Alexis
de Joria

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Rookie of the Year Contenders Alexis DeJoria and Danica Patrick Meet in Bristol!

 

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Bio

Driver: Alexis De Joria
DOB: Septembeer 24, 1977
Hometown: Venice, CA
Marital status: Single
Children: Isabella
Height/weight: 5'8", 130 lbs.
Hobbies: Snowboarding, riding dirt bikes, skydiving, and watching movies
Competed in NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car competition for five seasons
Got her start in drag racing in NHRA Super Gas category driving a 1963 Corvette roadster and later competed in NHRA Super Comp in a dragster
Daughter of highly-successful businessman John Paul DeJoria, owner of Paul Mitchell Hair Care Products, Patron Tequila, and John Paul Pet Products
Class/Registration: TAFC/710D
Top Alcohol Funny Car, Nitro Funny Car

Alexis DeJoria has spent the majority of her life fascinated by speed. From fighter jets to street machines, Alexis has always wanted to go fast and live life to its fullest, but it was when she first saw a Nitro Funny Car in action that she realized where she wanted to be. Born with a drive to succeed, Alexis knew she had to pursue drag racing and began her career with a plan to develop her driving skills in the sportsman categories and continually move up the ranks in quicker, more powerful machines.

Alexis began her racing career in a 1963 Corvette Roadster in the Super Gas category and then quickly moved into a rear engine Super Comp dragster scoring a runner-up finish at a divisional race and also winning the coveted Sportsman Nationals in Fontana, CA all within the first eight months of her debut. Always looking to go faster and feeling comfortable with her success, Alexis was presented an opportunity to drive a Top Alcohol Funny Car and spent a couple of years with a two-car team and competed primarily on the west coast. Alexis adjusted well to the 3,000 horsepower alcohol burning funny car and continued to improve her skills. In 2009 Alexis made a major commitment in her racing career by moving east and building her own team, StealthMotorsports, from scratch.

The 2009 Patrón Tequila sponsored Mustang is Alexis’s current and most favorite hot rod as she has set her career best elapse time and speed with an 5.55 @ 260 miles per hour. Never one to look back, Alexis is focused on competing at the highest level in the Top Alcohol Funny Car. After a mid-season crash in Englishtown, NJ, Alexis and the Patrón Team returned to competition with a new 2009 Mustang at the coveted Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. After making two final round appearances in a row at Ennis, TX and Las Vegas, NV, as well as, winning the Division Two event in Reynolds, GA, Alexis and the Patrón Team finished 11th in championship points. Alexis is currently the second woman to win a race in the Top Alcohol Funny Car category.

Born with a passion to succeed with speed, Alexis has made the commitment to make NHRA Drag Racing her career. Having the support of Patron Tequila and John Paul Pet products have helped Alexis continue to live her dream of competing at the highest level and help drive her appetite for success as a professional drag racer. As she continues to gain experience with every pass down the quarter mile and plans on one day moving into the professional funny car ranks as a contender, fulfilling her dream of competing at the highest level of the sport.

De Joria, 29, whose father, John Paul De Joria, founded both Patrón Spirits Company and Paul Mitchell Hair Care Products, has made laps at Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School behind the wheel of their school TAFC and finished her license last weekend in testing at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix. She will start the season in a Camaro-bodied machine until her new Murf McKinney 2007 Mustang is completed. Her tenure in Top Alcohol Funny Car will be to prepare her for a future ride in the nitro Funny Car ranks.

"I'm really looking forward to racing in Top Alcohol Funny Car," said De Joria. "Ever since I saw my first Top Fuel run as a teenager at Pomona, I've been hooked. When I felt the power, saw the flames at night and the speed, I was like, sign me up. I've always been drawn to the Funny Cars; I have a real affinity for them. My ultimate goal is to move into nitro Funny Car. They're just bad ass, they're harder to drive and that really appeals to me. Right now, I just want to learn as much as I can in the Top Alcohol Funny Car. Jack has assembled a great team to learn with. I can't wait to get this Tequila Patrón Funny Car in competition!"

Snippets


The Alexis DeJoria Racing Team Wraps Up Successful but Short 2011 Season; Sights Set on 2012 Rookie

Next race - Pomona, CA - O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals - Feb. 9 - 12, 2012

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Professional Nitro Funny Car Racer and Team Owner, Business Woman, Thrill Seeker joins the legendary Kalitta Motorsports Team.

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A newly added Top Alcohol Funny Car that will be wheeled by Alexis De Joria. De Joria, who most recently won Super Comp at this past year's Pacific SPORTS nationals in Fontana, Calif., will have her Funny Car tuned by former world champion Randy Anderson

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Alexis DeJoria pursues her own dreams.

News


‘First or Worst’ Rule Comes into Play After a Wild First Round for Team Patron


After enjoying a quick and consistent car all weekend-long, Alexis DeJoria, driver of the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patron Toyota Camry Funny Car, suffered an unfortunate first round loss to John Force after what can only be described as a wacky round, and a unique learning experience for the first-year Funny Car driver.

In their fifth matchup of the season, the rookie and veteran drivers pulled up to the line ready to battle it out. As he has done previously when matched-up against the black-and-green machine, Force staged deep, but this time ended up red lighting (foul start). His ‘jumping the gun’ error caused DeJoria to react and red light as well, although at that point she had technically won the round due to the ‘first or worst’ NHRA rule. Unaware that she had won the round, DeJoria continued to go for it, pedaling the car as it smoked the tires and went on a wild ride, swerving and eventually crossing the center line. Just as the ‘first or worst’ rule had helped her initially win the round, it then caused her to have to give up the win after the car crossed over the middle, which is considered the ‘worst’ offense of the two.

“We were pretty stoked going into the first round today. It was like a rematch of Seattle, going up against Force again. It seems like we keep getting matched up against each other,” said DeJoria. “I was super focused and took my time getting in. I didn’t realize he had red lit or that I had even red lit. I was just focusing on getting down quick. Go means go! The car smoked the tires, and when I didn’t see him in the other lane, I just kept going and trying to get the car to hook up, but it never did. I hadn’t seen the win lights come on and by the time I got the radio call to let off it because I had won, I was already in a sideways drift towards the center line and I ended up clipping the middle. It was a bummer to have that happen- we really needed that round win. It was the second time I have ever pedaled the car and I feel as though I did my best. I was just trying to get to the finish line first. When you don’t see a car in the other lane, you just don’t know. I was trying to keep it straight, and it was unfortunate that we lost, but it was certainly a good learning experience for me.”

“Our next race is Indy, and I’m really looking forward to getting back out there. We know we have a fast car, and our team is doing a great job. Thankfully, my team is very tolerant of my rookie mistakes. It’s all part of the first-year learning curve.”

Alexis DeJoria and the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patron Toyota Camry Funny Car team will compete next at the 58th Annual Mac Tools US Nationals presented by Auto-Plus in Indianapolis, August 29th-September 3rd.
Source: femaleracingnews.com/drag_racing/first-or-worst-rule-comes-into-play-after-a-wild-first-round-for-team-patron/

Tequila Patron Funny Car Driver, Alexis DeJoria, to Make Inaugural Appearance in Brainerd this Weekend


This weekend will mark the first time Alexis DeJoria packs up and heads North to Minnesota to race the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at the famed Brainerd International Raceway. This is one of the few tracks that DeJoria, a Nitro Funny Car Rookie, has not either raced or tested at in her previous role as an Alcohol Funny Car driver.

DeJoria, who drives the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patron Toyota Camry Funny Car, and most recently piloted an F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jet, is looking forward to making her maiden voyage to Brainerd. “I’m really excited to go to Brainerd because I’ve never been there before. I’ve heard it’s a good track, and of course the main goal this weekend is to just go out there and try and make consistent passes.”

The Rookie of the Year candidate is fresh off of a match race, Norwalk Night Under Fire, where she had the opportunity to test out her new chassis. Because the team was only able to make one lap with the new frame, they decided that they will wait to use it until they have more solid information, and the plan is to stick with the current one for the time being. According to Jim Oberhofer, VP of Kalitta Motorsports, “Her car has been pretty consistent as of late, and consistency will win you rounds more than anything. We have a pretty good setup right now and we don’t want to mess with anything too much just yet. Jeff [Arend, driver of the Kalitta Motorsports DHL Funny Car] made a great run in Norwalk, so we’re going to tune his car a little differently than Alexis’ and see if we can get the same sort of reaction. If all goes well, we’ll evaluate what we’ve got at the end of the day on Friday, and apply it to both of our Funny Cars.

“Even though we only had the chance to make one run with each car in Norwalk, both of those runs gave us a lot of information. We’re excited about moving forward with what we learned. Hopefully, it will help us take our performance to the next level. We’re really looking for both cars to run bigger numbers earlier into the run, which will lead to greater ET’s.”

Kalitta Motorsports has seen success at the Brainerd track, known for its ability to draw huge crowds from the surrounding community, as both Doug and Connie ‘the Bounty Hunter’ Kalitta have won there in years past, and they’re hoping it will be just as kind to Team Green this weekend. “The last few years at Brainerd have been really good, from a performance standpoint,” said Oberhofer. “They replaced the racing surface a few years back and it’s really in great shape. Taking that into consideration, and looking at the potential for what should be cooler weather there this weekend, all of us at Kalitta are excited to get on that track and hopefully run some pretty good numbers.”

Alexis DeJoria and the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patron Toyota Camry Funny Car team compete this weekend August 17th-19th at the 31st Annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota. Nitro qualifying begins at 3PM on Friday.
Source: femaleracingnews.com/drag_racing/tequila-patr%cf%8cn-funny-car-driver-alexis

Rookie of the Year Contenders Alexis DeJoria and Danica Patrick Meet in Bristol!


The Tequila Patron Toyota Camry Funny Car team took a break from their usual stomping grounds of the drag strip to visit the oval track in Bristol, TN this past weekend for the Food City 500 NASCAR races at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The Tequila Patron NHRA team made the trip down to the land of country music, Funny Car in tow, for a jam-packed ‘NHRA Meets NASCAR’ weekend, and what the team considered an exciting introduction to the NASCAR crowd.

Down in Tennessee, they were greeted with open arms by NASCAR fans and media alike. For Team Patron’s driver, Alexis DeJoria, it was especially exciting as it was her first time ever attending a NASCAR event.

Alexis presenting Danica with a bottle of Patron Platinum Tequila

The Friday through Sunday event was filled with numerous appearances each day, including multiple events on various stages in front of thousands, media interviews, fan Q & A sessions, autograph signings, and a chance for what many would consider to be the two reigning queens of NASCAR and NHRA- Danica Patrick and DeJoria- to meet in person for the very first time. The two swapped racing stories, wished each other luck in their run for rookie of the year. The two-motorsport fan-favorites’ are both vying for the prestigious Rookie of the Year title in their respective sports this year. DeJoria presented Patrick with a bottle of Patron Tequila Platinum. Perhaps the girls can share a toast together at the end of successful rookie seasons!

During the weekend DeJoria signed autographs alongside the 40+ NASCAR drivers at the Food City Race Night fan event where her car was also on display; she was introduced to the crowds at both the Toyota and NASCAR VIP/Season Ticket Holders pavilions throughout the weekend; was invited to attend the pre-race Drivers Meeting on both Saturday and Sunday where she was introduced to the drivers, and moments prior to Sunday’s main event, she was invited to do a NASCAR drivers ride around in the outside of a truck waving to fans alongside the other drivers during the official NASCAR driver introductions.

Alexis and Crew Chief Del Worsham talk to the media

Team Patron was scheduled to start the 8000 hp car on Sunday morning prior to the Sprint Cup race in front of the over one hundreds thousand in attendance, but unfortunately, all pre-race activities were cancelled due to heavy rain, which also prohibited DeJoria from riding in the pace car. On a sunnier note, Team Patron was able to start the Funny Car for tens of thousands of fans and received a response of overwhelming excitement by the crowds. DeJoria and her crew chief, NHRA Top Fuel World Champion Del Worsham also had the opportunity to take part in a special media event held at the NASCAR drivers’ media center where they sat side-by-side for a media Q & A session.
Source: femaleracingnews.com/circle_track/rookie-of-the-year-contenders-alexis-dejoria-and-danica-patrick-meet-in-bristol

The Alexis DeJoria Racing Team Wraps Up Successful but Short 2011 Season; Sights Set on 2012 Rookie Season


Although the 2011 NHRA season has come to an end, the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patr?n Toyota Camry Funny Car team is already looking ahead with high hopes for the 2012 season. In their fourth professional showing, Team Patr?n left the Pomona, CA track feeling pleased with their overall performance this past weekend. At what she considers her ‘home track,’ Team Patr?n driver and 2012 Rookie of the Year hopeful Alexis DeJoria was surrounded by friends and family as her debut Funny Car season came to an end.

In her first qualifying run on Thursday, she shook the tires a bit, but two good runs on Friday and Saturday ensured she made it into the field. With twenty-four cars gunning for a spot in the highly competitive ‘Top Twelve’ and rain looming on the horizon, Team Patr?n knew they had to turn up the heat on Friday to guarantee their spot in Sunday’s eliminations. Running their best numbers of the weekend- an impressive 4.158-second pass at 306.88-mph- put Alexis in the number nine spot going into Saturday. “Being in the Top Twelve on Friday is so crucial. If you’re not in the Top Twelve, your runs don’t count, so we were all obviously very pleased,” said DeJoria.

In Saturday’s first qualifying run, Alexis was up against teammate Jeff Arend. Track conditions were good, and crew chief and VP of Kalitta Motorsports Jim Oberhofer felt hopeful that they would beat Friday’s numbers. Unfortunately, an air bottle leak cost the team a good run. “The air bottle must’ve leaked at some point between the time we left the pits to the time we started up the car. It operates a lot of functions on the car, so when that didn’t work, we had no ignition curve and the car went out and pulled the tires.”

Although she faced some challenges during the run, Saturday’s second qualifying round went a little better for Team Patr?n. After waiting out a rain delay, Alexis had the unique opportunity to run at night, only her second time doing so. The car got off the line to a good start but got out of the groove early. Alexis handled the car well and was able to keep it straight but was then met with another challenge when her visor fogged up, causing her to have to shut the car off early, resulting in a 4.171-sec at 274.61-mph run. The run may not have gone as smoothly as she would have hoped, but did offer Alexis a new learning experience. Alexis went into Sunday’s eliminations in the number fourteen spot.

Team Patr?n was up against Mike Neff in the first round of eliminations, but lost after she ‘red lit.’ “She gambled a bit with her reaction times, but that’s alright. I always tell drivers, ‘if you’re not red-lighting every now and then, you’re not trying.’ She red lit simply because she was trying extremely hard. You can’t fault her for that!” said Oberhofer.

“At the end of the day, I was just so excited to have made it into the field for the World Finals in Pomona. It’s such an exciting thing to be a part of and a nice way to end the season,” said DeJoria.

The 2011 season was a short one for Team Patr?n. They made their long-awaited Nitro debut with enormous fanfare and a star-studded kickoff party in Dallas at the Texas Fall Nationals, but were only able to compete in four races this year in order to preserve Alexis’ rookie status for the 2012 season. “We did well overall in these four races,” said DeJoria. “With each race, there was significant improvement. We had some good learning experiences, got to race in different conditions, and really gelled as a team, which is so important. For us to do everything that we were able to do in such a short period of time is phenomenal.”

With the offseason just getting underway, Team Patr?n already has their sights set on 2012. Over the next few months, both Kalitta Motorsports Funny Car teams will have the exciting opportunity to test out a brand new Toyota Camry body before it even goes into production.

“The new body is still being built, but as soon as it’s ready, we’ll hit the track and get in as many test sessions as we possibly can. One of our goals during the off-season is to get down into the 4.0’s [seconds] and I have no doubt that between our crew’s ability, Alexis’ skill and our new state-of-the-art Toyota Camry that we will have any trouble accomplishing that,” says Oberhofer.
Source: www.alexisdejoria.com//news_comments.php?id=171

Alexis DeJoria pursues her own dreams


Alexis DeJoria will spend the weekend in Ennis, at the Texas Motorplex. It’s loud, it’s dirty, and there is nowhere else she’d rather be.

“It’s gone from, I really like to do this, I wonder if I can do this part time, to, this is a full-time job and running a team,” said DeJoria.

DeJoria has been racing for four years and is the only woman to own and operate a racing team in the National Hot Rod Association. Her father founded Paul Mitchell hair care systems — a billion dollar a year business — so she had other options.

“But at the end of the day I was like, I really need to go find what’s my passion,” said DeJoria, “what I really want to succeed in.”

Her first couple years were not very successful. But then she got her own team two years ago, and her career took off. She made the finals at this track a year ago, and is only the second woman to win three races in a row.

“They saw this change in her,” said her crew chief Nick Bastiao. “Now, she’s not just this rich girl — she’s a racer. And if you’re not careful, she’s going to beat you.”

Any questions as to how serious DeJoria is about the sport were answered in June 2009, when she stayed with it, even after a horrific crash in new jersey.

“You can see it on the video,” said DeJoria. “As soon as they (her parachutes) blossomed, boom, they’re gone. They just fly away.”

She lost her parachutes and her brakes didn’t work.

“And I just aimed for the center of the nets and took my hands off the wheel and kind of clenched them into my chest as soon as my front wheels went into the sand,” said DeJoria. “And I have no control over where the car was going or what direction, just braced for impact, and that’s it.”

Besides a couple of bruised knees, she emerged from the crash uninjured. This weekend she hopes to make a name for herself as a winner.
 

Results

2011: Raced at four national events: Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas 2 and Pomona 2

2010: Earned nitro Funny Car license; won first Alcohol Funny Car event

 

National Championship Points

Points
Sum
Type
Event Coe/Location
Date

43

43

HD

21-Bradenton, FL

02/15/2009

32

75

HD

22-Gainesville, FL

02/22/2009

53

128

NA

GF1-Gainesville, FL

03/15/2009

31

128

NA

HT1-Houston, TX

03/29/2009

32

160

HD

24-Cecil, GA

04/05/2009

31

160

NA

TK1-Topeka, KS

05/31/2009

53

213

NA

EJ1-Englishtown, NJ

06/14/2009

42

255

NA

II1-Clermont, IN

09/07/2009

32

255

HD

25-Commerce, GA

09/13/2009

64

319

NA

DT1-Ennis, TX

09/27/2009

85

404

HD

26-Reynolds, GA

10/18/2009

64

468

NA

LN2-Las Vegas, NV

11/01/2009

43

511

OD

77-Las Vegas, NV

11/08/2009

10

511

NA

PC2-Pomona, CA

11/15/2009

Type: HD=Home Div, NA=National Event, OD=Out of Div

Schedule

 

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