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Jordan Vandergriff: NHRA Funny Car Driver, John Force Racing Star, and Former Bachelorette Contestant

November 4, 2026
by Bobby Bennett

Last updated November 4, 2026

Jordan Vandergriff, born February 21, 1995, is a 31-year-old NHRA Funny Car driver for John Force Racing, where he drives the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS. In his first full Funny Car season, 2026, he has won four national events (Southern Nationals, Sonoma, Great Lakes, and Las Vegas) and enters the NHRA Finals, November 12-15 at Pomona, second in points, 39 behind leader Matt Hagan. Before joining John Force Racing, he raced in Top Fuel in 2019 and worked as an NHRA on FOX pit reporter in 2024 and 2025. He is also known as a former contestant on The Bachelorette (Season 19, 2022) and Bachelor in Paradise (Season 9, 2023). He is the grandson of aftermarket pioneer Bob Vandergriff Sr. and the nephew of retired Top Fuel driver and team owner Bob Vandergriff Jr.

Jordan Vandergriff: Key Facts

Category	Details
Full name	Jordan Vandergriff
Born	February 21, 1995
Age (as of November 4, 2026)	31
Hometown / residence	Brea, California / Atlanta, Georgia (per John Force Racing); the Bachelor franchise listed Alpharetta, Georgia
Team	John Force Racing
Car	Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car
Crew chiefs	Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker
Named JFR driver	December 12, 2025, at the PRI Show in Indianapolis
2026 national event wins	4: Southern Nationals, Sonoma, Great Lakes, Las Vegas
2026 runner-up finishes	Epping (lost the weather-delayed final to teammate Jack Beckman) and Brainerd (lost to Matt Hagan)
2026 No. 1 qualifiers	Epping, Sonoma, and Brainerd
2026 points standing	2nd, 2,524 points, 39 behind Matt Hagan, entering the NHRA Finals (Nov. 12-15)
First Funny Car win	May 3, 2026, Southern Nationals, in his fifth start with JFR
Career bests (as of mid-October)	3.849 seconds, 338.37 mph
Earlier NHRA career	Top Fuel in 2019 (11 events, runner-up at Dallas); two Top Fuel starts in 2025 in relief of Shawn Reed
Broadcasting	NHRA on FOX pit reporter, 2024 and 2025
Television	The Bachelorette, Season 19 (2022); Bachelor in Paradise, Season 9 (2023)
Family	Grandson of Bob Vandergriff Sr. (died August 19, 2026); nephew of Bob Vandergriff Jr.

Latest on Jordan Vandergriff (November 4, 2026)

Title contender. After winning at Las Vegas on November 1, Vandergriff is second in Funny Car points with 2,524, 39 behind Matt Hagan (2,563), with one race left. The finale, the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at Pomona (November 12-15), pays points and a half. See the points standings after Las Vegas.
Four wins. He beat Julie Nataas, Spencer Hyde, J.R. Todd (who had knocked out Hagan in round two), and Ron Capps in the Las Vegas final.
First Funny Car season. Vandergriff is a rookie in the class, with John Force Racing crew chiefs Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker.

Who Is Jordan Vandergriff?

Jordan Vandergriff was born February 21, 1995. John Force Racing lists his hometown as Brea, California, and his residence as Atlanta, Georgia. He comes from a drag racing family: his grandfather, Bob Vandergriff Sr., was a giant of the performance aftermarket, and his uncle, Bob Vandergriff Jr., was a Top Fuel driver and team owner who won national events. The Star Tribune has called him a third-generation racer.

Vandergriff attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in 2017 or early 2018, when the school described him as a 22-year-old in its multi-year program, and he earned a Super Comp license there, though he did not compete in the class. He made his NHRA debut in 2019 in Top Fuel, then spent several years away from the driver’s seat, including a run on reality television and a job as a pit reporter for NHRA on FOX. In December 2025, John Force Racing named him driver of its Cornwell Tools Funny Car, and in 2026 he turned that opportunity into four wins.

Jordan Vandergriff’s 2026 Season

Race	Date	Result	Notes
Southern Nationals (Adel, Ga.)	May 3	Beat J.R. Todd, 4.007 at 314.17 mph	First career Funny Car win, in his fifth start with JFR; the 13th different driver to win for the team; dedicated to Adria Hight
Sonoma Nationals	July 19	Beat Daniel Wilkerson, 3.900 at 330.72 mph	First win at Sonoma; No. 1 qualifier; John Force saw his first final-round win in person
Great Lakes Nationals (Martin, Mich.)	Sept. 21 (Monday, after a rain delay)	Beat Matt Hagan, 3.858 at 329.43 mph	Won from the No. 16 spot after making no complete pass in qualifying, the first Funny Car winner from that spot since 2003; beat Austin Prock, Daniel Wilkerson, and J.R. Todd on the way; the team’s 45th Countdown win
Las Vegas Nationals	Nov. 1	Beat Ron Capps, 3.873 at 331.36 mph	Fourth win and first at Las Vegas; beat J.R. Todd in the semifinals; cut the gap to Hagan to 39 points

Southern Nationals. He won his first race in only his fifth start for John Force Racing, then jumped out of the car and ran down the track in a celebration his uncle Bob made famous, to the music of “Chariots of Fire.” The win came the weekend the Force family mourned the death of Adria Hight. “Adria got this win for me,” Vandergriff said. Read CompetitionPlus’s Southern Nationals recap and The Ten column from that weekend.

Sonoma. He qualified No. 1 and beat Daniel Wilkerson in the final, with John Force there for the first time to see him win a final round. See our Sonoma report and the full race results.

Great Lakes. The Countdown opener was a rain-delayed Monday. Vandergriff did not make a complete pass in four qualifying sessions and started 16th, then beat the No. 1 qualifier, Austin Prock (the driver he replaced at JFR), in round one when Prock red-lighted, and went on to beat Daniel Wilkerson, J.R. Todd, and points leader Matt Hagan in the final. With the Countdown points reset, it put him second, behind only Hagan. Read our Great Lakes recap, The Ten, and the round-by-round results.

Las Vegas. He needed a win and an early exit by Hagan, and got both, beating Ron Capps in the final and cutting the gap to 39 points with one race left.

Runner-up finishes and the title chase

Vandergriff reached two other finals in 2026. At Epping in June he qualified No. 1 and won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty bonus race, but the final against his teammate Jack Beckman was delayed by weather and run at Bristol, where Beckman won. At Brainerd on August 23 he qualified No. 1 again and beat Alexis DeJoria and J.R. Todd before losing the final to Matt Hagan, who took the points lead. Vandergriff has said that when he told people he wanted to win the championship, “people kind of blew me off a little bit.”

How Jordan Vandergriff Got the John Force Racing Ride

When Austin Prock and his family left John Force Racing after the 2025 season, the team announced Vandergriff on December 12, 2025, at the PRI Show in Indianapolis as the driver of the Cornwell Tools Funny Car. He joined Jack Beckman, Alexis DeJoria, and Josh Hart. Crew chief Chris Cunningham moved from Beckman’s car to lead his team, with co-crew chief Jason Bunker. Local coverage reported that John Force approached him about the job; in an NHRA interview, Force said, “I can help the young kid, Vandergriff.” Read our report on his signing and see our John Force Racing team guide.

Jordan Vandergriff’s Career

Year	Milestone
2017-2018	Attends Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School, where he earns a Super Comp license
2018	Competes in select NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster races
2019	Makes his NHRA Top Fuel debut at the Arizona Nationals; runs 3.738 at 325.85 mph in his licensing run; races 11 events with a runner-up finish at Dallas and two other semifinals
2022	Appears on The Bachelorette (Season 19)
2023	Appears on Bachelor in Paradise (Season 9)
2024-2025	Works as an NHRA on FOX pit reporter
2025	Makes two Top Fuel starts in relief of injured Shawn Reed, at Brainerd and Indianapolis
December 12, 2025	John Force Racing names him driver of the Cornwell Tools Funny Car
May 3, 2026	Wins his first Funny Car race, at the Southern Nationals
July 19, 2026	Wins at Sonoma
September 21, 2026	Wins the Great Lakes Nationals from the No. 16 qualifying spot
November 1, 2026	Wins at Las Vegas and moves to 39 points behind the Funny Car points leader

Top Fuel debut (2019)

Vandergriff made his NHRA debut at the 2019 Arizona Nationals in Top Fuel, driving for his uncle’s team. He ran 3.738 at 325.85 mph in his licensing run, raced 11 events in his rookie season, reached the semifinals in Phoenix, and reached his first final round at Dallas, where he lost to Billy Torrence. He was a contender for Rookie of the Year, but he lost his ride after the season.

Television and broadcasting

Vandergriff later joined NHRA on FOX as a pit reporter for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. He has said the job might not have come about if he had not first stepped out of his comfort zone on television.

Top Fuel relief (2025)

In 2025 he made two Top Fuel starts in relief of injured driver Shawn Reed, at Brainerd, where he qualified second, and at Indianapolis, where he qualified 13th.

Jordan Vandergriff and The Bachelorette

Vandergriff was a contestant on Season 19 of ABC’s The Bachelorette (2022), the season with two leads, Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia. He was chosen through an audition process and brought his dragster to the introductions. Recchia gave him the first one-on-one date of her season and then sent him home on it, in the second week, and she later said she wished they could have had a little more time. He returned in 2023 on Season 9 of Bachelor in Paradise, joining in week 4 and splitting from Mercedes Northup in week 5. Explaining why he went on the shows, he said, “I got there because I was looking for love.”

There are other people named Jordan Vandergriff; this page covers the NHRA driver.

Jordan Vandergriff’s Family

Vandergriff is the grandson of Bob Vandergriff Sr., the longtime owner of Hedman Hedders, a 1989 SEMA Person of the Year, and a 2003 SEMA Hall of Fame inductee, who died on August 19, 2026, at age 84, according to NHRA. Vandergriff learned of his grandfather’s death during Brainerd week, according to the Star Tribune; that weekend he qualified No. 1 and reached the final. NHRA’s obituary also names Jordan’s uncle, Bob Vandergriff Jr., a former national event winner in Top Fuel, as Bob Sr.’s son.

After his first Funny Car win, Vandergriff ran back down the track toward the starting line, recreating his uncle’s victory celebration. He later said he did it “in honor of Uncle Bob and our racing family.”

Reliable sources do not detail his parents or siblings. Several biography websites list names for them, but those sites contradict one another, so CompetitionPlus does not repeat them. His relationship status has not been confirmed by a reliable source.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Jordan Vandergriff?

31. He was born February 21, 1995.

Who does Jordan Vandergriff drive for?

John Force Racing, in the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car.

How many races has Jordan Vandergriff won?

Four national events in 2026: the Southern Nationals, Sonoma, the Great Lakes Nationals, and Las Vegas. All four came in his first full Funny Car season.

Is Jordan Vandergriff in the Funny Car championship race?

Yes. He is second in points, 39 behind Matt Hagan, entering the November 12-15 NHRA Finals at Pomona, where points pay one and a half times.

Was Jordan Vandergriff on The Bachelorette?

Yes. He was a contestant on Season 19 in 2022 and then on Bachelor in Paradise Season 9 in 2023.

Is the NHRA driver the same Jordan Vandergriff from Bachelor in Paradise?

Yes. John Force Racing and NHRA both note his appearances on The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise.

What happened to Jordan Vandergriff on The Bachelorette?

Rachel Recchia gave him the first one-on-one date of her season and sent him home on it in week 2.

Who did Jordan Vandergriff date on Bachelor in Paradise?

He joined in week 4 and split from Mercedes Northup in week 5.

Who is Jordan Vandergriff’s grandfather?

Bob Vandergriff Sr., the longtime owner of Hedman Hedders and a 2003 SEMA Hall of Fame inductee. He died August 19, 2026, at age 84.

Who is Jordan Vandergriff’s uncle?

Bob Vandergriff Jr., a retired Top Fuel driver, team owner, and former national event winner.

Who are Jordan Vandergriff’s parents?

They are not detailed by reliable sources. Biography websites list conflicting names, so we do not repeat them.

Is Jordan Vandergriff married?

His relationship status has not been confirmed by a reliable source.

Where is Jordan Vandergriff from?

John Force Racing lists his hometown as Brea, California, and his residence as Atlanta, Georgia. The Bachelor franchise listed Alpharetta, Georgia.

Who is Jordan Vandergriff’s crew chief?

Chris Cunningham, with co-crew chief Jason Bunker.

Did Jordan Vandergriff replace Austin Prock?

Yes. He drives the Cornwell Tools car Prock drove in 2024 and 2025. Prock left for Tasca Racing after the 2025 season.

When did Jordan Vandergriff win his first Funny Car race?

May 3, 2026, at the Southern Nationals, in his fifth start with John Force Racing. He beat J.R. Todd in the final.

How did Jordan Vandergriff win from the No. 16 spot?

At the Great Lakes Nationals he did not make a complete pass in qualifying, then beat Austin Prock, Daniel Wilkerson, J.R. Todd, and Matt Hagan on race day. It was the first Funny Car win from the No. 16 spot since Del Worsham in 2003.

What did Jordan Vandergriff do before NHRA Funny Car?

He raced in Top Fuel in 2019, appeared on The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, worked as an NHRA on FOX pit reporter in 2024 and 2025, and made two Top Fuel starts in 2025 for injured Shawn Reed.

What is Jordan Vandergriff’s fastest run?

As of mid-October 2026, John Force Racing listed his career bests as 3.849 seconds and 338.37 mph.

What is Jordan Vandergriff’s net worth?

Not publicly documented. Estimates on other websites are unsourced.

Related Coverage

Sources

Bobby Bennett

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