Alexis De Joria Vegas preview

De Joria ready for battle in Vegas after strong test

LAS VEGAS - NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car rookie Alexis De Joria is excited about her chances going into this weekend's Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at "The Strip" at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. De Joria ran a career best 5.86 second pass in testing on Thursday, and feels the Tequila Patrón/Jack O'Bannon Racing team is ready for more career-bests throughout the weekend.

De Joria, 29, of Venice, Calif., made the best pass of her career in testing on Thursday, but not without drama. Her parachutes failed to deploy following her run, sending her into the sand trap at the end of the track. Luckily, the damage to the car was mostly cosmetic in nature, which will allow the daughter of Paul Mitchell Hair Care Products and Patrón Spirits Company founder John Paul De Joria to compete this weekend.

"We fought some tireshake last week, but we made a lot of progress," said De Joria. "I'm getting better at my driving, so I'm really looking forward to the weekend. I love racing in Vegas in front of the Tequila Patrón people, so hopefully we'll qualify for our first race here. My Crew Chief Randy Anderson and my crew give me a great car; it's just a matter of time before it comes together."

NHRA's Division 7 is generally regarded as one of the toughest divisions to compete in Top Alcohol Funny Car as there will be nearly 20 of the best cars in the country vying for the eight car field. One of those competitors this weekend will be her teammate Sean O'Bannon, who will be making his Top Alcohol Funny Car debut.

"I'm really excited Sean is joining us in Funny Car," stated De Joria. "Having two cars will give our crew chiefs more data. It will also be good for Sean and I to share our experiences driving. Division 7 is tough, but hopefully this is the weekend we put it together."

Qualifying will be on Friday for the alcohol cars with three sessions. Final eliminations for the alcohol cars will be on Saturday.

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. Patrón 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. Find out more at www.PatronSpirits.com

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