SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 9, 2014)— The stage is set for four lanes of side-by-side racing action at zMAX Dragway for the infamous 5th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. At one of the most anticipated events of the 24-race NHRA Mello Drag Racing Series, fans will experience 40,000-horsepower flying down the 1,000-foot track at the same time, and the Kalitta Motorsports Patrón XO Cafe Toyota Camry Funny Car team is looking forward to putting on a great show for their Southern fan base.
Alexis DeJoria, driver of the purple, gold and matte-black XO Cafe hot rod is enjoying a breakout season, fresh off of her second Funny Car career win. As she prepares for Four-Wide, she looks to this weekend as an opportunity to pick up her third win and possibly make another sub-four second run.
“I’m very excited to be heading back to the infamous Four-Wide race, especially after the success we’ve been experiencing thus far,” said No. 3 ranked DeJoria, who is currently the winningest nitro driver of the 2014 season, claiming victory at two out of the first four events. “Tommy has set a record at this track before, and if the conditions are right I’m confident we can get this Toyota Camry back down into the three’s again,” she said referring to the team’s history making 3.997-second run, achieved at the season opening event.
“We’ve got a fast car, and as long as we continue to be consistent, we should have another successful weekend, continue to pick up points, and hopefully get this Patrón XO Cafe Toyota Camry back in the Winner’s Circle again.”
Before the weekend’s racing action gets underway, DeJoria will be at ABC Liquor in Concord (7000 Hudspeth Rd, Concord, N.C. 28025) on Thursday from 5-6:30PM signing autographs, bottles, and posing for pictures. Qualifying for the 5th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals begins at 2PM EST 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
April 12, 9PM-10PM EST
ESPN2
Eliminations
April 13, 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.