Courtesy of Allison McCormick
Venice, CA (September 14, 2011) – After a year of testing, amid rumors and speculation, NHRA National Event Winner Alexis DeJoria will be making the highly-anticipated leap from Top Alcohol Funny Car to Nitro Funny Car at the upcoming AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals in Ennis, TX. Her long-awaited Nitro debut will take place on Friday, September 23rd where she will join the legendary Kalitta Motorsports team and hit the track in her brand new Tequila Patrόn Nitro Funny Car.
Alexis, who has successfully completed forty-two Nitro test runs, has had the opportunity to test at several different tracks throughout the country over the course of a year, allowing her to experience track conditions at their best, their worst, and everything in between. Because of her five years competing in the TAFC category, Alexis was able to bring a tremendous amount of Funny Car experience into her Nitro runs, enabling the transition to go as smoothly as possible. “I’ve made many runs and have gotten very good seat time. After all the work, time, and effort that has been put in by everyone to get to this point, it’s just so exciting that the time has finally come for me to compete! It’s especially meaningful that my first Nitro race is in Dallas where it all began. It was the Monday after this race last year that not only did I test for the very first time, but got licensed as well, so it feels like we’ve come full circle,” says DeJoria.
Vice President of Kalitta Motorsports, Jim Oberhofer, who has been trackside during many of Alexis’ Nitro test sessions is extremely impressed with Alexis’ capabilities as a Nitro driver saying, “I’ve been watching Alexis drive Nitro for a year and I’ve been blown away at how incredibly skilled she is. It was after the Fall Nationals this time last year that we had her out on the track in a Nitro car for the first time, and believe it or not, I wanted her to compete right away! I knew she was ready even back then. Now you add a full year of practice and fine-tuning to that, and she’s truly a force to be reckoned with.”
Alexis will be the fourth member, and second Funny Car driver for the Kalitta Motorsports team. Oberhofer, who will act as Alexis’ crew chief for the remainder of the 2011 season, has assembled a top-notch crew, handpicking them from the three other Kalitta teams. “I personally selected Alexis’ crew. When you combine this group of seasoned vets with Alexis’ talent, there is no doubt that this team will be unstoppable. Our other three Kalitta teams are currently in the Top 10 competing for the championship. I feel confident that the Tequila Patrόn team will join their ranks next season,” added Oberhofer.
As part of the Kalitta strategic plan, the team will have the two Funny Cars set up the same way, which will allow them to learn from one other, and will create a winning Kalitta Funny Car duo in the 2012 season. “At our Indy test session, we treated the DHL car like it was Alexis’. There were a list of combinations that we wanted to try, which we did on the DHL car with great results,” says Oberhofer.
“Driving a Nitro car for Connie Kalitta is a huge opportunity- one that I’ve dreamed of since I was sixteen years old.” says DeJoria, adding, “We are as prepared as we possibly can be, and our test sessions have been very successful. I’m really looking forward to making my debut in Dallas and representing Tequila Patrόn!”
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 honored to be joining the Kalitta Motorsports team as the second Nitro Funny Car driver and fourth member of the team. Alexis will be sponsored by Tequila Patrόn.
Alexis had a successful career in the Top Alcohol Funny Car category where she co-owned and operated her team, and was one of the few females ever to do so. She left the TAFC category holding the title of Top Female Top Alcohol Funny Car Racer and 2011 NHRA Northwest Nationals TAFC event champion. Alexis made racing history when she competed in the first ever ‘woman vs. woman’ race in her class in 2010, and she is the 2nd woman ever to win a TAFC race. She is currently the female world record holder for the fastest and quickest TAFC speeds. Alexis is also well-known for her infamous 2009 Englishtown, NJ crash.
Alexis, who had all the opportunity in the world to pursue any type of career, felt strongly about following her passion. She is proud to encourage and inspire young women to go after their dreams. Alexis’ 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 dangerous, male dominated sport of drag racing.
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