Sonoma Nationals Semifinal Another Strong Race Day For DeJoria

Published July 27, 2021

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.

“This was another solid showing for the Bandero ROKiT Toyota Camry,” said DeJoria. “We had some good runs through qualifying and on race day we made it to the semis again. We stayed in seventh place in the points and they are really tight. It is very competitive but as long as we keep doing what we are doing we are solidly in the top ten. We are going to get that first win.”

With only four cars remaining it was DeJoria, the No. 2 qualifier, along with the rest of the top four qualified Funny Cars. DeJoria faced Matt Hagan, the No. 3 qualifier in a rematch of the last weekend’s Mile-High Nationals final round and the third race in a row they have met. In Norwalk DeJoria got the win in the second round and today she was looking to go up 2-1 on their season head-to-head record. As both cars took off they were side-by-side on the run but at the finish line it appeared DeJoria dropped a cylinder robbing her race car of critical horsepower.

“Unfortunately on that last run we dropped a cylinder,” said DeJoria. “I am really proud of my guys and we are going to figure out what is going on with the dropped cylinders that have plagued us the last two rounds. There is not a lot of time to hang your head when we have a race in Pomona in five days. I am grateful for all the semifinals we have been to this season so far.”

DeJoria will wrap up the Western Swing next weekend in Pomona at the Winternationals. The five-time Funny Car winner is seventh in the point standings and is only three rounds out of third place in the Camping World Funny Car standings.

Qualifying Results

Q1: 3.898 sec, 325.61 mph; Qual. 2

Q2: 3.996 sec, 314.17 mph; Qual. 2

Q3: 4.778 sec, 165.54 mph; Qual. 2

Bonus Points: +2 (2nd quickest in Q1)

Race Results

First Round
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
Alexis DeJoria 2 .115 3.942 322.73 (W)

Cruz Pedregon 15 .057 4.119 303.37

Second Round
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
Alexis DeJoria 2 .088 4.080 260.76 (W)

Tim Wilkerson 7 .125 5.315 138.47

Semifinal Round
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
Alexis DeJoria 2 .135 4.001 309.70

Matt Hagan 3 .076 3.967 324.36 (W)