Alexis De Joria Phoenix wrap up

Freak Accident forces Alexis DeJoria to make Early Exit in Phoenix

CHANDLER, Ariz. (March 3, 2007) - Alexis DeJoria, driver of the Patrón Tequila Alcohol Funny Car, made a premature exit from competition when a freak accident ended her day at this weekend's NHRA Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series opener at Firebird International Raceway just outside of Phoenix, Ariz.

After DeJoria's first qualifying pass on Saturday, the fiberglass body of her car was damaged when a competitor's parachute ripped the body from its mounts, and pulled it from its frame. Both cars had competed their runs and were at the top end of the track; DeJoria's car was attached to a tow vehicle heading back to her pit, the other car had just completed its run and was coasting to a stop when the wind caught his parachute and blew it into DeJoria's car. The body could not be repaired, according to crew chief Randy Anderson.

DeJoria suffered only a minor injury to her hand and the other driver was unharmed in the accident.

"This was just one of those crazy things that no one expects or can explain. It wasn't anyone's fault, it definitely wasn't anything deliberate, and we were all just sick that it happened," DeJoria said.

"You have to know that things like this can happen, but it still doesn't take away the disappointment. That run I'd just made was really good for me, even though we didn't all the way down the track. I had been working on my foot-swapping and figured out something I'd been doing which was causing tire shake, and we were all really excited to make the next run to try to get into the field.

"I was sitting in my car ready to head back to the pit and saw another car going by. The next thing I knew, the body had fallen down and was being pulled off of the car. My hand got stuck under the body briefly, but the track medical staff looked at it and said everything looked OK," she said.

"From here, we'll just shake it all off and get ready for our next race," DeJoria added. “Randy [Anderson] and the guys have worked so hard, I’m really anxious to get things moving forward.”

A new body has already been ordered and will be delivered as soon as possible. The car is already in route to Brad Hadman's chassis shop in Seattle. Once the body has been prepared and fitted to the frame, the team will spend at least a week testing to be fully prepared for competition, according to team owner Jack O'Bannon.

Alexis DeJoria and the Tequila Patrón Alcohol Funny Car will be competing again April 12-15 at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Simply Perfect in every way, Patrón is the world's number one-selling ultra-premium tequila. From the finest, most expensive Weaber Blue agave plants grown in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, to the centuries-old distillation process, to the signed, handcrafted glass bottles, Patrón is produced with unparalleled attention to detail. Imported and marketed by Las Vegas-based The Patrón Spirits Company, brands in the portfolio consist of Patrón Gran Platinum, Patrón Añejo, Patrón Reposado, Patrón Silver, Patrón XO Café (tequila and coffee blend), and Patrón Citrónge (extra fine orange liqueur), as well as Pyrat Pistol, Pyrat Cask, and Pyrat XO Reserve Caribbean rums. For more information, please visit www.patronspirits.com.

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