Alexis DeJoria

Alexis DeJoria (born September 24, 1977) is an American drag racer who competes in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Funny Car category. She previously drove a Toyota Camry for Kalitta Motorsports (owned by Connie Kalitta), sponsored by Patrón Spirits Company.[1] She will return to competitive racing in 2020 with a new team led by crew chiefs Del Worsham and Nicky Boninfante.[2]

Alexis DeJoria
DeJoria in 2011
NationalityAmerican
Born (1977-09-24) September 24, 1977
Venice Beach, California, U.S.
NHRA Funny Car
Years active2005–2017, 2020–present
Crew chiefNicky Boninfante, Del Worsham, Bruce Comtois (previous)
Wins5

Career

DeJoria began her NHRA career in 2005, initially competing in the Super Gas category, before moving into a Super Comp dragster. Eight months after her NHRA debut, she went on to win the Sportsman Nationals in Fontana, California.

DeJoria spent the next two years racing on the West coast in Top Alcohol Funny Car (TA/FC).

In 2009, DeJoria built her own racing team, Stealth Motorsports. At the 2011 NHRA Northwest Fall Nationals, she won her first ever NHRA national event win in TA/FC, becoming the second woman ever to do so. She co-owned and operated the team for three years, leaving in 2011 to join Kalitta Motorsports as their fourth member and second funny car driver. This move coincided with her transition to racing a nitro (Fuel) funny car at the 2011 Texas Fall Nationals.[3]

In 2012, DeJoria raced her first final-round appearance at Bristol. That year she also set both a career best for time with a run of 4.032 and speed of 319.07 mph (513.49 km/h) at Reading.[1]

During the 2013 season, DeJoria had four semi-final finishes.

In 2014, DeJoria became the first woman ever to make a sub-four second pass, with a 3.997-second e.t., during the NHRA Winternationals at Pomona. At her next race in Phoenix, DeJoria won her first race in Funny Car.[4] In March 2014, she picked up the second win of her professional career in Las Vegas.[5] That May, she broke a Funny Car track record at Atlanta Dragway (4.012-second e.t.) while earning her the number one qualifier position.[6] That summer, she went on to break Brainerd International Raceway's Funny Car ET record with a 4.010-second pass, then reset her own record with a 3.998-second pass, the first sub-four second Funny Car pass at BIR.[7] In September she won the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.[3] On June 7, 2015, DeJoria reached the final round in Top Fuel Funny Car in the NHRA Summernationals at Englishtown.

DeJoria announced her return from a two-year hiatus in late 2019. She stated plans to run the entire 2020 schedule in the hopes of becoming the first woman to win a Funny Car championship.[8] During this time DeJoria entered into a multi year sponsorship with ROKiT Phones and ABK Beer, with branding appearing on DeJoria’s vehicle, driver and crew uniforms, official merchandise and across her team’s transport fleet.[9][10]

Filmography

She played the role of Paula, in the 2013 movie "Snake and Mongoose".[11]

Personal life

In late 2012, DeJoria became engaged to American television personality and motorcycle customizer Jesse James. They married on March 24, 2013 at the estate of her father, entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria. On March 17, 2020, it was announced via social media that Alexis and Jesse James were getting divorced.[12]

DeJoria has a 15-year-old daughter, Bella, from a previous relationship.[13]

Philanthropy

DeJoria, along with her mother Jamie Briggs, joined Sallie Latimer's efforts to raise money to repair the Earles Court water tower.[14]

References
  1. "Drivers Listing". National Hot Rod Association. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  2. Sundstrom, Jacob. "Alexis DeJoria will return to NHRA Funny Car competition in 2020". National Hot Rod Association. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  3. "The Patrón Funny Car Team - About Alexis". Alexis DeJoria. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  4. https://www.latimes.com/sports/more/la-sp-nhra-alexis-dejoria-20140223-story.html
  5. https://autoweek.com/article/nhra/funny-car-upstart-alexis-dejoria-looks-continue-nhra-success
  6. https://www.raceweekillustrated.com/2014/05/17/dejoria-tops-friday-southern-nationals-funny-car-action/
  7. http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-260162.html
  8. Sundstrom, Jacob. "Alexis DeJoria will return to NHRA Funny Car competition in 2020". National Hot Rod Association. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  9. "ALEXIS DEJORIA". ROKiT GROUP. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  10. "ROKiT Partners | ROKiT Venturi Racing Sponsorship | ROKiT Phones". rokitphones.com. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  11. "Alexis DeJoria". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  12. Corinthios, Aurelie (March 17, 2020). "Monster Garage's Jesse James Announces Split from Wife Alexis DeJoria After 7 'Amazing Years'". People. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  13. Elizabeth Leonard (2016-09-23). "Jesse James Marries Drag Racer Alexis DeJoria". People. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  14. "Earles Court tower fundraising underway". independentri.com. 2014-07-05. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
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