Jordan Vandergriff has spent most of 2026 proving he belongs. On Saturday at New England Dragway, he proved he can win, securing his first career No. 1 qualifier and a Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory in front of a sellout crowd at the NHRA New England Nationals.
Joining Vandergriff in Saturday’s winner’s circle were Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), who also claimed Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victories at the Epping, N.H., track.
For months, Vandergriff, the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet driver, has shown flashes of the talent that made him one of drag racing’s most anticipated Funny Car prospects. Saturday delivered the first major payoff.
Vandergriff defeated points leader Ron Capps in the final round of the specialty event, running 3.913 seconds at 323.58 mph to beat Capps’ 3.953, 328.14. The performance also secured the top qualifying position heading into Sunday’s eliminations.
The accomplishment continued a banner weekend for John Force Racing, which locked down the top three qualifying positions in Funny Car. At a time when every round carries championship implications, the organization once again demonstrated its depth.
“Right when I crossed the finish line and the parachutes hit, I thought, ‘God, that felt quick.’ To get the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win and the No. 1 qualifier in the same day is unbelievable,” Vandergriff said.
“I never thought I was going to get one of these No. 1 qualifier hats, but now I’ve got one. We’re one, two, and three [in qualifying]. That’s a testament to John Force, what he’s built, the equipment he has, and the people he has working for him.”
For Vandergriff, the No. 1 slot arrives at a point in the season where confidence and experience are beginning to merge.
While Vandergriff celebrated a career milestone in Funny Car, the familiar battle between Doug Kalitta and Shawn Langdon continued to characterize the Top Fuel category. The two Kalitta Motorsports teammates have turned the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge into their own private rivalry.
Kalitta defeated Langdon in the final round with a run of 3.776, 333.82, in his Mac Tools dragster as his opponent smoked the tires. The victory marked his third Challenge win of the season.
Together, Kalitta and Langdon have captured five of the six Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge events this year. Their dominance mirrors what they accomplished a season ago and has become one of the most consistent storylines in Top Fuel competition.
“We missed the run last night in the money round, but we recovered really well today. We got down the track in the first session and then stayed hooked up in that final session when it got pretty tricky,” Kalitta said.
“The Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge is a great deal for the fans. It’s a great idea, and Shawn and I have both been fortunate enough to win a few of them. It’s definitely nice to come away with a win. The Mission race adds something extra. It raises the intensity and gives you another opportunity to practice under real race conditions.”
If Kalitta’s victory represented business as usual in Top Fuel, Greg Anderson’s performance served as another reminder that the veteran racer remains a weekly threat in Pro Stock. Experience continues to matter in a category where races are often decided by thousandths of a second.
Anderson claimed his second Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory of the season with a 6.545, 209.17 run in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. He tracked down Troy Coughlin Jr. despite surrendering a sizable advantage of .044 seconds at the starting line.
The win also complemented Anderson’s No. 1 qualifying effort and positioned him for a potential weekend sweep.
Coughlin left first and briefly held the advantage, but Anderson’s car did what Anderson’s cars have done for decades — pull hard through the finish line and let the scoreboard settle the argument.
