Alexis DeJoria Racing
2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
44th annual NHRA Gatornationals
NHRA Raceway at Gainesville
11223 N. County Road 225
Gainesville, Fla. 32609
March 15th-17th, 2013
Team Patr?n Claims First Round Win of the Season in Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 17, 2013)— Alexis DeJoria and the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patr?n Toyota Camry picked up their first round win of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series today in Gainesville, Fla. at the NHRA Gatornationals, the third race of the season.
At the NHRA Raceway at Gainesville, one of DeJoria’s favorite tracks on the 24-race circuit, Team Patr?n qualified in the No. 10 spot on the Funny Car ladder with their 4.121-second at 306.53-mph run, achieved during round one of qualifying on Friday- an impressive pass that allowed them to pick up two bonus points for the second best run of the session.
The team, which struggled to get its footing at the first two events, seems to have found its groove and looks to be on the right track, with the ultimate goal of picking up their first Wally getting closer and closer.
“Overall it was a good weekend here in Gainesville. We qualified in the No. 10 spot and had to race the No. 7 car today, which was Blake Alexander. He did have lane choice over us, being the higher qualified car, but it didn’t really matter because we ended up running a 4.085 [seconds] at 308.14-mph- an excellent run for Team Patr?n,” said DeJoria, speaking of their round one elimination win earlier today, which set off their first win light of the season.
“Last year, our first round win of the season came about here in Gainesville against John Force, so it was pretty funny that we did it here again,” said the Funny Car pilot who has had success at the tradition-rich track over the years, including setting two female world records in the Top Alcohol Funny Car class two years prior.
“We went into round two of eliminations against Johnny Gray who is the guy to beat this weekend. He pretty much has the fastest car on the property, but we felt really solid about our previous run. I went out and left the line really well- we had identical reaction times [.068-sec vs Gray’s .069]. We finished up with a 4.127 which was a good run, but it wasn’t enough to advance to the semi-finals, unfortunately. Overall, the car is one piece and we didn’t blow any more motors up, so it was a good day. Each week we seem to move a little closer to getting the car right where we need it to be, and I feel good about the direction we’re headed in,” she said, adding “Plus, my teammate Del [Worsham, driver of the Kalitta Motorsports DHL Funny Car] is going to the finals so that’s exciting. Hopefully he’ll pick up a win for Team Kalitta today!”
Team Patr?n, who moved up a spot to the twelfth position in the Mello Yello Championship points standings, competes next at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, April 5th-7th at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
TV Schedule
Eliminations
March 17th, 7PM-10PM EST
ESPN2
About Alexis DeJoria
Alexis DeJoria, daughter of the famed John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and proud owner of Tequila Patr?n, is a professional NHRA race car driver, competing in the nitro Funny Car class on the Kalitta Motorsports team. She is their second nitro Funny Car driver and fourth member of the team. Alexis drives a Tequila Patr?n-sponsored 2013 Toyota Camry. Alexis, who had all the opportunity in the world to pursue any type of career, felt strongly about following her passion, and her need for adrenaline drove her to pursue the unlikely profession of auto-racing. The determination to ‘blaze her own trail’ continues to drive her and push her to higher levels in male dominated sport of drag racing.
About Kalitta Motorsports
Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The team was founded and is owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. For more than 50 years, Connie has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and an owner. Kalitta Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing with five world championships and over 50 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.
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2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
44th annual NHRA Gatornationals
NHRA Raceway at Gainesville
11223 N. County Road 225
Gainesville, Fla. 32609
March 15th-17th, 2013
Team Patr?n Claims First Round Win of the Season in Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 17, 2013)— Alexis DeJoria and the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patr?n Toyota Camry picked up their first round win of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series today in Gainesville, Fla. at the NHRA Gatornationals, the third race of the season.
At the NHRA Raceway at Gainesville, one of DeJoria’s favorite tracks on the 24-race circuit, Team Patr?n qualified in the No. 10 spot on the Funny Car ladder with their 4.121-second at 306.53-mph run, achieved during round one of qualifying on Friday- an impressive pass that allowed them to pick up two bonus points for the second best run of the session.
The team, which struggled to get its footing at the first two events, seems to have found its groove and looks to be on the right track, with the ultimate goal of picking up their first Wally getting closer and closer.
“Overall it was a good weekend here in Gainesville. We qualified in the No. 10 spot and had to race the No. 7 car today, which was Blake Alexander. He did have lane choice over us, being the higher qualified car, but it didn’t really matter because we ended up running a 4.085 [seconds] at 308.14-mph- an excellent run for Team Patr?n,” said DeJoria, speaking of their round one elimination win earlier today, which set off their first win light of the season.
“Last year, our first round win of the season came about here in Gainesville against John Force, so it was pretty funny that we did it here again,” said the Funny Car pilot who has had success at the tradition-rich track over the years, including setting two female world records in the Top Alcohol Funny Car class two years prior.
“We went into round two of eliminations against Johnny Gray who is the guy to beat this weekend. He pretty much has the fastest car on the property, but we felt really solid about our previous run. I went out and left the line really well- we had identical reaction times [.068-sec vs Gray’s .069]. We finished up with a 4.127 which was a good run, but it wasn’t enough to advance to the semi-finals, unfortunately. Overall, the car is one piece and we didn’t blow any more motors up, so it was a good day. Each week we seem to move a little closer to getting the car right where we need it to be, and I feel good about the direction we’re headed in,” she said, adding “Plus, my teammate Del [Worsham, driver of the Kalitta Motorsports DHL Funny Car] is going to the finals so that’s exciting. Hopefully he’ll pick up a win for Team Kalitta today!”
Team Patr?n, who moved up a spot to the twelfth position in the Mello Yello Championship points standings, competes next at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, April 5th-7th at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
TV Schedule
Eliminations
March 17th, 7PM-10PM EST
ESPN2
About Alexis DeJoria
Alexis DeJoria, daughter of the famed John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and proud owner of Tequila Patr?n, is a professional NHRA race car driver, competing in the nitro Funny Car class on the Kalitta Motorsports team. She is their second nitro Funny Car driver and fourth member of the team. Alexis drives a Tequila Patr?n-sponsored 2013 Toyota Camry. Alexis, who had all the opportunity in the world to pursue any type of career, felt strongly about following her passion, and her need for adrenaline drove her to pursue the unlikely profession of auto-racing. The determination to ‘blaze her own trail’ continues to drive her and push her to higher levels in male dominated sport of drag racing.
About Kalitta Motorsports
Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The team was founded and is owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. For more than 50 years, Connie has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and an owner. Kalitta Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing with five world championships and over 50 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.
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