Alexis DeJoria Looks Ahead to Indianapolis to Close Out NHRA Regular Season Strong
Following a successful test session in Indianapolis after the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Alexis DeJoria and the DC Motorsports team entered the NHRA Brainerd Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota looking for a get-healthy weekend of strong on-track performances. The team was quick and consistent throughout qualifying at the second-to-last event of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season, but a loss of traction in the first round of eliminations ended their shot at making a run for the Brainerd trophy on Sunday.
DeJoria clocked two 3.8-second passes during the weekend’s four qualifying rounds aboard the Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota GR Supra. Her 3.882-second at 332.84 mph Friday night run was the second-quickest of the session and held up to place DeJoria fifth on the Funny Car elimination ladder.
Racing No. 12 qualifier Daniel Wilkerson on Sunday morning, DeJoria was first off the line but her machine lost traction shortly after while her opponent made a clean pass in the opposite lane to advance to round two.
“We started off this weekend in qualifying really strong,” said DeJoria, the 2017 Brainerd Nationals event champion. “We made two great passes – a 3.88 and 3.89. We front-halved our main car and tested our backup car in Indy and felt like we had a really good test session. We’re back running the main car this weekend and it’s driving really well, just straight down the groove, no issues whatsoever. So, this was looking to be a big race for us and we wanted to go rounds. We need to go rounds right now. We want to be in the Top 10 by the time Indy is said and done. Getting into the playoffs because we went to every race is fine, but that’s not how we want to attack this Countdown. First round, went out, got him off the line, and then the tires just got loose, and he drove around me and that was the end of our day.
“We’re staying and going to test all day tomorrow and just keep chipping away at it. We’re not that far off. We’ve worked really hard at this and it’s coming together. I just wish we would’ve done it a little sooner but at least we are progressing, and that’s important. Indy is points and a half, we’re going to turn this thing around and keep trucking forward.”
The DC Motorsports team will compete next at the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis over Labor Day weekend where DeJoria returns as the 2014 Funny Car event champion. She will begin the final event of the regular season ranked 11th in the Funny Car standings and with the event’s unique points format, will have ample opportunity to battle back into the Top 10.
This story was originally published on August 19, 2024.
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