Vandergriff eyes three-car team for 2012

Monday, January 23, 2012

by Phil Burgess, National DRAGSTER Editor

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.

Already widely rumored but recently confirmed, Vandergriff will put highly regarded talent J.R. Todd into the seat of a second C&J Energy Services dragster for a number of races this year and also is working to secure a ride for sidelined former three-time NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel champ Larry Dixon.

“We currently have [Todd] slated to drive at least three to four races and are working on increasing that to around 10-12,” said Vandergriff. “I am waiting to hear back on approvals for the increased funding.”

Todd’s car will run in C&J Energy livery when it debuts in Houston in late April and other events, but will be backed by a “brand new sponsor to the sport” for the NHRA Summer Nationals in Topeka in mid-May.

Todd burst onto the Top Fuel scene in 2006 with a trio of victories, beginning at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Denver, where he upset then reigning season champ Tony Schumacher in the final round. He beat Schumacher again in the final round in Sonoma and added a third win in Reading and a runner-up at the fall Las Vegas event. He added two more wins and a runner-up in 2007 – where he finished a career-high seventh in points -- and added his final win to date in 2008, in Dallas, where he again beat Schumacher for the money. He last competed in 2009 during a three-race stint that ended at the year’s Sonoma event.

Dixon, who parted company with the Al-Anabi team this winter, has aggressively been seeking a ride for this season, but is expected to begin the year on the sidelines, though he has announced he will be in Pomona, networking and spectating, during the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries season opener. Dixon won season championships with Don Prudhomme in 2002 and 2003 and with Al-Anabi in 2010. He has 62 career wins.

“I’ve got a lot of lines in the water, and whichever one bites is what I’m going to go with,” said Dixon. “Bob and I have talked and I know he’s got a few companies he’s talking to, and if it makes sense for everybody, we’ll definitely go down that road. Right now, I’m also working on trying to put my own team together for 2013 but if Bob was able to put a deal together to make something happen this year, I’d definitely consider it. Bob has definitely shown that he can out together a team that can win.”

“I'm excited about trying to bring Larry Dixon to our team,” said Vandergriff. “I think his credentials are a big asset and bring credibility to our program and what we are trying to build. He provides me another great fit with our team and we are working hard together to present that program to various agencies and companies right now. Between J.R., Larry and myself I would have the drivers to compete against [Don Schumacher Racing] and [Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi Racing]. Now it's just up to me to go find the funding.”

Vandergriff’s season already is off to a flying start as he tested well in Florida, with two 3.82s and two 3.83s, all at more than 322 mph. He also recently renewed his major associate sponsorship with Caterpillar for the 2012 season.