Alexis DeJoria to Debut Bounty Hunter Funny Car Chassis at Epping

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EPPING, New Hampshire (June 2, 2016)— Bounty Hunter Funny Car No. 001 will make its debut this weekend at the 4th annual NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, N.H.

Kalitta Motorsports Funny Car pilot Alexis DeJoria, driver of the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry, will be the first to put the pedal to the metal in the first ever Kalitta designed Funny Car chassis.  

The new chassis was built at Kalitta Motorsports’ 50,000-square foot state-of-the-art racing facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The facility boasts an in-house fabrication shop that recently expanded its operation to include chassis production.

“I feel very honored to be the first person at Kalitta Motorsports to drive a Bounty Hunter Funny Car chassis. I can’t wait to see how this car runs,” said DeJoria, a native of nearby Narragansett, R.I., who will debut the car in front of an audience of her Northeastern family and friends.

“Initially, we wanted to test this new chassis before we brought it out to race in competition, but we had a couple of rainy Mondays which thwarted those plans,” DeJoria said, referring to plans to test the new car on the Monday following the Houston race and then the most recent event in Topeka.

“We’ve had the new car sitting in our race hauler, ready to go for a few weeks now. It was just a matter of finding the right time. After getting rained out a few times, Tommy [DeLago, crew chief], Jim “O” [Oberhofer, VP Kalitta Motorsports] and I went back and forth trying to decide what would be the best move, and ultimately, we decided Epping would be a good time to bring out the new car and see what it’s got,” said DeJoria.

DeJoria’s new Patrón Funny Car will be setup identically to the car she has found success racing with since the Gainesville event. The Patrón team plans to use the most recent car as a backup.

Veteran crew chief Tommy DeLago, who has already tuned the Patrón Toyota Camry to a race win, a No. 1 qualifier, and new E.T. and speed record this year, is looking forward to the opportunity to put the new machine to the test this weekend.

“We’re excited to run the first Bounty Hunter Funny Car this weekend in Epping,” he said. “We would have preferred to test it first, of course, but I have a lot of faith and confidence in our chassis shop’s capabilities.

DeLago added, “Having our chassis built in-house will be an advantage for Kalitta Motorsports’ already strong Funny Car program. Consistency and quality control will be a major benefit of producing the chassis ourselves, rather than outsourcing.”

The Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car team will send Bounty Hunter Funny Car No. 001 down the dragstrip for the first time during the weekend’s opening qualifying session. Funny Car qualifying for the 4th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway kicks off at 5PM EST on Friday, June 3. For more information, please visit www.alexisdejoria.com, Follow Us on Twitter, Instagram and Periscope @ADRnhra, or Like Us on Facebook: Alexis DeJoria.

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