POMONA, CA – The Bandero Premium Tequila ROKiT Toyota Camry Funny Car and driver Alexis DeJoria took on an unseasonably hot NHRA Winternationals this weekend at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Two days of qualifying had DeJoria’s team battling to get a handle on a hot track. In the final qualifying session last night DeJoria’s Toyota Funny Car flew to the No. 6 spot in the field and a first round match-up with Jason Rupert.

Earlier in qualifying Rupert suffered a major engine explosion and it was too much for the start-up team to overcome in time for the first round of competition. DeJoria would receive a competition bye run in the first round and the team was looking to take advantage of a “free” run to get prepared for what everyone was considering a challenging day on the race track.

The Bandero Tequila ROKiT Funny Car lined up in the right lane for the solo run. DeJoria launched hard and as she approached the 330 feet mark her race car was dropping cylinders.  Her team remotely shut off her race car to preserve parts before heading into the quarterfinals.

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POMONA, CA – Back-to-back strong races at the first two stops on the NHRA Western Swing have Alexis DeJoria and the Bandero Premium Tequila ROKiT Toyota Camry Funny Car team ready to get to the NHRA Winternationals. Two weeks ago DeJoria raced to a runner-up finish in Denver and last weekend the five-time Funny Car national event winner secured another semifinal finish at the Sonoma Nationals. Over the past six races DeJoria has raced to four semifinals or better and has qualified No. 2 four times and never worse than No. 6.

“I can’t tell you how much fun I am having driving this Bandero Tequila ROKiT Toyota Camry,” said DeJoria. “I know our first win is right around the corner. We just need one or two things to fall our way. The Western Swing has flown by and I can’t believe we’ll be in Pomona this weekend.”

The last time DeJoria strapped into her 11,000 horsepower Toyota Camry Funny Car at the Winternationals it was her first race back competing after a two year absence. She showed no signs of rust as she raced to the semifinals. Her return season was derailed by the pandemic but the tenacious DeJoria battled through the uncertainty and finished the season strong with three semifinal finishes over the final four races. She picked up this season right where she left off, continuing to qualify at our near the top of the Funny Car field and turning on win lights with regularity on race day.

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SONOMA, CA – Alexis DeJoria’s Bandero Premium Tequila ROKiT Toyota Camry continued to show they will be in the mix for the 2021 NHRA Camping World Funny Car world championship. For the fifth time in the season DeJoria started the race from the No. 2 qualifying position and the veteran driver raced to at least the semifinals for the third race in a row.

In the opening round DeJoria drew two-time world champion Cruz Pedregon. The pair had met twice previously this season and DeJoria was looking for her first win against Pedregon in 2021. Their most recent race was the semifinals in Norwalk but today it was all DeJoria and the Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota Camry. DeJoria made an impressive and smooth run to defeat Pedregon 3.942 to 4.119 seconds. The run was the third quickest run of the first round.

The quarterfinal race pitted DeJoria against another single car team, Tim Wilkerson who she bested in the semifinals of the Mile-High Nationals last weekend. DeJoria has an 8-2 record against the veteran driver in their last ten meetings. DeJoria took a starting line advantage and both race cars struggled on the run with DeJoria muscling her Toyota Funny Car to the finish line for the win. It was another strong win for the Bandero Premium Tequila Funny Car team and advanced her to the fourth semifinal of the season.

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SONOMA, CA – After a breakout performance last weekend at the NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria if thrilled to be getting behind the wheel of her Bandero Premium Brand Tequila in a few days for the Sonoma NHRA Nationals. The five-time national event winner raced to her ninth career final round and came up a few feet short of picking up her sixth win and getting a leg up on sweeping the Western Swing. The Austin, Texas, resident will instead focus on sweeping the California races over the next two weeks starting at Sonoma Raceway, July 23-25.

“We are coming from the high altitude in Denver to sea level in Sonoma,” said DeJoria. “We had a great race on the mountain and I have done well at Sonoma in the past. I am excited to get back to Sonoma Raceway..”

DeJoria has raced to two semifinal appearances at the beautiful, multi-use track located in the heart of wine country. Impressively, both of those strong race day performances began from tough qualifying spots. In 2013 DeJoria started from the No. 16 spot and took out No. 1 qualifier Matt Hagan, then Robert Hight before falling to John Force in the semifinals. The next year starting from the No. 10 spot the ultra-competitive DeJoria took out Ron Capps and Cruz Pedregon before being ousted once again by the 16-time Funny Car champion.

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DENVER – Alexis DeJoria’s Bandero Premium Tequila ROKiT Toyota Camry took a calculated risk to test at Bandimere Speedway immediately following her semifinal performance at the NHRA Norwalk Nationals. The extra effort paid off today for the five-time Funny Car national event winner as DeJoria raced to her first final round of the season and ninth of her career at the NHRA Mile-High Nationals outside of Denver.

The team had an excellent qualifying effort heading into race day as the No. 2 qualified Funny Car and made the most of race day turning on three win lights against Jack Wyatt, Funny Car point leader Bob Tasca III and veteran Tim Wilkerson. In a tough final round match-up with Matt Hagan, the No. 1 qualifier, DeJoria was not able to get the win but will leave the start of the historic Western Swing with momentum and confidence as the tour heads to Sonoma, California, next weekend.

“This is definitely the best race weekend I have ever had at Bandimere Speedway,” said DeJoria. “We qualified No. 2.  We had a pretty consistent car during eliminations and we made it to my team’s first final round since I came back into the sport last year. We are just so hungry. We have had so many semifinals leading up to this. We have had great success in qualifying. We were just missing those final rounds. Now that we have tasted it we are going to have more of these. It is just a matter of time and I know I keep saying that but it is true.”

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Austin, TX – It has been four  years since Alexis DeJoria raced at one of the most historic tracks on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, Bandimere Speedway. The track is carved into the side of the mountains surrounding the greater Denver metropolitan area and for decades NHRA competitors have battled the tough atmospheric conditions willing their 11,000 horsepower race cars to exceed speeds and elapsed times to the amazement of the fans. This year’s installment of the NHRA Mile-High Nationals will feature a packed house ready to see DeJoria and her Bandero Tequila ROKiT Toyota Camry Funny Car chase down her first win of the season. Last year the event was not contested and ticket sales have been brisk so far this season.

“I was disappointed we didn’t get to race the Western Swing last year during my first year back,” said DeJoria, who returned in 2020 after a two year break from racing. “This is one of the times I really love back-to-back races. They are awesome tracks. I am excited to go back to Denver and Sonoma and finally Pomona. We are going into the swing with a strong race car.”

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NORWALK, OH – For the second race in a row Alexis DeJoria raced her specially designed Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota Camry Funny Car and the packed house at Summit Equipment Motorsports Park was treated to strong performance numbers. After two days of qualifying and a couple of 3.9 second runs DeJoria started race day as the No. 6 qualifier. The past three appearances at the NHRA Norwalk Nationals DeJoria has raced to at least the quarterfinals and her first round race against veteran Paul Lee would be a tough test. Today she raced to her second semifinal of the 2021 season and first at the NHRA Norwalk Nationals.

DeJoria and her Del Worsham tuned Toyota Camry Funny Car did not take anything for granted to start race day. The Bandero Premium Tequila Funny Car that also represents ROKiT took the first round win with a 3.973 second run at 320.66 mph mirroring her final qualifying pass from Saturday. Both race cars were charging to the finish line but it was DeJoria who got their first and advanced to the quarterfinals.

In the second round facing the reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan the Bandero Premium Tequila Funny Car team was unfazed and took out Hagan with a 3.952 second pass, the second quickest run of the session. DeJoria will have lane choice in the semifinals.

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Austin, TX – Last year the NHRA Norwalk Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park was one of a handful of events that was not contested during the shortened NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Veteran driver Alexis DeJoria is eager to get back to the track just over an hour west of Cleveland to continue her pursuit of her first Norwalk National title at the fan-friendly and wildly popular national event. Since it began hosting NHRA national events Norwalk has quickly established itself as one of the largest and fan-friendliest events on the nation tour boasting a pound of ice cream for $1 and an amazingly quick race track.

“We love racing in Norwalk,” said DeJoria. “The Bader family is very hands-on and the fans are incredible. After the last race our team is chomping at the bit to get back on track and redeem ourselves. We’ve got the car to do it.”

For the second national event in a row DeJoria will be running a Bandero Premium Tequila branded Toyota Camry Funny Car. The veteran driver and co-owner of the Bandero brand unveiled the race car two weeks ago at the NHRA New England Nationals and powered to the No. 5 qualifying spot. This weekend DeJoria will be looking to keep and improve on a winning streak at the NHRA Norwalk Nationals.

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Austin, TX – Alexis DeJoria and her ROKiT Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota Camry Funny Car team have been on the cusp of success numerous times this season. This weekend they will be bringing a new look to the track running a Bandero Premium Tequila branded Toyota Camry Funny Car as part of the TascaParts.com NHRA New England Nationals presented by Bandero Premium Tequila. DeJoria has family ties to the area surrounding New England Dragway and the opportunity to get involved at the sponsorship level and run a specialty Funny Car was too good to pass up.

“New England Dragway and Epping hold a special place in my heart,” said DeJoria. “I love the race track and the passion the fans have for drag racing. For myself and my sister Michaeline we are proud to pair up with NHRA and sponsor this event with our premium tequila company Bandero Tequila. I have had a lot of success in Epping and we want to keep that positive momentum moving forward.”The team has qualified top three at four of the first five events of the season and the strong qualifying streak actually extends well into last season. At the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals DeJoria had one of the quickest Funny Cars on race day but a broken blower belt in the final quad relegated them to a semifinal finish. The veteran driver knows she has a race car that can win races and the NHRA New England Nationals would be the perfect place for her first win of 2021.

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BAYTOWN, TX – A wet and long weekend at Houston Raceway Park wrapped up with eliminations completed on Monday by Alexis DeJoria and the ROKiT Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota Camry Funny Car. The veteran driver came out of the trailer on Saturday with one of quickest Funny Cars on the property racing to the No. 1 spot after the first qualifying session. The Friday qualifying session was cancelled leaving the race teams with just two shots to get the most data and additional rain storms in the forecast. DeJoria’s quick time on Saturday earned her three qualifying bonus points and lit up the scoreboard with an impressive 3.912 second pass at 307.44 mph. As quick as the run was, the team knew there was more out there on the performance side for the ROKiT Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota team.

Before DeJoria could get a second qualifying run rain moved in and cut the session in half but not before one race car was able to edge her out of the top qualifying spot.

“We had a really good run in the first round with a 3.912,” said DeJoria. “At that point, we really didn’t think we were going to be able to get the second run in. It would have been nice to get another shot at it, but we’ve got a really good ROKiT Camry. We’re happy with qualifying second and we’re looking forward to eliminations on Monday.”

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