Alexis DeJoria, Driver of the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car
Qualified:
No. 7 (3.943 E.T. at 318.77 MPH)
The Results:
E1: 3.972 E.T. at 324.75 MPH defeated Del Worsham 7.528 E.T. at 98.54 MPH
E2: 4.741 E.T. at 180.16 MPH defeated by Robert Hight 3.978 E.T. at 321.73 MPH
Race Recap:
For the second week in a row, the Patrón team earned a spot in the top half of the qualifying field, starting Sunday seeded seventh. Three solid qualifying passes not only yielded the advantage of lane choice going into the first round of eliminations, but also a bonus point.
DeJoria’s first round matchup found her squaring off against former teammate and crew chief, Del Worsham. DeJoria had no trouble racing her way into round two, as her 3.972-second pass easily defeated Worsham’s tire smoking effort.
Unfortunately, DeJoria’s day would end at the quarterfinals. The Patrón Toyota Camry overpowered the track before the 660-foot cone, and her opponent Robert Hight was able to cross the finish line first and advance to the semifinals.
Despite the early exit, DeJoria was successful in gaining ground on the Top 10 points rankings, closing the margin from 70 to 50 points.
Quotable:
Not great, but not too bad. We narrowed the gap in points, which is good. We qualified in the middle of the pack again, but hey, we got in the show and got a first round win. We’re going to stay and test tomorrow and make as many runs as we can; we’re hoping for five. We’re going to keep working on the setup we have right now and get ready for Chicago.
NHRA Countdown to the Championship Points Standing:
Alexis DeJoria:
381 points, ranked 14th
50 points out of 10th
Leads 15th ranked Jeff Diehl by 144 points
Trails 13th ranked Jim Campbell by 28 points