Jordan Vandergriff earned his first No. 1 qualifier of the season at New England Dragway on Saturday. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
EPPING, N.H. — A good weekend for John Force Racing got even better on Saturday at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H., as the team’s three funny cars vied for the top qualifying spot, while Jordan Vandergriff picked up the win in the Mission Foods 2Fast2Tasty Challenge.
Ultimately, Vandergriff notched the top qualifying spot with his challenge winning run, while Jack Beckman came home with the No. 2 qualified spot, and Alexis Dejoria – Friday’s provisional top qualifier – settled for the No. 3 spot.
“It was perfect,” Vandergriff said. “It was a great pass. After seeing what Jack did in front of us. I saw when he ran the 92 to go up to No. 1, that the track was there, and the lane was there. I knew Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker, my Cornwell Quality Tools boys were going to have it tuned up.”
In the 2024 New England Nationals, team owner John Force picked up the final win of his hall of fame career – a fact that is not lost on Vandergriff and his teammates.
“The JFR camp, we do everything for John,” Vandergriff said. “He’s the beacon of light. He’s the leader. He’s built everything that we do. He’s the model that I look up to. Knowing his last career win was here, it would be really special if one of us got it done. I prefer it be me.”
Vandergriff picked up the bonus points for both the top qualifying spot, and the win in the Mission Foods 2Fast2 Tasty challenge. Setting the stage for a big weekend if the speed translates into Sunday.
“Right when I crossed the finish line and the parachutes hit, I was like, ‘Ah, that felt quick. That felt pretty quick.’ Huge weekend for John Force Racing.
“At the beginning of the year, we know all three of us were going to be good. It’s taken three races for everybody to get used to everything that’s new. We were Nos. 1, 2 and 4 after Friday night, and after today we’re 1, 2 and 3. It’s a testament to John Force and what he’s built. We’re the best 3 funny cars on the property right now.”
Saturday success is important, but it is Sunday afternoon that really counts. Vandergriff took a moment to sit back and reflect on everything his move to John Force Racing has brought this season – including early success.
Jordan Vandergriff parlayed a No. 1 qualifying run and a win in the Mission Foods 2 Fast, 2 Tasty Challenge in Epping. (Photo: Allen Saucier | The Podium Finish)
“I don’t know if I expected (success) this quickly, but I expected success,” he said. “I think, going into testing, it was unknown. I didn’t know if I could even drive the thing. We didn’t know how the guys were going to gel, and how Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker were going to be, but when we left testing, and how we performed in testing, we kind of knew we had something special.”
A year ago, Vandergriff was working for the Fox network as a reporter at the New England Nationals, where he interviewed the top qualifiers. On Saturday, he flipped the script.
“To be here now, wearing the hat as the number one qualifier, it’s pretty unreal,” he said. “This last year has been such a whirlwind to me. All of my dreams have begun to come true, and all the hard work I’ve put in thruog the years is beginning to pay off. But it’s important to keep a humble mindset and know that there’s still work to do. I’m happy to be in this position now, but there’s plenty more work to do, so I’m going to keep working.”
Shawn Langdon earned the No. 1 qualified spot in Epping on Saturday, but teammate Doug Kalitta won the Mission Foods 2 Fast, 2 Tasty Challenge. (Photo: Wayne Reigle | The Podium Finish)
Kalitta team flexes muscle in Epping
Shawn Langdon’s top qualifying time from Friday night held up on Saturday to set him up as the top qualifier for the weekend, but it was his teammate, Doug Kalitta. who defeated him in the Mission Foods 2 Fast, 2 Tasty challenge on Saturday.
“Having the #1 qualifier, and knowing we’ll have a bye run in the first round, we’ll be able to press it there and know if we can get away with anything,” Langdon said. “First round tomorrow we’ll get back to normal, and get back in our normal routine. The main thing you want to focus on is outrunning the 8-9 pair so you can have lane choice.”
Langdon said the entire team feels good about where they are right now, and both drivers starting the weekend strong gives them confidence that they can continue the strong season that has them sitting in the top two spots in the Top Fuel standings.
“It’s good to have 2 good running cars,” he said. “If we can’t win, Doug can win, if he can’t win, we can win. Just want to keep it coming back to the Kalitta camp.”
Kalitta was disappointed that he spun the tires during Friday night qualifying, but he was happy with his team’s recovery to earn the 2Fast2Tasty win.
“Having to race for the fans on Saturday with the Mission Foods was a great idea,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate enough, between Shawn and I, to win some of them on occasion. We missed last night in the money round (of qualifying), but we rebounded very well with the first session today, then getting down the track this last session.”
Doug Kalitta celebrates his Mission Foods 2 Fast, 2 Tasty Challenge. (Photo: Allen Saucier | The Podium Finish)
Anderson continues to dominate Pro Stock
Greg Anderson entered the weekend with three wins at New England Dragway. So far this weekend, he has made it clear that it will take a huge effort from the field to keep him from getting his fourth. Anderson drove to the top qualified spot on Friday night, held onto it on Saturday, while also driving to the win in the Mission Foods 2Fast2Tasty Challenge.
Even with all that success, Anderson was critiquing himself after a slower start than he wanted in the final round of the 2Fast2Tasty Challenge.
“You can’t win without some good luck,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how you drive or how good your car runs, you have to have some fortune, and I’ve had it the last couple weeks. I hope that continues on. It’s been fun. I obviously have to brush up the driving side and get off the line a little quicker, but there’s only one guy who can fix that, and that’s me. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Three thousandths at the finish line is as good as a mile in my book.”
Greg Anderson started the weekend at the New England Nationals in dominant fashion with the top qualifying spot and a win in the Mission Foods 2 Fast, 2 Tasty Challenge. (Photo: Luc Saucier | The Podium Finish)
Anderson and his KB Titan teammate Dallas Glenn have been a mile ahead of the competition so far in 2026. His strong performance in qualifying at Epping pushed Anderson to the top spot in Pro Stock points, and he looks to add to that by continuing the strong run through the weekend. But Anderson pointed out that while it may seem like everything is easy for him right now, he can’t get complacent.
“When you have a car that runs like mine – it’s wrong to do this – but you find yourself rolling up there to the line thinking ‘Now just make damn sure you see that light well and you don’t screw up,’” Anderson said. “Sometimes it gets planted in your mind, and it’s a hard way to race, but I’d certainly rather have the fastest car. But it’s another challenge.
“When you get the fastest car, it’s sort of a different mindset and you’ve got to drive it different because you go up there feeling, ‘The only way I lose is if I screw it up.’ But then, when you tell yourself that, you screw it up anyway. You’ve got to go up there on kill every time and you have to convince your mind to do that. It’s a hard thing to do, but that’s what you’ve got to convince your mind to do.”
