Sometimes the worst-looking crashes don’t do as much damage to the racer as do the less violent-looking ones. So it was with Alexis DeJoria, a top NHRA Funny Car driver for Kalitta Motorsports. She walked away from a devastating crash at Englishtown in 2009, but at Sonoma in 2016 broke her pelvis in a less spectacular incident where she smacked the left-side wall.
In Part 1 of our interview with DeJoria, we covered her decision to become a drag-racer, being a mother, her treatment by male drag racers and more. Here, we discuss her big 2009 accident, her billionaire father John Paul’s feelings about her racing, how she handles fear and what the NHRA needs to do to become more mainstream.
Jim Clash: You have driven your Tequila Patron Toyota as fast as 332.18 mph. What does that feel like?
Alexis DeJoria: Absolute heaven! Sometimes the faster runs are the easier ones, honestly. They hook up straight in the middle and ride on a rail. You just know that it’s fast – you can feel it.
Clash: How can NHRA make this sport more mainstream?
DeJoria: I honestly think they need to do commercials, better commercials. NASCAR has these great commercials. Some of them are hilarious and with good music. We need to spend a little more money on that. We don’t have the backing that NASCAR does, which is unfortunate because ours is such an incredible sport. Once people come and witness it in person, they are hooked for life.
Clash: Is your dad supportive of what you do? Read Full Story