DeJoria Hoping History Repeats Itself in Seattle

KENT, Wash. (July 30, 2013)— The Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car team heads to the Pacific Northwest this week for the ­26th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Wash., the final race of the notorious three-event Western Swing. Coming off of a successful race weekend in Sonoma just days earlier where they raced their way to the semi-finals, Team Patrón will ride the wave of success up the West coast and hope to use that momentum to finish the Swing out strong.

Three races- Seattle, Brainerd, and Indianapolis- stand between Team Patrón and a chance to compete for the NHRA series Championship. They currently sit in the No. 12 spot on the Countdown to the Championship points list, but they’re not out of the hunt yet. Team Green, which has found recent success with a newly implemented clutch setup and chassis, hopes to pick up more valuable points at Pacific Raceways this weekend and inch closer to securing a spot on the coveted ‘Top Ten’ list. 

Team driver Alexis DeJoria has powered her black-and-green hot rod to one final and four semi-final appearances in her two-year Funny Car career, but has yet to hoist her first Funny Car Wally. It was at this very race in 2011 that DeJoria won her first national Top Alcohol Funny Car event, and she’s hoping for a repeat performance this weekend.

 “Seattle is such a special race for me. It was where I had my first national event win in Top Alcohol Funny Car. That day still ranks high on my ‘best memories’ list. I would love nothing more than to pick up my first Funny Car title here- not just because the venue is so personally significant for me, but because our team has been working so incredibly hard and we’re long overdue for our first win,” said DeJoria.

“We were able to pick up 40 points last weekend in Sonoma, which was great. If we could go all the way this weekend and pick up 80 with a win, it would be huge and would certainly give us more of a fighting chance to crack into the Countdown list.”

“Our car was fast and consistent this past Sunday and we really seem to be heading in the right direction and making progress. I feel confident going into this weekend’s event, and I can’t wait to get back in the seat of my Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry.”

Alexis DeJoria and the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car team begin qualifying for the ­26th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at 3:15PM PST on Friday, August 2. For more information, please visit www.alexisdejoria.com. Follow us on Twitter: @ADR_Nitro771 and Like Us on Facebook: Alexis DeJoria. Be sure to tune in to the ‘Alexis DeJoria NHRA Racing Report’ every Friday at 1PM EST on www.RaceTalkRadio.com.

TV Schedule

Qualifying

August 3, 10:30PM-12AM EST

ESPN2

Eliminations

August 4, 7PM-10PM EST

ESPN2

 

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 a professional NHRA race car driver, competing in the nitro Funny Car class on the Kalitta Motorsports team. Alexis drives a Tequila Patrόn-sponsored 2013 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 male dominated sport of drag racing.

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 50 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.