NHRA Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria is ready to begin her quest for her first NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series world championship as the season gets underway in less than a month. The accomplished driver will once again get behind the wheel of her new-look black and white Toyota Camry Funny Car with familiar sponsor ROKiT as well as a new sponsor Bandero Premium Tequila, as the 70th NHRA season gets underway officially at the 52nd annual NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, March 12-14.
“I can’t wait to start this season with my ROKiT Toyota Camry and new sponsor Bandero Premium Tequila,” said DeJoria, a five-time Funny Car national event winner. “We finished last season with some strong performances and we are looking forward to picking up where we left on the performance side. (Crew Chiefs) Del (Worsham) and Nicky (Boninfante) will have this Camry Funny Car flying and I am ready to turn on some win lights this season.”
This season DeJoria is proud to represent ROKiT and Bandero Premium Tequila, two companies she has a vested interest in seeing succeed. This will be the second season for ROKiT to utilize NHRA as a marketing platform to promote the company’s phones, electric bikes and WiFi services. New to the team is Bandero, a smooth sipping tequila, handmade in small batches in Jalisco, Mexico, from the finest locally sourced, Blue Weber Agave.
“Being able to use a 330 mph race car to promote ROKiT products across the U.S. and having the best tequila on the market, Bandero, fuel this passion, is a match made in heaven,” said ROKiT co-founder, Jonathan Kendrick. “I know these race cars are incredibly powerful and the experience of seeing them in person or on TV makes incredible memories. We are excited to see Alexis chase her championship dreams.”
DeJoria added, “Both of these brands represent my passion and dedication to perfection, innovation and being true to yourself. The diversity of the ROKiT brands is massive and we are continuing to find ways to integrate into the NHRA. I am especially excited about introducing Bandero to my NHRA fans because the meticulousness that goes into making this tequila gives it an amazing flavor.”
DeJoria’s success last season picked up after the historic U.S. Nationals Labor Day weekend, a race she won in 2014, and continued over the final five races of the season. She qualified in the top five each of the last five races and advanced to three semifinals in the last four races. Her first-year DC Motorsports team and ROKiT Funny Car earned the fourth-highest point total over the last half of the season. For the admittedly highly-competitive DeJoria those results only fueled her passion.
“We had a new team last year and it took some time to get squared away, but when we came together we were a very tough team,” added DeJoria, who will be looking to add to her 109 round win total in 2021. “This sport is about passion and pushing it to the limit. It is the perfect sport for me as well as my sponsors, ROKiT and Bandero Premium Tequila. When I get behind the wheel of this 330 mph Camry Funny Car I have to be totally committed and ready for anything. I have an amazing team behind me and I can’t imagine doing anything else. I have a feeling this is going to be a great year for us.”
The 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season will be DeJoria’s eight season of full-time professional racing. Prior to advancing to the highest level in drag racing DeJoria owned, managed and competed with her own Top Alcohol Funny Car team, winning the 2011 NHRA Northwest Nationals. DeJoria is the first woman to compete in 100 Funny Car national events and was the first female to break the four-second elapsed time barrier, 3.998 seconds, at Brainerd International Raceway in 2014.
Tony Fay PR
