POMONA, Calif. (November 16, 2014)— Alexis DeJoria and the Patrón XO Cafe Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car team closed out the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season with a semi-final finish on Sunday afternoon, marking the 10th time she has advanced to the semi-finals or beyond this season.
In addition to her semi-final finish, DeJoria capped off an already successful year with a No. 1 qualifier and a three second run this weekend at the 50th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. To say the 2014 season has been a ‘breakout year’ for DeJoria and the Patrón XO Cafe team would be an understatement.
Highlights from the year include three wins (Phoenix, Feb., Vegas I, April, Indianapolis, Sept.), three No. 1 qualifiers (Atlanta, May, Charlotte II, Sept., Pomona II, Nov.), three three-second runs (Pomona I, Feb., Brainerd, Aug., Pomona II, Nov.), two track records (Atlanta, May, Brainerd, Aug.), and the team’s first Top Ten finish.
The Patrón XO Cafe Toyota Camry Funny Car team, which had just 18 round wins to its credit going into their third year, had seemingly lofty 2014 goals, which included picking up their first win, a No. 1 qualifier and a Top Ten finish. They quickly erased any doubt, however, that they were anything less than a force to be reckoned with when they kicked off the season with a three second run at the first event, picked up their first win at the very next race, and backed it up just two races later with yet another win. They’ve accumulated 31 round wins over the course of the year; a stark contrast to the 18 round wins accumulated over their first two years.
“This season definitely exceeded our expectations,” said DeJoria, who can claim the title of ‘quickest woman in Funny Car history’ due to her 3.997-sec run, achieved at the season opener. She remains the only female Funny Car driver to have ever made a sub four second run in competition. “We won our first race, which was awesome, but then we won a second, and then a third! It has just been an incredible year for the Patrón XO Cafe Toyota Camry Funny Car team. I’m so grateful to Tommy [DeLago], Glen [Huszar], my team and all of our amazing sponsors. We’ve worked really hard this year to accomplish what we had and to make a huge turnaround, and we’re only going to get better. I’m going to get better as a driver. I learn so much from every run and every race, and I’m taking all of that into next season. To finish off in Pomona with a semi-final and a three second run which landed us in the No. 1 qualifying spot, man that’s going to be good memories these next two months off the off-season!”
The team’s multiple successes and long list of accomplishments earned them a coveted spot in the Funny Car Top Ten, finishing seventh overall. For more information, please visit www.alexisdejoria.com, Follow Us on Twitter @ADR_Nitro771, or Like Us on Facebook Alexis DeJoria.
TV Schedule
Eliminations
November 16, 7:30PM-10:30PM EST
ESPN2
About Alexis DeJoria
Alexis DeJoria, daughter of the famed John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and proud owner of Tequila Patrόn, is a professional NHRA race car driver, competing in the nitro Funny Car class on the Kalitta Motorsports team. Alexis drives the Patrόn XO Cafe-sponsored 2014 Toyota Camry. Alexis, who had all the opportunity in the world to pursue any type of career, felt strongly about following her passion, and her need for adrenaline drove her to pursue the unlikely profession of auto-racing. The determination to ‘blaze her own trail’ continues to drive her and push her to higher levels in male dominated sport of drag racing.
About Kalitta Motorsports
Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The team was founded and is owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. For more than 50 years, Connie has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and an owner. Kalitta Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing with five world championships and over 50 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.