ENNIS, Texas (October 18, 2015) – Alexis DeJoria, driver of the Patrón XO Café Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car, had a great qualifying effort after struggling in the first half of the Countdown chase. DeJoria made it down the track cleanly in three out of four sessions and set her name in Texas Motorplex history. Her qualifying effort, a 3.969 second pass, was the first three second run in Funny Car history at the track. That run earned her a date with Tim Wilkerson in the first round.
The last nitro pair to see the track DeJoria was focused and ready. She cut the best reaction time of any Funny Car driver this season, .005, to gain a one tenth advantage on Wilkerson before the run even began. Wilkerson failed to make a solid pass, but DeJoria did as her four second run advanced her to face her teammate in the quarterfinals.
Worsham and DeJoria left together in the all-Team Kalitta pairing, but DeJoria had trouble down track as she explains below.
“Well, I definitely believe in destiny because it happened in that run against my teammate,” said DeJoria. “Yes, he is number one in points and it was a big round for him, but there was no way I was going to give it up. I respect them and they respect me and that is how we race here at Kalitta Motorsports. I started the car up, turned my air on and flipped my visor down and one of my air freshener lines was shooting me right in my left eye. I tried to block it out in my mind. I did my burnout, backed up and flipped my visor up. I tried to push it back, but it just wouldn’t work. I had to accept it and move on. It was bugging me so bad. How do you go from a .005 light to a .135 light second round? That was not intentional. I got down there at half track and it is moving around on me and the air was still spraying me in the eye and I couldn’t keep it in the groove. It was the end of our day, but I have to give it up to that DHL Toyota team. They are on a rail and are doing great.”
DeJoria advanced two positions to seventh in the standings with two races remaining.
After 22 races, Team Kalitta nitro race cars have won five events, advanced to 12 final rounds and earned four no.1 qualifying positions. Just two races remain in the NHRA Mello Yello Series Season. The series takes next week off before heading to our second stop
Alexis DeJoria – Driver of the Patrón XO Café Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car:
No. 9 Qualifier (3.969 sec., 318.09 mph)
E1: DeJoria defeated Wilkerson – 4.007 sec., 320.20 mph to 4.751 sec., 167.70 mph
E2: DeJoria defeated by Worsham – 4.737 sec., 169.02 mph to 3.970 sec., 321.65 mph
Funny Car (Unofficial)
1. Del Worsham (2488)
2. Jack Beckman (2450)
3. Tommy Johnson Jr. (2341)
4. Ron Capps (2330)
5. Matt Hagan (2329)
6. John Force (2264)
7. Alexis DeJoria (2206)
8. Cruz Pedregon (2201)
9. Robert Hight (2196)
10. Tim Wilkerson (2195)
Konnekt with Kalitta Motorsports:
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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 100 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.
Del Worsham drives the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car for Team Kalitta. Alexis DeJoria pilots the Tequila Patrón XO Café Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car. J.R. Todd drives the Red Line Oil Top Fuel dragster while Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta, pilots the Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster. Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by co-crew chiefs Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante on the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car, by Tommy DeLago and Glen Huszar on the Tequila Patrón XO Café Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car, and by Jim Oberhofer on the Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster. Connie serves as crew chief on the Red Line Oil Top Fuel dragster.
Associate sponsors on Kalitta Motorsports’ race cars include Justice Brothers, Kalitta Air, Optima Batteries, Patrón XO Café Incendio, Phoenix Fuel Converter, Red Line Oil, SealMaster, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, TMS Titanium, Toyota and Ziebart.