Toyota
DeJoria, Camry Earn Number One Qualifier Honors at NHRA Bristol
BRISTOL, TN – Alexis DeJoria ran a blistering 3.907-second pass at 326.79 mph in Saturday’s final qualifying session to capture the number 
one qualifier for Sunday’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
It’s the first pole position of the season for the Bandero Toyota Camry driver. She had previously qualified second six times. It also marks the fifth pole of her career. She will open eliminations with Paul Lee on Sunday.
J.R. Todd drove his DHL Toyota to the 12th position and has a first-round matchup with huge playoff implications against current Funny Car point leader Matt Hagan. Todd enters Sunday’s action fifth in the points.
TOYOTA NHRA: Thunder Valley Nationals Preview
Bristol, TN – Brown Looks For Bristol Win To Complete Sweep…Antron Brown will be heading to Bristol this weekend looking to capture a win at the one track that has eluded him in Bristol Dragway. Since joining Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) 12 years ago, the Matco Tools Toyota driver has won at every other track on the current NHRA schedule. Brown came close to winning the 2011 Thunder Valley Nationals before falling to Larry Dixon in the last round. This will be his final appearance at Bristol with DSR before officially kicking off his own AB Motorsports team in 2022.
Todd Continues Championship Hunt…After advancing to the semifinals this past weekend at the Texas Motorplex, J.R. Todd arrives in Bristol squarely in the hunt for a second Funny Car world championship. Todd has now advanced to the semifinals or beyond in five of the last eight races. and has won at least one round in nine consecutive races and in 16 of 17 events this season. He enters this weekend’s action fifth in points, 134 behind leader Matt Hagan.
Todd Drives Camry To NHRA FallNationals Semis
ENNIS, TX – J.R. Todd advanced to the Funny Car semifinals, while teammate Doug Kalitta reached the second round in Top Fuel to lead Toyota in Sunday’s Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex.
In Sunday’s opening round, Todd ran the quickest Funny Car pass of the weekend with a 3.867-second run, narrowly defeating Tim Wilkerson by .0056 seconds. That would set-up a second-round match-up with number one qualifier Robert Hight. Todd had a slight advantage on the tree, but Hight was up in smoke right at the hit. As Hight began to pedal it, Todd started to lose traction, but would get it to hook up in time to win the pedalfest.
Todd would then take on point leader Matt Hagan in the semifinals. The DHL Camry driver had a terrific .007 light, but double-stepped it, losing traction with the parachutes deploying as Hagan drove off to victory.
DeJoria, Brown Lead Three Toyotas Into Top Half Of The Field At Texas NHRA FallNationals
ENNIS, TX – Alexis DeJoria qualified sixth in Funny Car and Antron Brown placed seventh in Top Fuel as threeToyota drivers qualified in the top half of the field for Sunday’s Texas NHRA FallNationals Stampede of Speed at the Texas Motorplex.
DeJoria registered a 3.917-second pass at 327.51 mph in her Bandero Toyota Camry Funny Car on Friday night.to earn the sixth spot. She will open eliminations with John Force
She finished two spots ahead of J.R. Todd, who registered the quickest pass of Saturday’s opening session with a 3.924 in the heat of the day. Todd will have an opening round match-up with Tim Wilkerson.
In Top Fuel, Brown’s 3.743 was good enough for seventh. Brown will race fellow Toyota driver Doug Kalitta on Sunday. Kalitta qualified tenth with a 3.765.
Texas NHRA FallNationals Stampede of Speed Preview
Ennis, TX – Todd Looks To Join Elite Club…With a victory this weekend, J.R. Todd would become just the third driver in history to win at the Texas Motorplex in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, joining racing legends Don Prudhomme and Kenny Bernstein. Todd won in Top Fuel at the track as a rookie in 2006, as well as in 2014 on the way to a second-place championship finish.
Winning At The Motorplex…Three current Toyota drivers have previously won at the Texas Motorplex. Antron Brown leads the way with three wins (2009, 2012 and 2017), while J.R. Todd has a pair of victories (2006, 2014) and Doug Kalitta recorded a triumph in 2010. Previously, Cruz Pedregon won in Funny Car in 2013, while competing in a Camry Funny Car.
Toyota Drivers in the Countdown…All five Toyota drivers are still in the hunt for a championship with four races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd is currently fifth, while Austin resident Alexis DeJoriais ninth. Three Toyota drivers qualified for the Top Fuel playoffs with two-time world champion Antron Brown in seventh, Shawn Langdon in eighth and Doug Kalitta in tenth.
Todd, Brown Advance To 2nd Round At NHRA Midwest Nationals
MADISON, IL – J.R. Todd and Antron Brown each advanced to the second round as the top placing Toyotas in Sunday’s NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in suburban St. Louis.
In Funny Car, Todd opened his day up with Charlotte winner Tim Wilkerson and took the early lead and never relinquished it. The DHL Toyota driver went straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend (3.895) to take the win. That set up a round two match-up with Matt Hagan. Hagan got out in front, but Todd was staying with him for the first 400 feet before striking the tires, which resulted in the car making a move to the left, forcing Todd to get off the throttle. It was the eighth consecutive race that Todd has earned at least one round win.
Alexis DeJoria also appeared to be headed to round two today, as she got out of the gate first against Bob Tasca with an outstanding .058 light and stayed in front for about 400 feet before her car made a move toward the centerline, resulting in her having to back off and giving Tasca the win. Chris King also fell in the Funny Car opening round against Ron Capps.
Todd, Kalitta Lead Toyota Into NHRA Midwest Nationals
MADISON, IL – J.R. Todd qualified ninth in Funny Car, while Doug Kalitta did the same in Top Fuel to lead Toyota into Sunday’s NHRA Midwest Nationals in front of a packed house at World Wide Technology Raceway in the third race of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Todd, who entered the weekend fourth in the Funny Car point standings, earned his starting spot with a 3.915-second pass at more than 330 mph. He’ll face off with Tim Wilkerson in round one.
Rounding out the Toyota Funny Car ranks, Alexis DeJoria placed 11th and will race Bob Tasca, while Chris King qualified 15th and opens with Funny Car point leader Ron Capps.
TOYOTA NHRA: Midwest Nationals Preview
Madison, IL – Langdon Holds Rare Distinction At WWTR…Shawn Langdon is the only driver to score Countdown wins in both Nitro classes at World Wide Technology Raceway. He won at the track in Top Fuel in 2016 and in Funny Car in 2019. Overall, he and Del Worsham are the only drivers to have won playoff races at the same track in both Nitro classes. Coincidentally, Worsham was Langdon’s crew chief for the Funny Car win in 2019. He’s now the owner/crew chief with Alexis DeJoria’s DC Motorsports team.
DeJoria Closing In On First Win For DC Motorsports…With two semifinal showings in the last three races, Alexis DeJoria and her DC Motorsports team are on the verge of capturing their initial win in their first full season of Funny Car competition. Over the course of the season, DeJoria has advanced to the semis or beyond six times, including five in the last nine races. She also advanced to last year’s Midwest Nationals semifinal. DeJoria will be looking for her sixth career win and first since coming out of a two-year retirement in the shortened 2020 season.
DeJoria Drives Camry To Funny Car Semis In NHRA Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, NC – Alexis DeJoria drove her Bandero Tequila Toyota Camry Funny Car to the semifinals to lead Toyota in Sunday’s DeWalt NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, in round two of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The strong showing marked the fifth time that DeJoria has advanced to the semifinals or beyond in the last nine races.
In round one against fellow playoff driver Blake Alexander, DeJoria had a slight advantage on the tree, but Alexander led briefly before DeJoria reeled him in quickly and went by him just past the 60-foot mark and never trailed again as she registered a 3.913 at 324.98 mph. That would set up a quarter-final match-up with Terry Haddock where DeJoria had a big advantage at the light and went wire-to-wire to send her into the semifinals.
In the semifinals against Cruz Pedregon, DeJoria had an outstanding .047 light giving her an .044 advantage early, but smoked the tires early, ending her day.
DeJoria Drives Camry To Funny Car Semis In NHRA Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, NC – Alexis DeJoria drove her Bandero Tequila Toyota Camry Funny Car to the semifinals to lead Toyota in Sunday’s DeWalt NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, in round two of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The strong showing marked the fifth time that DeJoria has advanced to the semifinals or beyond in the last nine races.
In round one against fellow playoff driver Blake Alexander, DeJoria had a slight advantage on the tree, but Alexander led briefly before DeJoria reeled him in quickly and went by him just past the 60-foot mark and never trailed again as she registered a 3.913 at 324.98 mph. That would set up a quarter-final match-up with Terry Haddock where DeJoria had a big advantage at the light and went wire-to-wire to send her into the semifinals.
In the semis against Cruz Pedregon, DeJoria had an outstanding .047 light giving her an .044 advantage early, but smoked the tires early, ending her day.
