NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Event Highlights:
2024 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified second; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Dave Richards in E1; defeated by John Force in E2)
Last Event (Epping):
Qualified sixth; Semifinal finish (defeated Ron Capps in E1, Paul Lee in E2; defeated by J.R. Todd in E3)
2025 Statistics:
Seven races; three semifinal finishes
Career Statistics:
242 races; six wins, six No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:
Fan Events:
Quotable:
“Morale is high and everyone is looking forward to getting right back at it after our outing in Epping. These back-to-back races are really helpful for teams when it comes to getting into a rhythm, and even more so for us being such a new team. We’ve really jelled in such a short period of time, and everyone is working well together. Having the opportunity to get back on track just a few days later will only continue to build on that. Not to mention, we’re all going into this race on such a high note after reaching our third semifinal last weekend. We get another shot at the Mission Foods Challenge on Saturday, which is always great to be able to switch gears and get into race mode a day early.
“I always look forward to Bristol every year. It’s one of my favorite tracks on tour. The scenery, the acoustics, and the passionate fans just add to the overall experience. For me personally, it’s been a very good track. I won there from the pole in 2021 and runnered-up in ’23, it was also where I went to my first final, way back in 2012 during my rookie season. On Thursday, my team and I are participating in the Speedway Children’s Charities trap shooting tournament, which should be another great team bonding activity for us. So, just a lot of good memories there and looking forward to another great weekend ahead with our Bandero Café team.”
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- 2021 event champion and No. 1 qualifier
- Two-time runner-up (2012, 2023)
2024 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified second; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Dave Richards in E1; defeated by John Force in E2)
Last Event (Epping):
Qualified sixth; Semifinal finish (defeated Ron Capps in E1, Paul Lee in E2; defeated by J.R. Todd in E3)
2025 Statistics:
Seven races; three semifinal finishes
Career Statistics:
242 races; six wins, six No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:
- Enters the Bristol race after advancing to the semifinals for the third time in the first seven events
- DeJoria’s strong Epping, N.H. outing helped propel her from outside the Funny Car top 10 to No. 8 in the point standings
- By advancing into the semifinals, DeJoria earned a chance to compete in the Bristol running of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge
- DeJoria’s career-first final round occurred during the 2012 Bristol event
Fan Events:
- Saturday, 9:30 – 10 a.m., Mission #2Fast2Tasty driver autograph session, Mission Foods midway display
- Saturday, post-qualifying Fanfest driver autograph session, Nitro Alley
Quotable:
“Morale is high and everyone is looking forward to getting right back at it after our outing in Epping. These back-to-back races are really helpful for teams when it comes to getting into a rhythm, and even more so for us being such a new team. We’ve really jelled in such a short period of time, and everyone is working well together. Having the opportunity to get back on track just a few days later will only continue to build on that. Not to mention, we’re all going into this race on such a high note after reaching our third semifinal last weekend. We get another shot at the Mission Foods Challenge on Saturday, which is always great to be able to switch gears and get into race mode a day early.
“I always look forward to Bristol every year. It’s one of my favorite tracks on tour. The scenery, the acoustics, and the passionate fans just add to the overall experience. For me personally, it’s been a very good track. I won there from the pole in 2021 and runnered-up in ’23, it was also where I went to my first final, way back in 2012 during my rookie season. On Thursday, my team and I are participating in the Speedway Children’s Charities trap shooting tournament, which should be another great team bonding activity for us. So, just a lot of good memories there and looking forward to another great weekend ahead with our Bandero Café team.”
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