SANTA MONICA, Calif. (February 19, 2014)— The Kalitta Motorsports Patrón XO Cafe Toyota Camry Funny Car team rides the momentum of their history making run into Phoenix, Ariz. today as they setup camp for the weekend’s CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.
After piloting her purple, gold, and matte-black 10,000 horsepower Patrón XO Cafe Camry to an impressive 3.997-second pass at the previous race in Pomona, Calif., driver Alexis DeJoria became the first woman and ninth Funny Car driver to join the coveted ‘three second run club.’ “That was a huge accomplishment for our team,” said DeJoria, a third year Funny Car driver. “We made some serious headway running under four seconds, and we’re hoping to build upon that momentum and carry it into Phoenix this weekend.”
“Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park has a tendency to be a fast track. I’m looking forward to seeing how the track is now compared to how it used to be,” she said, referring to the newly revamped facility formerly known as Firebird Raceway, which boasts a repaved track, new timing system, scoreboards and new grandstands. “There used to be bumps in both lanes, and I’ve heard both lanes are much smoother now. That combined with the potential of fast track conditions should produce some more great runs from the Patrón XO Cafe team this weekend.”
Being able to achieve the accomplishments of both their career best run, and highest qualifying position since the team’s inception in the first race weekend of the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Series was a fantastic way for the Tommy DeLago-led team to set the tone for the 24-race season. “We qualified in the Top Three at the last race; hopefully we’ll do the same this weekend and continue to collect bonus points. The vibe is really good in our pit, and we’re all looking forward to qualifying well, going rounds on Sunday, and hopefully picking up that first win as a team.”
The Kalitta Motorsports Patrón XO Cafe Toyota Camry Funny Car team begins qualifying for the 30th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at 2PM on Friday. For more information, please visit www.alexisdejoria.com, Follow Us on Twitter @ADR_Nitro771, or Like Us on Facebook Alexis DeJoria.
TV Schedule
Qualifying
February 23, 2AM-3:30AM EST
February 23, 8AM-9AM EST (Re-Air)
ESPN2
Eliminations
February 23, 8PM-11PM 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.