betway NHRA Carolina Nationals
Event 17 of 21
Countdown Event 2 of 6
zMAX Dragway
Concord, N.C.
Sept. 22-24, 2023
Frustrating Weekend in Charlotte has Alexis DeJoria Looking Ahead to St. Louis
Qualified: No. 14 (7.705 E.T. at 91.78 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 6.692 E.T. at 106.27 MPH defeated 3.871 E.T. at 328.70 MPH
CONCORD, N.C. (September 24, 2023) – It was an uncharacteristic weekend for the Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car team at the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals, the second stop of the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoff series of events. The Del Worsham/Nicky Boninfante-led team is well-known throughout the pits as having one of the strongest, most consistent-performing race cars in the Funny Car category. The team routinely qualifies strong, but in an unusual set of circumstances, failed to make a full pull throughout the weekend’s three qualifying sessions before the fields were set for race day.Qualified: No. 14 (7.705 E.T. at 91.78 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 6.692 E.T. at 106.27 MPH defeated 3.871 E.T. at 328.70 MPH
Starting from the No. 14 seed, DeJoria lined up opposite No. 3 qualifier Bob Tasca in the first round of eliminations for what was billed as NHRA’s Funny Car marquee match-up. DeJoria, who was celebrating a birthday on Sunday, was looking to rebound on race day and cap off her day with a winner’s circle celebration but saw her hopes for a third consecutive zMAX Dragway final round appearance go up in smoke when her machine lost traction early into the run while Tasca made a clean pass for the win.
“We didn’t have a great weekend,” said DeJoria on Sunday following the first round of eliminations. “The car didn’t make it down the track one time, unfortunately. We’re a good team and we’re usually very consistent, we just had a real bad weekend. It is what it is, we’re going to pack it up and see what we can do at the next race in St. Louis.”
Alexis DeJoria and the DC Motorsports team depart zMAX Dragway ranked sixth in the NHRA Camping World Series Funny Car standings. The team won’t have to wait long to redeem their early exit, as the series heads straight to World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis for the NHRA Midwest Nationals, Sept. 29 – Oct. 1
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Funny Car Point Standings (Unofficial):
| 1 | Robert Hight | 2299 | |
| 2 | Bob Tasca III | 2274 | |
| 3 | Ron Capps | 2230 | |
| 3 | Matt Hagan | 2230 | |
| 5 | Chad Green | 2167 | |
| 6 | Alexis DeJoria | 2131 | |
| 7 | Tim Wilkerson | 2129 | |
| 8 | J.R. Todd | 2123 | |
| 9 | John Force | 2104 | |
| 10 | Alex Laughlin | 2092 |
About DC Motorsports
DC Motorsports is an NHRA Funny Car team competing on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series circuit thanks to the support of Bandero Premium Tequila, ROKiT, Toyota, and Mobil 1. Established in 2020, the team is co-owned by crew chief and two-time NHRA world champion Del Worsham and driver Alexis DeJoria.About Alexis DeJoria
Alexis DeJoria is a professional race car driver competing in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series’ Funny Car category. She is a Top 10-ranked driver, and including her prestigious 2014 U.S. Nationals triumph, DeJoria is a six-time NHRA national event Funny Car champion.Prior to making her professional debut in 2011, DeJoria found success competing in the NHRA’s Super Comp and Top Alcohol Funny Car categories where she notched wins in both, making her an eight-time race winner overall. DeJoria is the only driver to own the trifecta of Super Comp, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and Funny Car victories. The Austin, Texas resident became the first woman to clock a sub-four second Funny Car pass in 2014, and is currently in pursuit of becoming the series’ first female Funny Car world champion.
