Alexis DeJoria has enjoyed success at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the annual NHRA spring race but has never captured a win in the four-wide setting that will be part of this weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.
The good news for the Funny Car standout is she’s off to one of the best starts in her career, currently sitting third in points in her 11,000-horsepower Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota Supra GR. DeJoria, who won at the Las Vegas spring race in both 2014 and 2016, has posted a pair of semifinal finishes in the first three events in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, along with a victory in the new Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge.
It all leaves DeJoria excited for what could go down at the four-wide event this year. She was in the final quad a season ago, just missing out on her first four-wide triumph. But her team is clicking in an impressive way and a victory in Las Vegas at one of the biggest spectacles in motorsports would only add to that.
“I’ve won the spring Las Vegas race twice, but those wins were from before we switched to the four-wide format,” DeJoria said. “Our Bandero GR Supra has been quick and consistent all year, and I truly believe a win is right around the corner for our DC Motorsports team. We advanced to the final elimination quad at last year’s Vegas race, and I feel like we have everything we need to get the job done this weekend.”
Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of a race that will again be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) this year, including eliminations beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 16. It’s the fourth of 21 races during the 2023 season and DeJoria has enjoyed what her team, led by crew chief Del Worsham, has built early in the year.
They’ve qualified second at the past two events as well, adding to the team’s momentum. It’s been an ideal turnaround for DeJoria after she finished seventh in 2022 and didn’t pick up a victory. She appears on the verge of something big this year, but grabbing a victory against a top-notch Funny Car field won’t be easy.
Points leader Matt Hagan has won two of the first three races, while other standout contenders include defending world champion Capps, Phoenix winner Robert Hight, Bob Tasca III, Cruz Pedregon, J.R. Todd, 16-time world champ John Force, Tim Wilkerson and Chad Green.
DeJoria, though, is thrilled about the progress her entire group has made. They’ve taken strong steps in qualifying, which has set the team up well for eliminations, something she hopes to continue to take advantage of at the first four-wide race of the year.
“Everything has really started to come together as of late,” said DeJoria, who has six career Funny Car victories. “I’m especially excited because we’re back to four qualifying runs this weekend, all of which are in the middle of the day. As long as we continue our trend of performing well during qualifying, we’ll be in a really good position, armed with some really good data, to make it a long race day, and hopefully end our Sunday with our first four-wide Wally.”
Force swept both Top Fuel races at Las Vegas last year, earning her first win of 2022 at the four-wide race. She’ll look to do the same against a loaded field that includes points leader Justin Ashley, who has won back-to-back races, Steve Torrence, Leah Pruett, Gainesville winner Mike Salinas, Austin Prock, Doug Kalitta and Antron Brown.
Enders has dominated The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during her stellar career, sweeping both races in 2022. That gave her nine wins in Vegas, the most of any driver in NHRA history. She’s after her first 2023 triumph against the likes of points leader Dallas Glenn, Phoenix winner Camrie Caruso, Gainesville winner Troy Coughlin Jr., Greg Anderson, Kyle Koretsky and Aaron Stanfield.
The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, featuring some of the top racers in the country. A special jet car exhibition will follow the conclusion of nitro qualifying each day as well. Four nostalgia Funny Cars will also be on display during the event, with a cackle fest set for each day. An autograph session will take place on Saturday at the Toyota Display with Toyota-sponsored drivers, allowing fans great access to several star drivers.
Fans will also be invited all weekend long to the Nitro Alley Stage, which will help create a festive atmosphere leading into the nitro pits. The Nitro Alley Stage will be the main entertainment hub in the pits when the Camping World Drag Racing Series competitors are not on the track, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more.
Race fans at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the event winners of the first four-wide race of 2023.
As always, fans also get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Las Vegas. This opportunity gives fans a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. Fans can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. PT on Friday, April 14, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 15 at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Eliminations will begin at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 16. Television coverage includes qualifying action at 9:30 p.m. ET on both Friday and Saturday on Fox Sports 1 (FS1), leading into eliminations coverage at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sunday at FS1.
To purchase tickets to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are free in general admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. For more information on NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.
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Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) is America’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services. Our vision is to build a long-term legacy business that makes RVing fun and easy, and our Camping World and Good Sam brands have been serving RV consumers since 1966. We strive to build long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders by combining a unique and comprehensive assortment of RV products and services with a national network of RV dealerships, service centers and customer support centers along with the industry’s most extensive online presence and a highly trained and knowledgeable team of associates serving our customers, the RV lifestyle, and the communities in which we operate. We also believe that our Good Sam organization and family of programs and services uniquely enable us to connect with our customers as stewards of the RV enthusiast community and the RV lifestyle. With RV sales and service locations in 42 states, Camping World has grown to become the prime destinations for everything RV. For more information, visit www.CampingWorld.com
About NHRA
Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 21 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown™ and Top Fuel Harley Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 120 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
