DC Motorsports Post-Race Recap: Sonoma (1 Viewer)

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NHRA Sonoma Nationals
Event 12 of 21
Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma, Calif.
July 28-30, 2023​

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Bandero Team Runs Strong in Sonoma But Comes Up Short on Race Day

Qualified: No. 2 (3.942 E.T. at 326.56 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: Foul (Red light) defeated by Paul Lee 3.991 E.T. at 291.89 MPH
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SONOMA, Calif. (July 30, 2023) – After an impressive qualifying performance that saw Alexis DeJoria clock the two best laps of the day on Friday, and another solid run on Saturday, the Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car team looked prime for a long day of going rounds on Sunday at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
DeJoria unloaded with a 3.942 E.T. during the weekend’s first qualifying session to place her name on the top of the Funny Car timing sheets. She backed up her Q1 effort on Friday night with another impressive blast of 3.966 seconds at 327.82 MPH and was the only Funny Car driver to make a full pull down the Sonoma Raceway track during that session. DeJoria and her Del Worsham-guided team’s strong qualifying performance earned six bonus points overall and placed them in the No. 2 seed to start race day. DeJoria pulled up to the line on Sunday morning, ready to square off against Paul Lee, her round-one competitor, but an early step of the throttle led to a red light start for the six-time Funny Car winner, and Lee advanced into the next round.
“Qualifying went really well out here in Sonoma,” said DeJoria, a three-time finalist in 2023. “We got six crucial bonus points from Friday’s qualifying runs, which we definitely needed because first round, unfortunately, I red-lit. It was an extremely long light but I’m not trying to make any excuses for myself. It’s inexcusable and I will just take this and go back home and keep working on my reaction times.
“The pressure is on right now, and we do have the car. Sometimes, when you feel like you’re the weakest link you want to try extra hard, but that [red light] was a surprise. I really didn’t expect myself to do that. We have an amazing race car right now. There’s plenty of races left, I was just hoping to get that first Sonoma win today.”
Alexis DeJoria and the Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car team close out the Western Swing ranked fifth in the NHRA Camping World Series Funny Car standings. They will compete next at the Menard’s NHRA Nationals, Aug. 11 – 13, where will make a run for the final Heartland Motorsports Park Wally trophy.

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Funny Car Point Standings (Unofficial):​

1	Matt Hagan		912
2	Ron Capps		893
3	Chad Green		796
4	Robert Hight		758
5	Alexis DeJoria		755
6	Tim Wilkerson		707
7	Bob Tasca III		696
8	J.R. Todd		693
9	John Force		637
10	Cruz Pedregon		540

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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.

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