Alexis De Joria Sonoma preview

De Joria ready to bounce back from ignition problems in Sonoma

SONOMA, Calif. - Multi-time World Champion Crew Chief Alan Johnson once said, 'It takes probably 1000 things to be right to make a racecar fast, and only one thing wrong to slow them down.' Such was the case for up and coming NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car rookie Alexis De Joria and the Tequila Patrón/Jack O'Bannon Racing backed team during last weekend's Fram-Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. An electrical gremlin plagued the team, leading to a DNQ. The glitch was found following the event, giving the team new hope heading into this weekend's Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at the same track.

De Joria's Tequila Patrón/Jack O'Bannon Racing Dodge Charger experienced sporadic 'misfires' going down track during last weekend's qualifying. Despite the miss, the 29 year old daughter of Patrón Spirits Company and Paul Mitchell Hair Care Products founder John Paul De Joria posted a career best speed of 254 mph. With the problem traced to a malfunctioning 'trigger' switch, De Joria and her team have high hopes for this weekend.

"We had a problem with the ignition last weekend," said De Joria. "Even with the car missing, we still ran our best speed, 254 mph. I really wish we could have done better, but I try not to dwell on things like that. I knew coming into this deal it was a steep learning curve, and I'm just trying to take baby steps about it. Jack O'Bannon has put together a tremendous team and car for me to learn the ropes of Funny Car racing. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can each lap down the track."

"Sonoma is a really fast track, and there will be a lot of heavy hitter cars trying to qualify for the eight car field this weekend," De Joria continued. "Qualifying is nice, but I'm still learning this game. If we can just get back to that 5.73 we ran in Seattle I will be thrilled. If we can build on that, we'll be heading in the right direction."

Qualifying begins on Friday for the alcohol cars with two more sessions on Saturday. Final eliminations will conclude the event on Sunday.

About The Patrón Spirits Company:
Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, the company's eight distinctive products now share the Patrón label; Gran Patrón Platinum, Patrón Añejo, Patrón Reposado, Patrón Silver, Patrón XO Café, Patrón Citrónge, Pyrat Cask 23, Pyrat XO Reserve. Each brand is the finest in their category. The newest, Gran Patrón Platinum, is an extraordinary triple distilled pure tequila. sPatrón Tequila is today, the world’s number one ultra premium tequila. In 2004 & 2005, Patrón Tequila was recognized with the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences Five Star Diamond Award. Patrón is the first spirits brand ever to receive this prestigious honor. Patrón Tequila continues to set new sales records every year.

To find out more about the Jack O'Bannon Racing team, log on to their website at www.JackOBannonRacing.com

To find out more about the team's quality partners, visit these websites:

www.PatronSpirits.com - Find out more about the world's number one tequila - Tequila Patrón.

www.HoosierRacingTire.com - "Tires Designed for Champions"

www.LE-Inc.com - Lubrication Engineers - "Leaders in Lubrication"

Contact: Will Hanna/Pro Race Communications
Email: Will.Hanna@InsideTopAlcohol.com