her and [daughter] Autumn and the family and everything they’ve been through this week,” Vandergriff said. “I started getting chills throughout the day. I didn’t tell anybody, but there were a few times where I got the chills. And I was just thinking about everything she’s done. She was a pivotal part of this organization. And I want to thank her for all the hard work she did in creating this team and helping John build it and giving me the chance to live my dream and represent them. It’s unbelievable that I’m the one to be able to do this. And I’m really thinking of them, and I can’t wait to see them.”
Vandergriff, piloted JFR’s Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car to victory lane by clocking a 4.007-second elapsed time at 314.17 mph to defeat No. 1 qualifier J.R. Todd’s 4.784 at 169.89.
Moments after defeating Todd, Vandergriff popped out of his Funny Car and sprinted back up the track in a dramatic, emotional celebration.
This celebration echoed the famous gesture of his uncle, Bob Vandergriff Jr., who did the same after his first Top Fuel victory in September 2006 at Texas Motorplex near Dallas.
“This moment is something I’ve thought of for a very long time, since my last final in 2019 when I lost to Billy Torrence in [the Top Fuel final in] Dallas. The running up the track was something I always thought about doing. My uncle did it out of pure joy, and I had to do it. I was contemplating it in the car before the run, and I was like, ‘If I get on the radio and they tell me I won, I’m doing it no matter what.’ It was just awesome.
“And the run, I think about all these years that I’ve been out of the seat and everything I’ve done to try to get back to this point. This makes it all worth it. So just super, super happy to be here. Thank you to Cornwell Tools and my entire team, [crew chiefs] Chris Cunningham, Jason Bunker. I can’t do it without them. Hopefully, this is just the first of many, and it’s a good one to start.”
On Sunday, Vandergriff disposed of Jeff Arend, Spencer Hyde, Hunter Green, and then Todd … and then came ‘The Run.’
“You know the thought that came through my head when I was halfway up the return road was, ‘I think this is what I trained my whole life for. I work out all the time, and I just do it to stay fit.’ Then I realized in that moment as I was running up, I think that’s why I’ve always done that. So, I felt good. I felt good running up. It’s a little longer than you expect, though.
“I won’t do it again, okay? That was it. I had to do it once. That was it. So, fans, don’t ask me to do it again because I’m not going to do it, okay?”
When Jordan finished his ‘Run’ his uncle Bob and his JFR Funny Car teammate Jack Beckman were waiting for him.
“I was running, and I was just like, ‘I’m going to make it as far as I can.’ And then when I saw my uncle kind of over the wall, it was a surreal moment, and I thought, ‘That’s a perfect way to cap this win to do it with him.’ I owe a lot to him as well,” Jordan said. “He gave me an opportunity to be in this position, and I owe a lot to him just like I owe a lot to John Force for believing in me. I’m driving for John, and we miss John and thinking of the family and everybody. And it’s just unreal. I wanted a Wally for John Force Racing in a Funny Car. It’s so cool and something I’ll remember forever.”
Vandergriff had reason to celebrate this was only his 18th career NHRA race in a Pro class – 13 in Top Fuel and five in nitro Funny Car.
Then factor in the storyline that not only did he join JFR in the offseason, in doing so he replaced Prock – the driver who won back-to-back titles for JFR in 2024-25.
“It’s just surreal. I knew Jack [Beckman, his JFR teammate], when I got my license, he made a joke in one of the videos. He said, ‘Over-under five races ’til he’s holding the trophy.’ So on my run as well, I was thinking about everything, and I thought about that quote from Jack, and I can’t believe it was five. It’s unbelievable. Did not expect it this soon,but at the same time, I did because my team is so good, and we’re really ready to go on a good run.
“The Cornwell Tools Funny Car, for the last two years, has been dominant. And when this change happened, there were high expectations put on me and the team, and I wanted that. Why want low expectations? I [had] big shoes to fill. I wanted those shoes, and I think I was the right person to fill those shoes. It’s just important to keep what they have going on. In my opinion, Cornwell Tools is the back-to-back funny car champion. So, my job is to step into this role and make it three in a row for them.”
Vandergriff’s inaugural victory was no easy task as navigating the track at South Georgia Motorsports Park was no easy feat.
“That was definitely a thought that ran through my head,” Vandergriff said about the challenges that the track presented. “I’m still so new to this Funny Car driving that I was something like, ‘Okay, if I got to pedal, I got to be quick, but I got to be smooth.’ But all day, this Cornwall Tools Funny Car was so good, and it was so smooth. First round, second round, and semifinals, they were the smoothest runs I’ve had in this car since testing.
“I knew that Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker had it figured out because every time I got out, they would look at the [data] graph, and they said, ‘Man, it’s really smooth.’ I said, ‘It feels smooth. It doesn’t want to go right, it doesn’t want to go left, it just wants to go right down the middle. There’s no chatter.’ I knew we had a great race car, and we kept lane choice all day, which was super important. That was our goal, to keep lane choice. And in the final, though, it’s funny because in the final, I got over [toward] the wall on me, and I was trying to keep it off, and I didn’t see J.R. And I was like, ‘Oh, it’s getting close to the wall. Keep it off. Don’t touch. Don’t touch.’ And it didn’t touch.”
Vandergriff was no stranger to watching drivers celebrate national event wins as he interviewed winners and drivers while working for FOX prior to landing the gig with JFR.
“It’s funny because when I was working with the NHRA on FOX crew, I’ve asked a few times, ‘What was it like when’ some of them were around when my uncle ran on the track,” Vandergriff said. “I was like, ‘What was it like when he did that?’ And they’re like, ‘It’s chaos. Don’t do it. We do not want you to do it.’ And back then, I was like, ‘Okay.’ I was like, ‘I won’t do it. All right. I’ll make it easy for you guys.’ And then I knew in my heart the whole time I was going to do it.
“I knew as soon as I popped out of the car, one of my first thoughts was the NHRA on FOX crew. I was like, ‘Oh, they’re going to hate me for this, but I’m doing it anyway.’ I just got out and ran. I’m like, ‘I know Amanda [Busick] is going to find me at some point. What an honor to work with them, too. The last two years with NHRA on FOX, they’re such an amazing team. And to broadcast our sport the way they do, everybody works so hard. This one’s for you guys, too.”
