SONOMA, Calif. (July 27, 2014)— The Kalitta Motorsports Patrón XO Cafe Toyota Camry Funny Car team, led by NorCal native Tommy DeLago of neighboring Benicia, Calif., raced their way to their fifth semi-final round of the 2014 NHRA season at Sonoma Raceway, in Sonoma, Calif. on Sunday.
After qualifying in the tenth spot on the competitive Funny Car ladder, Alexis DeJoria found herself squaring off against Ron Capps in the first round of eliminations on Sunday morning. She powered her 10,000-horsepower Toyota Camry to a 4.119-second at 308.85-mph run, defeating Capps and advancing the XO Cafe team on to round two.
In the second round, DeJoria’s 4.160-sec pass easily beat Cruz Pedregon’s tire-smoking run, and the two-time Funny Car event winner moved on to the semi-final round versus John Force. DeJoria had an immediate advantage, beating Force off the line, but unfortunately her car smoked the tires very early into the run, ending the Patrón XO Cafe team’s chances of running for their third Wally of 2014.
“Sonoma proved to be another semi-final finish for the Patrón XO Cafe team. We went rounds today, which we really needed to do after going out in the first round at the last couple of races. Now it’s on to Seattle and we are in the Countdown!” said the 2011 NHRA Northwest Nationals Top Alcohol Funny Car event winner.
The Kalitta Motorsports Patrón XO Cafe Toyota Camry Funny Car team is currently ranked 6th with 883 points. They compete next at 27th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Wash., Aug. 1-3. For more information please visit www.alexisdejoria.com, Follow Us on Twitter @ADR_Nitro771, or Like Us on Facebook Alexis DeJoria.
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.