- Joined
- Apr 3, 2009
- Messages
- 2,556
- Age
- 70
- Location
- Wilburn, Arkansas
For Immediate Release
DEJORIA EXCITED TO BE RACING IN TEXAS
Five-Time Tour Winner Drives ROKiT/ABK Toyota in AAA Texas FallNationals
ENNIS, Texas (Dallas-Ft. Worth) – Coming off her best outing yet in the ROKiT
Phones/ABK Beer Toyota Camry – a No. 2 start and semifinal finish in the NHRA Midwest
Nationals at St. Louis, Alexis DeJoria returns this week with high expectations to the track on
which she began her professional Funny Car career just nine years ago.
In 2011, less than two months after winning her first Top Alcohol Funny Car title in the
NHRA’s Lucas Oil Series, DeJoria slid into the cockpit of a nitro burning Toyota Solara to
compete in the AAA Texas FallNationals, contested this weekend for the 35th time at the Texas
Motorplex.
The two-day event, featuring nitro qualifying at 1:30 and 5:45 p.m. Saturday and
eliminations at 10 a.m. Sunday, is the first of two consecutive tour stops in Texas leading into
the season-ending Dodge Finals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the track on which
DeJoria has enjoyed more success than any other in the series.
With the next two races within driving distance of her Austin home and the finale
contested on a Nevada track on which she won twice in three years (2014 and 2016), DeJoria is
excited about the prospect of finishing the season on a high note and achieving one of her
stated goals – finishing in the Top 10 after being out of racing for two years.
Such an achievement would lay the foundation for a concerted 2021 bid to make drag
racing history as the first woman ever to win an NHRA Funny Car championship. The Funny
Car class is the only one in the series over which a woman has yet to reign as champion.
The 2014 U.S. Nationals Funny Car Champion, DeJoria returned to racing this year as
co-owner of a new team with former Funny Car and Top Fuel World Champion Del Worsham,
who also serves as co-crew chief on the ROKiT Camry with veteran Nicky Boninfante. It was in
Worsham’s Funny Car that DeJoria qualified for her Funny Car license.
“Our Toyota Camry is running consistently quick ETs and the crew chiefs and I feel like
we’ve found the setup,” DeJoria said. “I’m stoked about racing the next two weekends in Texas
and then going on to Las Vegas.”
A self-proclaimed “daredevil” who as a youngster used to ride her BMX bike off her
grandmother’s dock and into a saltwater pond, DeJoria became enamored with drag racing the
first time her dad took her to an NHRA event at Pomona, Calif.
That ultimately led her to Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School for basic training where
her instructor was Jack Beckman, now one of her Funny Car rivals.
-www.alexisdejoria.com-
Alexis DeJoria at The Texas Motorplex
2222
The ROKiT Report with Alexis DeJoria
Driver of the ROKiT Phones/ABK Beer/Lucas Oil Toyota Camry Funny Car
Event: 35th AAA Texas FallNationals
Site: The Texas Motorplex, Ennis, Texas (Dallas-Ft. Worth)
Defending Champions: Matt Hagan, Funny Car; Billy Torrence, Top Fuel; Greg Anderson, Pro
Stock; Jerry Savoie, Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Starts: 6
No. 1 Qualifier: 0
Final Rounds: 0
Wins: 0
Won-Lost record: 4-6
2011 DallasDNQ
2012 Dallas8. Lost Bob Tasca
2013 Dallas11. Lost Jack Beckman
2014 Dallas2. Beat Jeff Diehl; lost Del Worsham
2015 Dallas9. Beat Tim Wilkerson; lost Del Worsham
2016 Dallas9. Beat John Force; lost Robert Hight
2017 Dallas9. Beat Bob Tasca III; lost Robert Hight
2018 DallasDid Not Compete
2019 DallasDid Not Compete
Track records:3.828 seconds by Robert Hight, 2017; 338.60 mph by Robert Hight, 2017.
Best by Alexis: 3.911 seconds, 2016; 329.83 mph, 2017.
* * * *
Current Funny Car Driver Standings
(After eight of 11 events)
1. Matt Hagan, Christiansburg, Va., Mopar/Pennzoil Dodge659
2. Jack Beckman, Norco, Calif., Infinite Hero Dodge643
3.Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon, Ind., M.D. Anderson Hospital Dodge625
4. Ron Capps, Carlsbad, Calif., NAPA Dodge527
5. Tim Wilkerson, Springfield, Ill., Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford480
6. J.R. Todd, Indianapolis, Ind., DHL Toyota473
7. Bob Tasca III, Cranston, R.I., Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford465
8. Alexis DeJoria, Austin, Texas, ROKiT/ABK Beer Toyota Camry375
9. Paul Lee, Orange, Calif., FTI/Global Electronic Technology Dodge319
10. Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind., Snap-on Tools Dodge303
-more-
Alexis DeJoria at The Texas Motorplex
3333
ROKiT-ING Ahead
NHRA Pro Series
Remaining 2020 Events
Oct. 2533rd Mopar Express Lane Spring NationalsHouston, Texas
Nov. 120th Dodge FinalsLas Vegas, Nev.
2021 Camping World Series
March 12-1452nd Amalie GatornationalsGainesville, Fla.
March 26-2840th NHRA Southern NationalsAtlanta, Ga.
April 9-1161st Lucas Oil WinternationalsPomona, Calif.
April 16-1821st Denso Spark Plugs Four-Wide NationalsLas Vegas, Nev.
* * * *
Weekend ROKiT Launches
Saturday, nitro qualifying at 1:30 and 5:45 p.m.
Sunday, first round eliminations at 10 a.m.
* * * *
ROKiT on TV
Saturday, 6:30-7:30, Central time, event qualifying on FS1
Sunday, 12 noon-1 p.m., Central time, qualifying wrap up on FS1
Sunday, 1-4 p.m., Central time, race eliminations on FS1.
-www.alexisdejoriaracing.com-
DEJORIA EXCITED TO BE RACING IN TEXAS
Five-Time Tour Winner Drives ROKiT/ABK Toyota in AAA Texas FallNationals
ENNIS, Texas (Dallas-Ft. Worth) – Coming off her best outing yet in the ROKiT
Phones/ABK Beer Toyota Camry – a No. 2 start and semifinal finish in the NHRA Midwest
Nationals at St. Louis, Alexis DeJoria returns this week with high expectations to the track on
which she began her professional Funny Car career just nine years ago.
In 2011, less than two months after winning her first Top Alcohol Funny Car title in the
NHRA’s Lucas Oil Series, DeJoria slid into the cockpit of a nitro burning Toyota Solara to
compete in the AAA Texas FallNationals, contested this weekend for the 35th time at the Texas
Motorplex.
The two-day event, featuring nitro qualifying at 1:30 and 5:45 p.m. Saturday and
eliminations at 10 a.m. Sunday, is the first of two consecutive tour stops in Texas leading into
the season-ending Dodge Finals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the track on which
DeJoria has enjoyed more success than any other in the series.
With the next two races within driving distance of her Austin home and the finale
contested on a Nevada track on which she won twice in three years (2014 and 2016), DeJoria is
excited about the prospect of finishing the season on a high note and achieving one of her
stated goals – finishing in the Top 10 after being out of racing for two years.
Such an achievement would lay the foundation for a concerted 2021 bid to make drag
racing history as the first woman ever to win an NHRA Funny Car championship. The Funny
Car class is the only one in the series over which a woman has yet to reign as champion.
The 2014 U.S. Nationals Funny Car Champion, DeJoria returned to racing this year as
co-owner of a new team with former Funny Car and Top Fuel World Champion Del Worsham,
who also serves as co-crew chief on the ROKiT Camry with veteran Nicky Boninfante. It was in
Worsham’s Funny Car that DeJoria qualified for her Funny Car license.
“Our Toyota Camry is running consistently quick ETs and the crew chiefs and I feel like
we’ve found the setup,” DeJoria said. “I’m stoked about racing the next two weekends in Texas
and then going on to Las Vegas.”
A self-proclaimed “daredevil” who as a youngster used to ride her BMX bike off her
grandmother’s dock and into a saltwater pond, DeJoria became enamored with drag racing the
first time her dad took her to an NHRA event at Pomona, Calif.
That ultimately led her to Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School for basic training where
her instructor was Jack Beckman, now one of her Funny Car rivals.
-www.alexisdejoria.com-
Alexis DeJoria at The Texas Motorplex
2222
The ROKiT Report with Alexis DeJoria
Driver of the ROKiT Phones/ABK Beer/Lucas Oil Toyota Camry Funny Car
Event: 35th AAA Texas FallNationals
Site: The Texas Motorplex, Ennis, Texas (Dallas-Ft. Worth)
Defending Champions: Matt Hagan, Funny Car; Billy Torrence, Top Fuel; Greg Anderson, Pro
Stock; Jerry Savoie, Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Starts: 6
No. 1 Qualifier: 0
Final Rounds: 0
Wins: 0
Won-Lost record: 4-6
2011 DallasDNQ
2012 Dallas8. Lost Bob Tasca
2013 Dallas11. Lost Jack Beckman
2014 Dallas2. Beat Jeff Diehl; lost Del Worsham
2015 Dallas9. Beat Tim Wilkerson; lost Del Worsham
2016 Dallas9. Beat John Force; lost Robert Hight
2017 Dallas9. Beat Bob Tasca III; lost Robert Hight
2018 DallasDid Not Compete
2019 DallasDid Not Compete
Track records:3.828 seconds by Robert Hight, 2017; 338.60 mph by Robert Hight, 2017.
Best by Alexis: 3.911 seconds, 2016; 329.83 mph, 2017.
* * * *
Current Funny Car Driver Standings
(After eight of 11 events)
1. Matt Hagan, Christiansburg, Va., Mopar/Pennzoil Dodge659
2. Jack Beckman, Norco, Calif., Infinite Hero Dodge643
3.Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon, Ind., M.D. Anderson Hospital Dodge625
4. Ron Capps, Carlsbad, Calif., NAPA Dodge527
5. Tim Wilkerson, Springfield, Ill., Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford480
6. J.R. Todd, Indianapolis, Ind., DHL Toyota473
7. Bob Tasca III, Cranston, R.I., Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford465
8. Alexis DeJoria, Austin, Texas, ROKiT/ABK Beer Toyota Camry375
9. Paul Lee, Orange, Calif., FTI/Global Electronic Technology Dodge319
10. Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind., Snap-on Tools Dodge303
-more-
Alexis DeJoria at The Texas Motorplex
3333
ROKiT-ING Ahead
NHRA Pro Series
Remaining 2020 Events
Oct. 2533rd Mopar Express Lane Spring NationalsHouston, Texas
Nov. 120th Dodge FinalsLas Vegas, Nev.
2021 Camping World Series
March 12-1452nd Amalie GatornationalsGainesville, Fla.
March 26-2840th NHRA Southern NationalsAtlanta, Ga.
April 9-1161st Lucas Oil WinternationalsPomona, Calif.
April 16-1821st Denso Spark Plugs Four-Wide NationalsLas Vegas, Nev.
* * * *
Weekend ROKiT Launches
Saturday, nitro qualifying at 1:30 and 5:45 p.m.
Sunday, first round eliminations at 10 a.m.
* * * *
ROKiT on TV
Saturday, 6:30-7:30, Central time, event qualifying on FS1
Sunday, 12 noon-1 p.m., Central time, qualifying wrap up on FS1
Sunday, 1-4 p.m., Central time, race eliminations on FS1.
-www.alexisdejoriaracing.com-
