Alexis De Joria Sonoma preview

De Joria ready to turn the corner in Sonoma

SONOMA, Calif. – After posting some solid elapsed times at last weekend’s national event in Seattle, NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Alexis De Joria and the Tequila Patrón/Jack O’Bannon Racing team will be trying to turn the proverbial 8 0corner’ in terms of performance during this weekend’s Fram-Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. The team led by veteran Crew Chief Bob DeVour feels confident they can build on their performance this weekend in Sonoma.

De Joria, 30, daughter of Paul Mitchell Hair Products and Patrón Spirits Co., founder John Paul De Joria, is excited about the track the team is on.

“The car has a new attitude,” said De Joria. “The team made some changes for the final qualifying session and it went down the track just as smooth as glass. It really feels good for the team for us to get the car going down the track again. We didn’t run any big numbers, but it’s the best we have run since Vegas. I really feel good for my Crew Chief Bob. He has been working very hard to get the car turned around.

“I just have to get myself back used to making smooth runs,” De Joria continued. “After driving through so much tireshake, it’s a hard not to want to shift around 1.5 seconds. It really feels good when it does turn the shift light on, though. That usually means it’s on a pretty good run.”

De Joria is quick to point out racing on back-to-back weekends helps her stay on top of her game. This weekend will be the third straight weekend of racing for the Jack O’Bannon Racing Team.

“I’m really stoked about getting to race in Sonoma,” commented De Joria. “I really like having a schedule of back to back races. It keeps me out on the track making runs. I’m also excited about getting to race on a national event caliber track like Sonoma. We stay and race here for a Division 7 race next weekend, so it will be good for us to get data and make runs on the same track. We’re really looking forward to it.”

Qualifying begins on Friday for the alcohol cars with two qualifying sessions, followed by one final session on Saturday. Eliminations being with round one on Saturday evening and final eliminations will conclude the event on Sunday.

Simply Perfect in every way, Patrón is the world’s No. 1 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 Anejo, Patrón Reposado, Patrón Silver, Patrón XO Café (tequila and coffee blend), and Patrón Citrónge (extra fine orange liqueur), Ultimat Vodka (80 proof, Black Cherry and Chocolate Vanilla), as well as Pyrat Pistol, Pyrat Cask, and Pyrat XO Reserve Caribbean rums.

To find out more about the Jack O'Bannon Racing Team, visit their website at www.JackOBannonRacing.com

To find out more about Jack O'Bannon Racing's quality partners, visit these websites:

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

www.ForestRiverInc.com - Find out more about America's largest producer of towable RV's and Cargo Trailers

www.HoosierTire.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