Former Bachelorette contestant in hunt for NHRA title entering Las Vegas

Jordan Vandergriff was at the starting line and inside the pits at last year’s NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Not as a racer, but as a TV reporter for Fox Sports.

One year later, Vandergriff has traded his microphone in for a helmet and firesuit, and returns to Las Vegas second in the Funny Car points standings, in the hunt for the title in his rookie season.

Vandergriff enters the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals 98 points behind four-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan in the standings with two races remaining.

Qualifying for the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals continues on Saturday for Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car), which have been moved up an hour to 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., due to potential weather in the area which will set the order for Sunday’s eliminations.

Vandergriff, 31, from Brea, California, is driving for John Force Racing, which is owned by 16-time Funny Car champion John Force in the Cornwell Tools car that won the past two world titles with Austin Prock driving.

Now, Vandergriff, who competed on Season 19 of The Bachelorette (2022) and Season 9 of Bachelor in Paradise (2023), has a chance to give John Force Racing a third straight Funny Car title in his first full NHRA national season.

“To be here after being on NHRA on Fox the last two years, it’s pretty unbelievable,” Vandergriff said. “But over the years, this is what I wanted. This is what I dreamed of. This what I’ve worked for. Now that I’m here, I’m realizing that I did all that for a reason, to be here and to be ready for this moment.

“Still, even a year ago, if you’re telling me I’m driving for John Force, I would say ‘No. You’re crazy. Unbelievable.”

On Friday, rain delayed Nitro qualifying by nearly two hours. Jack Beckman (3.832 seconds elapsed time, 335.32 mph) posted the fastest time in Funny Car, and Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon (3.672 seconds, 332.59 mph) was fastest in his class and picked up three points towards the points standings.

Vandergriff was fifth fastest (3.909, 332.02 mph). Beckman’s time was the second fastest Funny Car time of the season. Top Fuel’s Maddi Gordon’s speed of 340.56 mph in the first qualifying session set a new LVMS track record for fastest Top Fuel speed in Las Vegas.

‘Unfinished business’

Vandergriff, before being on TV, came from a racing family and worked his way through the ranks to try and be a Top Fuel driver. He made his NHRA nationals debut in 2019, appearing in 11 events driving for his uncle at Bob Vandergriff Racing.

Jordan Vandergriff reached the semifinals three times and was a runner-up at Dallas, but he lost his ride after the season.

Aside from twice stepping in as a substitute driver for injured Top Fuel driver Shawn Reed last year, Vandergriff had not appeared in an NHRA event since 2019.

“It has been a long road back,” Vandergriff said. “I found myself doing everything I could to get back into racing. I went on reality television, I did NHRA on Fox. I just wanted to stay involved in the sport because I knew that when my season ended in 2019 and everything was taken away, I knew I had unfinished business.

“I didn’t feel like I was done yet. I did everything I could. It took a little longer than I expected. It took seven years, but I’m right where I should be now. It’s made all those times worth it.”

‘Something really special’

Vandergriff learned lessons from his time working for Fox, but also learned from his reality television experience that’s helped his approach for getting back into an NHRA ride.

“It was (the lesson of) live life to the fullest. Do everything you can, tale every opportunity,” Vandergriff said. “The NHRA on Fox for me, I don’t think I would have done if I didn’t so something like that (The Bachelorette), step out of my comfort zone and just do stuff and live life.

“You’re living life on those shows. You’re in an extreme situation and I find myself in extreme situations every Sunday now in NHRA.”

Prock left John Force Racing after 2025 and took most of the team members with him, so Vandergriff was practically working with a whole new team in the car that’s won the last two titles.

Vandergriff said after offseason testing, he knew the team had a “chance to do something special.” That’s led to three wins this season, three runner-up finishes and three No. 1 qualifying efforts in his first season in a Funny Car.

“We all came in new together and that’s really why I feel like we were comfortable together from the beginning because we all had something to prove,” Vandergriff said.

“We came together and built this team fresh from the jump. … This team has a chance to do something special and we’re just a few races from doing something really special.”

Contact Alex Wright at [email protected]. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.

Up next

NHRA Las Vegas Nationals schedule

At Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Saturday

■ Nitro qualifying: 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

■ Pro Stock qualifying: noon and 2:30 p.m.

Sunday

■ Nitro eliminations: 11 a.m., 1:20, 3:15 and 4:40 p.m. (finals)

■ Pro Stock eliminations: noon, 1:55, 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. (finals)