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Getting back on the horse
again…
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Chris Vandergriff returns to racing
after a brief introduction to Top Fuel
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By Bobby Bennett; Photos by Cory Janssen |
Chris Vandergriff will admit that he’d always harbored dreams and aspirations of driving a Top Fuel dragster for as long as he could remember. The 32-year old, self-proclaimed “director of janitorial services” for Hedman Hedders decided one day to act on those desires and purchased a complete Top Fuel operation. Vandergriff was merely following the lead of older sibling Bob, Jr., who had maintained a competitive operation for many years before dropping out due to lack of sponsorship in 2000. Three years later, the youngest Vandergriff found himself as part of history – although it was something he’d just as soon never make its way into the record books. He became the first Top Fuel driver to suffer a blowover during the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
Such was the luck for the former NASCAR Pro Truck standout on that particular weekend. He should have known from the start, when the rig blows a tire within 10 miles of crossing the state line of the event you plan to run – it was gonna be one of those weekends. If that wasn’t enough cause to order his team to turn around and head back to Alpharetta, Ga., a blown head gasket and subsequent fire on Friday should have done the trick. Sometimes the desire to reach out and touch one’s dreams is the largest factor in keeping a relentless spirit. That brings us to Vandergriff today. Less than a year of suffering the Indy misfortune, He is back racing again. He’s parked the Top Fuel dream in the staging area of his aspirations; opting now just to have fun now. The son of Hedman Hedders owner Bob Vandergriff, Sr., is sowing his horsepower oats in a Super Comp dragster thanks to the persistence of his friends and members of the racing community. It’s all good though; the crash did make it onto ESPN SportsCenter’s Plays of the Week.
“From the time I began licensing for a Top Fuel dragster until the accident, things couldn’t have gotten much better,” explained Vandergriff. “I was getting more and more comfortable with each run down the track. We had a very respectable debut at Commerce, even though we lost first round. “Being a rookie driver and having a new crew, just working together in the manner we did was quite an accomplishment. We tried the same things at Indy and unfortunately we had some glitches along the way. It was a pretty disastrous interruption for my Top Fuel career. A lot of financial efforts went down the tubes with it.”
Vandergriff accepts the lion’s share of the blame for the accident, but not all of it. Sometimes things just happen is the way he describes the misfortunate incident. “We took some time to analyze the crash and the computer,” added Vandergriff. “We even consulted with some of the best crewchiefs in the business and the majority agreed that the combination on the car was not the best for a rookie driver, nor did it fit with their goals for the weekend. “I won’t badmouth anyone, but there were some decisions made that made it not so favorable for a driver that wasn’t as experienced. Sometimes you just have to pick up the pieces and move on. That’s what I have done.”
Vandergriff admits that he could go on about coming within a “whisker” of attaining his dreams, but he’ll refrain. After all, he did get to line up alongside “Big Daddy” Don Garlits. “I was just happy to not get hurt regardless of how short my career may have been,” added Vandergriff. “I think its something the family can be proud of. We worked hard to stay away from being regarded as a leaker.”
Vandergriff admitted that thought of quitting after the crash is something that never entered his mind. He constantly replayed the accident as best he could recall and immediately conjured thoughts of how to return to racing. Vandergriff studied the resolve of the drivers that he’d admired and carefully studied the tendencies of those who’d endured such a serious mishap. In the end, Vandergriff made the decision he felt was best. “I’m all for getting back on the horse once you’ve been thrown off, but this time I think it was perfectly acceptable to go back to the roots and have some fun,” added Vandergriff. “I didn’t want to put any more stress on my family and the ones I love, plus I wanted to race more and have a lot more fun. I wanted to concentrate more on the family business. I think I made the best decision.”
Vandergriff purchased a dragster to run in Super Comp eliminator. He wanted to return to racing as quickly as he could. Thanks to Scott Shafiroff, he has returned to racing in a rail that turns 7.60s at 180.
Vandergriff also credits a list that includes Joe at MSD Ignition, Harris at Aerospace Components; Adrian at Painless Wiring, Vince at Power Master Products, Kim at Moroso Performance, Brian at Goza Products, Reggie at Barry Grant, Jeep at Auto Meter Gauges, Carl at Weld Racing Wheels, Bob at Pro Glass, Dan & Erik at Lake Point Tube Chassis, John Spar at B&M Racing Products, J.C. at Strange Engineering and Ryan at Dedenbear. He didn’t forget a crew of what he calls incredible employees and greatest of friends. That list includes Phillip Wigington, Kenny Wigington, James Rice, Keith Harden, Russ Glover, Eric Mangum, Marty Dunkerly and Don MacDonald. Vandergriff doesn’t mind in the least running three seconds slower. It provides a great challenge.
“That’s not slow by any means, but quick enough to make racing fun,” admitted Vandergriff. “It also enables me to stay close to the pulse of the family and the company. It also enables me to be closer to our customers. “I am content to go out and support my big brother in his new endeavor. Hopefully, he can go out there and win us our first NHRA Top Fuel trophy. One day I might come back out and run Top Fuel. Until then, I’m very much happy running what I am now. “To look back and say, ‘hey it ended too quickly.’
I have to remind myself at least I got to do and I have four-second
time slips at over 300-miles per hour to prove it. I had the opportunity
to race ‘Big Daddy’ at Indy. If I complained, I know
a lot of people would be ready to beat me up.”
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