SANTA MONICA, Calif. (May 28, 2014)— The Kalitta Motorsports Patrón XO Cafe Toyota Camry Funny Car team race haulers pulled into Old Bridge Township Raceway Park this morning to get setup and prepped for the 45th annual Toyota NHRA SummerNationals.
After a disappointing first round loss in Topeka, Kan. just days earlier, the Patrón XO Cafe team is looking to redeem themselves at the Toyota SummerNationals, the final race of a back-to-back three in a row stretch which took the team from Commerce, Ga., where despite qualifying in the top spot they were eliminated in the first round, then west to Topeka, and now finally back east to Englishtown, N.J.
“These last two back-to-back races have not been ideal but we have made some good runs and picked up bonus points along the way, said Alexis DeJoria, driver of the 10,000-horsepower purple, gold, and matte-black Toyota Camry.
The Topeka race was event No. 8 of the 24-race 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series. Over the first eight races, the team has picked up two event wins, secured a spot in the coveted Traxxas Shootout, and ran a history-making pass. At this weekend’s upcoming event in Englishtown, the XO Cafe team is looking for that third Wally and although a win at any track would be a great accomplishment, a win at Englishtown would be especially significant. “Englishtown is an important race because Toyota, our car sponsor, is the title sponsor of the race,” said the third year Funny Car pilot, adding, “Not to mention the emotional significance this race holds for the entire Kalitta Motorsports organization. This is a race we want to win! And a race I personally want to win more than anything.”
The Kalitta Motorsports Patrón XO Cafe Toyota Camry Funny team is currently ranked third with 509 points. The team begins qualifying for the Toyota NHRA Summernationals at 4:45PM EST on Friday. Prior to the race weekend, fans can listen to DeJoria on the nationally aired ‘Freewheelin’ show on SiriusXM Ch. 128 at 1PM EST on Thursday. For more information please visit www.alexisdejoria.com, Follow Us on Twitter @ADR_Nitro771, or Like Us on Facebook Alexis DeJoria.
TV Schedule
Qualifying
May 31, 4:30PM-6PM EST
ESPN2
Eliminations
June 1, 4PM-7PM 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.