Boca Raton, FL (June 11, 2012)NHRA Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria and the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patron Toyota Camry Funny Car team is back in Bristol, TN for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Not her first time to Bristol, DeJoria was the guest of honor last March at the NASCAR Food City 500 where she had an exciting and jam packed weekend, and expects even more of the same at this weekend’s race.

“I’ve been excited to race Bristol ever since my NASCAR appearance and saw the track for the very first time.  It’s so cool how the whole complex is built into the valley,” said the Rookie of the Year candidate, who never had the opportunity to race at Bristol back when she was making her rounds climbing the ranks in the Top Alcohol Funny Car circuit. “I wasn’t able to actually go down to the drag strip when we were there, but I could see it, and from what I hear, the surface is nice and smooth, and when the weather is right, you can put up some great numbers there.  I’ve also heard a lot of fans talk about the acoustics there and how they carry pretty well. Compared to the NASCAR cars, our cars are so loud, it’ll be neat to hear what it sounds like when we fire them up!”

Coming off their best race weekend to date, Team Patron goes into the Bristol race armed with confidence and a car that has proven it can run top speeds. “Running that 4.040 really set the tone for the rest of the season,” said DeJoria of their career best run, achieved at the Englishtown Supernationals earlier this month. “We always knew we were capable of running those competitive numbers, but that pass proved it to everyone else, and gave us that extra kick of confidence that we needed.”

Team Patron said there are no plans to change anything mechanically in the suped-up supercharged Toyota Camry before Bristol.  According to Jim Oberhofer, the VP of Kalitta Motorsports, “Our car was flawless all weekend long. We had that weird piston issue during eliminations, but that was an isolated incident, and we’ve since resolved it.”

Says DeJoria, “This should be a good weekend for us- our car has been consistent, our team is feeling good, and we have the excitement of racing at this track for the very first time. When we were here for the NASCAR race, we had the opportunity to meet the local fan base, and they were awesome! We were an NHRA team in NASCAR territory, but they embraced us with open arms.  I’m looking forward to going back in my Tequila Patron Toyota Camry this weekend and putting on an exciting show for all our new Bristol friends.”

Alexis DeJoria and the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patron Toyota Camry Funny Car team will compete this weekend at the 12th Annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Funny Car qualifying begins at 5:30PM on Friday. Prior, DeJoria will be signing autographs on Thursday, June 14th at Parkway Liquors in Bristol, TN, 3-4:30PM, and Pit Row Liquors in Bluff City, TN 5-6:30PM.

About Alexis DeJoria

Alexis DeJoria, daughter of the famed John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and proud owner of Tequila Patron, is a professional NHRA race car driver, competing in the Nitro Funny Car class on the Kalitta Motorsports team. She is their second Nitro Funny Car driver and fourth member of the team. Alexis drives a Tequila Patron-sponsored 2012 Toyota Camry.

Alexis had a successful career in the Top Alcohol Funny Car category where she co-owned and operated her team, and was one of the few females ever to do so. She left the TAFC category holding the title of Top Female Top Alcohol Funny Car Racer and 2011 NHRA Northwest Nationals TAFC event champion. Alexis made racing history when she competed in the first ever ‘woman vs. woman’ race in her class in 2010, and she is the 2^nd woman ever to win a TAFC race. She is currently the female world record holder for the fastest and quickest TAFC speeds. Alexis is also well-known for her infamous 2009 Englishtown, NJ crash.

Alexis, who had all the opportunity in the world to pursue any type of career, felt strongly about following her passion. She is proud to encourage and inspire young women to go after their dreams. Alexis’ need for adrenaline drove her to pursue the unlikely profession of auto-racing. The determination to ‘blaze her own trail’ continues to drive her and push her to higher levels in the dangerous, male dominated sport of drag racing.

About Kalitta Motorsports

Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The team was founded and is owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. For more than 50 years, Connie has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and an owner. Kalitta Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing with five world championships and over 50 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.