This weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Texas will mark the return of J.R. Todd to a Top Fuel dragster as Todd will pilot a second dragster out of the Bob Vandergriff Jr. Racing stable. Vandergriff has selected Kurt Elliot as the crew chief for Todd’s Total Equipment sponsored dragster.

On the heels of his breakthrough first career NHRA Top Fuel victory late last season in Dallas, Bob Vandergriff Jr. is moving forward with an impressive initiative that may put as many as three cars on the track this season.

 Piece #1 – Acquiring finances

 Acquiring funding for his race team has always been a knack for Vandergriff from the time he made his debut as a complete unknown with Fruit of the Loom sponsorship in 1994 to when he brought in other sponsors, such as Jerzees and UPS.  Vandergriff has a mind that works similarly to a chess or pool player.