BAYTOWN, Texas (May 1, 2016)— The 29th annual NHRA Spring Nationals in Baytown, Texas saw another weekend of consistent passes and career best numbers for Alexis DeJoria and her Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car team.
After running a 3.980 in the opening qualifying session, Team Patrón came back out in Q2 and laid down a 3.910-second pass, a new career best E.T. for DeJoria and her Kalitta Motorsports Funny Car entry. The Patrón team followed up those numbers with a 4.009 in the Texas heat on Saturday, which held up to be the best of the session, and later closed out qualifying with a 4.035.
Team Patrón’s 3.910 from Q2 was enough to earn them the No. 2 qualifying position going into Sunday’s elimination rounds. DeJoria would pick her lane in her first round match-up versus John Hale. Unfortunately for Hale, his parachutes deployed while on the burnout and he would not make the run. Had Hale been able to take the beams, he would have had to lay down not only a career best, but the best number of the opening session to outrun DeJoria’s stout 3.939-second pass.
Round two found DeJoria running against Tommy Johnson Jr. The two had a 5-5 record up until their E2 matchup. DeJoria cut a solid 0.071-second light, but Johnson Jr. was slightly quicker off of the starting line, ultimately earning his team a spot in the semifinal round with his 3.985 versus DeJoria’s 3.971.
“I got beat a little bit on the starting line this last round, but I’ve been consistently good with my lights and the car has been running consistently well. Most days, that’s going to win a race,” said DeJoria, a naturalized Texas resident who makes her home in Austin.
Sunday’s quarterfinal exit is not indicative of the team’s performance and capabilities. Every pass down the 1,000-foot stretch at the NHRA Spring Nationals was quick and consistent, a trend that has kept pace since the their round one match-up in Gainesville, the third event of the season. In fact, in eighteen of the past nineteen runs, DeJoria and her Tommy DeLago-tuned Funny Car have made it down the track in 4.0-seconds or better-an impressive statistic in the ultra competitive Funny Car class.
“We ran well this weekend. We lost in the second round but what can I say, we’ve had a great car all throughout qualifying and even on race day. We made two really good runs today and we have a good package right now on both ends,” added DeJoria, who already has a race win and No. 1 qualifier on her list of 2016 accomplishments.
“We’ll just keep getting better, keep getting after it, and we’ll come away from this race with some good points going into Atlanta.”
Alexis DeJoria and the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car team compete next at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga, May 13-15. They leave Texas with 339 points, ranked eighth on the Funny Car points ladder. For more information, please visit www.alexisdejoria.com, Follow Us on Twitter, Instagram and Periscope @ADRnhra, or Like Us on Facebook Alexis DeJoria
Photos courtesy of Gary Nastase Photography. Hi res images available upon request
About Alexis DeJoria
Alexis DeJoria, daughter of John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and proud owner of Tequila Patrόn, is a professional NHRA racecar driver, competing in the nitro Funny Car class on the Kalitta Motorsports team. Alexis drives the Tequila Patrón-sponsored 2016 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 the sport of NHRA drag racing.
About Tequila Patrón
From hand-harvesting the highest-quality 100 percent Weber Blue Agave, to the traditional, time-honored distillation process and individual labeling, numbering, and inspection of each bottle, Patrón tequila is crafted with meticulous precision and care. Though Patrón has grown to become one of the most-recognized and respected luxury spirits brands in the world, it is still exclusively produced in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, in the same small batches and with the same commitment to quality and craftsmanship. For more information about Patrón tequilas and liqueurs, please visit www.patrontequila.com.