Jordan Vandergriff enters the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals trailing points leader Matt Hagan by 98 points, a gap he intends to close by winning every single elimination round available this weekend. With two races remaining in the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, the Southern California native and his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team are focused on winning to pursue the championship, John Force Racing reported.
The stakes are immediate. Vandergriff sits second in the standings with 2,405 points compared to Hagan’s 2,503. Because the season finale awards points-and-a-half, the mathematical window for a comeback is open, but it requires Vandergriff to maximize his output while hoping the leader falters. It is a high-pressure scenario for a rookie season, yet Vandergriff is treating the chase as a binary equation: win the race, and the points will resolve themselves.
A Two-Man Race in the Desert
For much of the season, the Funny Car standings were a congested scramble. However, as the circuit arrives at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the event running Oct. 30 through Nov. 1, that congestion has cleared. Vandergriff has effectively tuned out the rest of the field, including third-place J.R. Todd and fourth-place Austin Prock.
“If you asked me that question before Dallas, I would have said at least a little bit because we were all a little crunched up. Now that we have two races left, I find myself still in second place with one man to chase, Matt Hagan. I really could care less who’s in third, fourth and fifth. It’s really just us versus Hagan.”
By narrowing his focus solely to Hagan, he eliminates the noise of the mid-pack battle, though the pressure of trailing by nearly 100 points remains a significant hurdle.
The Familiarity of The Strip
While this is Vandergriff’s first official race at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a Funny Car, the venue is essentially his professional birthplace. He has used the facility as the launchpad for every major class transition in his career. He made his first Top Alcohol Dragster runs there in 2017, followed by Top Fuel in 2018, and his first nitro Funny Car runs in 2024 while driving John Force’s car.
While Vandergriff has never raced at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he views the track as a place where he has made his first runs in several classes. He believes the extensive testing he has conducted there will translate into a trophy on Sunday night, marking a major achievement in a season of rapid ascension.
Competing Milestones at John Force Racing
Vandergriff isn’t the only driver in the John Force Racing camp chasing a legacy-defining moment this weekend. Veteran Jack Beckman is eyeing his 40th career win at the same track where his professional career began 20 years ago. Beckman’s first Funny Car victory occurred on October 29, 2006, and he continues to use the same “shallow” racing philosophy today that he used two decades ago to beat Tommy Johnson Jr.
The contrast between the two drivers illustrates the different goals in the JFR stable: Vandergriff is chasing a Funny Car championship, while Beckman is pursuing a milestone 40th career win. Despite being mathematically unlikely to win the championship, Beckman maintains that the incentive to win individual races remains unchanged.
| Driver | Current Points Position | Points Total | Primary Goal for Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Hagan | 1 | 2,503 | Maintain Lead |
| Jordan Vandergriff | 2 | 2,405 | Win 8 Rounds / Chase Hagan |
| J.R. Todd | 3 | 2,384 | Podium Contention |
| Jack Beckman | 5 | 2,443 | 40th Career Win |
The Logistics of the Chase
The road to the finale begins with qualifying rounds on Friday, Oct. 30, at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. PT. The final qualifying rounds follow on Saturday at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. PT. The high-stakes eliminations, where Vandergriff must be flawless to keep his title hopes alive, are scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 1, starting at 11 a.m. PT.
For fans following the chase, television coverage will air on FS1, with qualifying action at 3 p.m. ET and eliminations at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday. Vandergriff will also be available for autographs on Saturday morning at the Cornwell Tools midway display and the JFR merchandise trailer.
Interestingly, while the event takes place in the gambling capital of the world, Vandergriff refuses to play the odds off the track. He views gambling as a losing proposition, noting that if he doesn’t play, he still wins. For him, the only “strip” in Las Vegas that matters is the one where the asphalt meets the rubber.
Whether this rookie’s “simple plan” can overcome a 98-point deficit depends on more than just his own speed; it depends on whether Matt Hagan can withstand a perfect run from the man chasing him.
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