Auto Club NHRA Finals
Event 22 of 22
Countdown Event 6 of 6
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Pomona, Calif.
Nov. 11-13, 2022
Alexis DeJoria Enjoys Strong Finish at 2022 NHRA Finals
Qualified: No. 6 (3.862 E.T. at 333.00)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 4.014 E.T. at 266.32 MPH defeated Jim Campbell 4.272 E.T. at 235.84 MPH
E2: 3.914 E.T. at 326.56 MPH defeated Steven Densham 4.065 E.T. at 298.47 MPH
E3: 3.880 E.T. at 330.15 MPH defeated by Cruz Pedregon 3.864 E.T. at 331.77 MPH
Qualified: No. 6 (3.862 E.T. at 333.00)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 4.014 E.T. at 266.32 MPH defeated Jim Campbell 4.272 E.T. at 235.84 MPH
E2: 3.914 E.T. at 326.56 MPH defeated Steven Densham 4.065 E.T. at 298.47 MPH
E3: 3.880 E.T. at 330.15 MPH defeated by Cruz Pedregon 3.864 E.T. at 331.77 MPH
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 13, 2022) – Alexis DeJoria powered her Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota GR Supra to a semifinal finish at the 2022 NHRA Camping World Series’ final event on Sunday afternoon. By advancing deep into Sunday’s elimination rounds, DeJoria moved up one position in the Funny Car standings to clinch the No. 7 spot to finish the year.
At the 2022 season-opener in February, DeJoria had the honor of earning the first win light in the new Toyota Supra Funny Car for Toyota Gazoo Racing when she defeated Jim Campbell in round one of eliminations, and at this weekend’s NHRA Finals, she notched another memorable moment when she reset her career-best E.T. on Saturday evening during the final qualifying session. Aboard her 11,000-horsepower machine, DeJoria clocked a blistering 3.862-second at 333.00-mph pass to best her personal E.T. record, and secure the No. 6 qualifying spot.
DeJoria drew Jim Campbell as her first-round opponent on Sunday morning. Her machine dropped a cylinder and started shoving her hard toward the centerline. She wrangled it back over and outpaced Campbell for the win to set up a quarterfinal contest with Steven Densham where she clocked a 3.914 E.T. to outrun her opponent’s 4.065-second effort. In the semifinals, DeJoria faced eventual race winner Cruz Pedregon. The two Top 10-ranked drivers were nearly even leaving the starting line and charged hard side-by-side down the track, but Pedregon edged past as they approached the finish line for the win.
“Our goal this weekend was to finish strong,” said DeJoria, a six-time Funny Car winner. “It’s a long off-season, and longer than normal this year, and we wanted to have something to be proud of and we did that. We went to the semifinals here at Pomona and had some great runs this weekend in a very strong field. We had a career-best run at 3.862 during qualifying, and on race day, we had a great performance package.
“We leave here with our heads high. We have a great setup for next year. This was the first race of 2023 for us. I want to thank all my sponsors who allow us to do this. Toyota, Mobil 1, ROKiT Phones, Bandero Premium Tequila, Boninfante Friction. I want to thank my entire team. Del (Worsham) and Nicky (Boninfante); they’re such badasses, and I’m so lucky and fortunate to be able to do this for a career and race with my friends. My crew is awesome and I really love these guys.”
DeJoria and the Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car team will begin their 2023 campaign at the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 10-12.
NHRA Camping World Series Funny Car Point Standings (unofficial):
| 1 | Ron Capps | 2682 | |
| 2 | Robert Hight | 2679 | |
| 3 | Matt Hagan | 2587 | |
| 4 | Bob Tasca III | 2504 | |
| 5 | John Force | 2490 | |
| 6 | Cruz Pedregon | 2410 | |
| 7 | Alexis DeJoria | 2372 | |
| 8 | J.R. Todd | 2344 | |
| 9 | Tim Wilkerson | 2343 | |
| 10 | Blake Alexander | 2199 | |
| 11 | Jim Campbell | 2198 |
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, 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 joined DC Motorsports in 2020 as co-owner and driver of the Bandero Premium Tequila/ROKiT Toyota Funny Car. 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.
