Jordan Vandergriff will remain in the seat of Shawn Reed’s Top Fuel dragster at next weekend’s NHRA U.S. Nationals, team officials announced Friday. Reed continues to recover from injuries sustained in an on-track incident last month, which left him with two fractured ribs and the amputation of his left index finger.
Vandergriff made his first competition appearance since 2019 last week at Brainerd International Raceway, driving the Reed Trucking & Excavating machine to a No. 3 qualifying spot, multiple career-best speeds, and a round win on race day. The Indianapolis event marks the second straight start for the 28-year-old driver, who last competed full-time in 2019.
“This was not a difficult decision,” Reed said. “After seeing how easily Jordan mixed in with the crew and jumped right back into competition mode after knocking the rust off those first few runs, it wasn’t even a question for me for Indy, I knew I wanted Jordan back in the car.”
Reed said several offers came in from other potential drivers, many with financial backing. “As tempting as it was, I knew in my gut that I wanted it to be Jordan once again,” he said. “He’s excited, he’s thankful, he’s appreciative, and quite frankly, did a good job. He’s already fitted for the car; the guys liked him and wanted to see him back.”
Reed currently sits 10th in the Top Fuel standings with a 168-point cushion over 11th place, all but guaranteeing a spot in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. Depending on the outcome at Indianapolis, Reed’s team could climb as many as two positions in the regular-season finale.
“Josh Hart (eighth) and Steve Torrence (ninth) have a 96 and 94-point lead on me,” Reed said. “It’s tough, but it’s not impossible. But really, at the end of the day, as much as we want to make the most of the points next weekend, the reality is we’re racing because this is Indy, and I want to see this car and this team on the track at the sport’s biggest race.”
Reed added he briefly considered sitting out until the playoffs but decided against it. “No matter what, I have a Reed Trucking & Excavating car that represents me and my company, and I’m the kind of guy where, if we’ve got the car, the people, and the parts and pieces, we’re going racing and I’m not going to sit out,” he said. “We may not run all five qualifying runs there; we may use Indy as a bit of a test session, it just depends, but either way, we’ll be there, and we’ll be racing hard for the trophy.”
Vandergriff, who ran 11 races in 2019 and reached a runner-up finish in Dallas before funding issues sidelined his career, has remained visible in the sport through television and entertainment opportunities. He appeared on the Bachelorette franchise and worked as part of the NHRA on FOX broadcast team the past two years.
“I’m extremely thankful to Shawn Reed for giving me the opportunity to go to back-to-back races in the Shawn Reed Racing Top Fuel dragster,” Vandergriff said. “And not only that, but a chance at the U.S. Nationals, the ‘Big Go.’”
Vandergriff said racing in Indianapolis represents a milestone. “The best drag racers in the world come to this event with hopes of forever being introduced as a U.S. Nationals champion,” he said. “This team is coming off a very strong weekend in Brainerd, and we will look to continue to build on that momentum in Indianapolis. It would be a dream come true to hold that Wally on Labor Day.”
