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NHRA Arizona Nationals
Event 2 of 21
Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park
Chandler, Ariz.
March 24-26, 2023
Alexis DeJoria Secures Another #2Fast2Fasty NHRA Challenge Spot with Semifinal Finish at NHRA Arizona Nationals
CHANDLER, Ariz. (March 26, 2023) – A day after winning the inaugural Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge, Alexis DeJoria raced to a semifinal finish at the sold-out NHRA Arizona Nationals Sunday afternoon at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park near Phoenix. The semifinal appearance also gave DeJoria and her Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota GR Supra one of four spots in the next #2Fast2Tasty Challenge next week at the NHRA Winternationals.DeJoria’s strong weekend in the desert really kicked off on Saturday as she started the first-ever #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge with a rematch against Matt Hagan, who beat DeJoria in the semifinals at Gainesville. DeJoria got the win this time with a 3.980-second pass at 308.92 MPH which also put her in the No. 3 qualifying position. DeJoria and her Del Worsham-tuned GR Supra improved to a 3.914-second effort in the final session to qualify No. 2 and beat Toyota Racing teammate J.R. Todd, picking up the $10,000 check from Mission Foods. The win also came with three championship bonus points that will be added to DeJoria’s tally when the Countdown to the Championship begins. She also earned five bonus points in qualifying.
DeJoria was one of just a few drivers to make two clean runs on Saturday, and she was looking to carry that momentum into Sunday eliminations. She did just that, starting with a 3.906-second blast to defeat Todd again in the first round. A 3.949-second victory over Tim Wilkerson followed in the second round, giving DeJoria lane choice over defending world champion Ron Capps in the semifinals. There, the Bandero Premium Tequila entry laid down another low 3.9-second pass against Capps, a 3.935 at 323.35 MPH, but Capps was a tick quicker with his 3.930-second run.
“Del, Nicky (Boninfante), and Matt (Bynum) have given us such a great car this weekend,” DeJoria said. “We were one of the only cars to make it down every run so that being said, we’re back. The car is responsive, it’s doing what we want it to do, it’s going straight. The top end of the track was not very forgiving on some runs but today, we went straight down it, so I feel really good and really charged for next weekend.”
DeJoria was one of numerous drivers who reminisced about the historic Arizona facility, which is slated to close later this year.
“We obviously wanted to win what may very likely be the last race at Wild Horse Pass – where I got my very first nitro win – but we made really good runs this weekend, gained some good points, and we won the very first Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge,” said DeJoria, the 2014 Arizona Nationals winner. “We just got outrun in the semifinals today, but nothing to hang our heads about. That’s now two semifinals back-to-back and it feels really good to start the year out like that. We’re feeling strong going into Pomona, but we’re sad to see this place go. I hope they change their minds and we get to come back next year, but if not, it’s been great.”
DeJoria will pair up with Capps again next week in the first round of the second Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge during Saturday qualifying at the NHRA Winternationals, March 30-April 2 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif.
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.
