Pep Boys NHRA Nationals
Event 17 of 22
Countdown Event 1 of 6
Maple Grove Raceway
Reading, Pa.
Sept. 16-18, 2022
Alexis DeJoria Looks Ahead to Charlotte After Maple Grove Early Exit
Qualified: No. 10 (3.966 E.T. at 301.47 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.924 E.T. at 330.31 MPH defeated by Tim Wilkerson 3.922 E.T. at 331.36 MPH
READING, Pa. (September 18, 2022) – NHRA Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria leaves Maple Grove Raceway with her Top 10 position intact following a first-round exit Sunday morning at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. DeJoria and her DC Motorsports team are now shifting their focus to the second race of the six-race Countdown to the Championship.Qualified: No. 10 (3.966 E.T. at 301.47 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.924 E.T. at 330.31 MPH defeated by Tim Wilkerson 3.922 E.T. at 331.36 MPH
DeJoria, a six-time Funny Car event winner, qualified her Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota GR Supra tenth with a 3.966 E.T. at 301.47 MPH recorded in the second of three qualifying sessions. That set up a first-round matchup with fellow Countdown contender Tim Wilkerson, who qualified No. 7. A tense side-by-side battle followed, with DeJoria and tuners Del Worsham and Nicky Boninfante firing off a solid 3.924 at 330.31-mph pass, but it wasn’t quite enough to capture the win as Wilkerson was able to edge past with his slightly-quicker 3.922 E.T.
“Unfortunate first-round loss at the first race of the Countdown to the Championship,” said DeJoria, who’s appearing in her fifth Countdown. “We've made some progress this weekend with our car, but we're going to stay and test because we want to get a little bit more information on what we found this weekend, and get ourselves ready for Charlotte.”
Now ninth in points, DeJoria and the Bandero Premium Tequila team will chase their first win of the season in just a few days at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals, Sept. 23-25, at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C.
NHRA Camping World Series Funny Car Point Standings (unofficial):
| 1 | Robert Hight | 2225 | |
| 2 | Matt Hagan | 2144 | |
| 3 | Ron Capps | 2141 | |
| 4 | John Force | 2128 | |
| 5 | Bob Tasca III | 2119 | |
| 6 | Tim Wilkerson | 2103 | |
| 7 | J.R. Todd | 2095 | |
| 8 | Cruz Pedregon | 2073 | |
| 9 | Alexis DeJoria | 2062 | |
| 10 | Jim Campbell | 2022 | |
| 11 | Blake Alexander | 2010 |
About Alexis DeJoria
Alexis DeJoria is a professional race car driver competing in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series’ Funny Car category. She is a Top 10-ranked driver, and including her prestigious 2014 U.S. Nationals triumph, DeJoria is a six-time NHRA national event Funny Car champion. Prior, DeJoria found success competing in the NHRA’s Super Comp and Top Alcohol Funny Car categories where she notched wins in both, making her an eight-time race winner overall.DeJoria joined DC Motorsports in 2020 as co-owner and driver of the Bandero Premium Tequila/ROKiT Toyota Funny Car. The Austin, Texas resident became the first woman to clock a sub-four second Funny Car pass in 2014, and is currently in pursuit of becoming the series’ first female Funny Car world champion.
