Alexis DeJoria: Blazing her own trail

(Photo courtesy of Gary Nastase)

As the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle series began it's 61st season of competition, no one was more excited than that of Funny Car rookie Alexis DeJoria. She pilots the Tequila Patron toyota camry funny car out of the @TeamKalitta stables who have recently began flexing their muscles as Alexis made the quickest pass by a female funny car driver of 4.04 at Englishtown and also making her first ever final round appearance at the most recent round on the nhra circuit, The Ford Thunder Valley Nationals.  As the circuit makes its way into Route 66 Dragway for the 15th Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 Nationals presented by Super Start batteries, I was able to interview Alexis over the telephone. I asked her when was the first time she got a taste of what drag racing was like and when she made up mind it was the career path she wanted to take:

  

"First time I saw the nitro cars go down the track was at Pomona California at the Winternationals  Said Alexis " I was about 16 years old & with a buddy of mine who I raced around with a little bit and she knew hot rods. She took me to my 1st ever NHRA event, and I just fell in love". DeJoria then added "I saw cars going 300 mph & got the full effect. You know with the sound, the feeling, the smell, and I knew right then and there it was something I wanted to do"


Being the daughter of one of the most successful business men in the world in John Paul DeJoria (who owns her sponsor Tequila Patron and Paul Mitchell hair products) it seemed would be an advantage, but Alexis had passion and a drive to pursue her dream which is much the way her father pursued his

"Definitely something (Funny Car Racing) I did on my own. Everyone in my family is involved in the business with either Patron or Paul Mitchell" DeJoria told me "And I did get involved right out of high school for 4 years. I worked my way up, worked on the phones at first, and then I moved to the art & marketing department for a year, then to R&D. I really wanted to get an idea of all parts of the company, and I really got a good feeling of what the company was all about. Best on the job training you could get"

But the fire to drive funny cars still was within Alexis:

"And you know at that point, after the 4 years; it was still something that was eating me up inside that I wanted to go do and it was a passion of mine being somewhat of the wild child. Kinda the daredevil." The funny car rookie said "I went to my dad and told him I believe in the family, I believe in the company but this is something that I need to go and pursue. I'm gonna go try it out." She continued " He said I totally agree you need to find something that you're passionate about and racing was. And you have to have the drive to do it. Just because you have money doesn't make you win races, you definitely had to have the right people to do it"

With DeJoria and Courtney Force being the only female funny car drivers at this point, Alexis in particular is very excited hoping the 2 of them help bring more and more female drivers in to the sport of drag racing:

I think it would be great,  I would hope more come in, Melanie Troxel is coming back I'm pretty sure. Ive heard rumors that even Shirley Muldowney might also be coming back in a dragster" The Patron driver stated "You know Leah Pruett is still searching for a ride in nitro, we'll see, but of course i'd love that. If I can be a role model for these young girls growing up I'd just love to do that. In today's society we're focused on image, you need to have a more empowering option & you need to show that you're capable of anything"

When the announcement was made that the driver from Venice California would go full time racing in 2012, speculation was rampant as to who would be her crew chief. Del Worsham, the 2011 NHRA top fuel champion retired from driving and in a stroke of genius was hired as head tuner for the rookie  driver, and she couldn't have been more excited

"Del & Chuck are still well respected. When he won the championship,  everyone at the banquet stood up when he went to accept the championship trophy. Alexis excitedly said " He's been my mentor from the beginning in nitro funny car. It was a dream come true when he said he wanted to do it. I was like Oh Wow, thank you so much. I couldn't have imagined a better crew chief and teacher. Very down to earth"

New Crew Chief Del Worsham & Bob Frey (Photo: Jay Selig)

With the hiring of Del to the Tequila Patron team, and with funny car  team mate Jeff Arend, Alexis feels momentum is on their side.

 "We've got great momentum. everybody is gelling. Both Fc's are on the same page, trying to tune em' the same way so we learn off of each other" As Alexis told me " At the end of the day we're a team and you need that to compete against the Force team and the Schumacher team who have 4x the info, so you really have to work at it"

Every driver in drag racing has a ritual before stepping in the car. Drivers love to pack their parachutes a certain way, they like to work on the car while in the pits, or place their uniform on a certain way or wear a lucky pair of boots or socks. They feel it gives them and the team good luck. All of these things fit DeJoria to a tee:

"I always put put the right boot & left glove on first. Lean over the injector & say a prayer to put out good vibes to the team & everybody out there. I tap the injector a couple of times before a run to put it out there for everyone to be safe. 

But don't be fooled, she loves getting her hands dirty

"It's hard not to get your hands dirty when your near a nitro car, you're gonna get dirty. I've always packed my parachutes all the way back to my alcohol funny car days. I wanted to and always will do it. I fill my fresh air bottle, and I feel more connected to the car that way"

(Photo courtesy of Stand21 & Alexis DeJoria)

Most drivers in the funny car class or any class for that matter, have really unique helmet designs. Showing off a certain sponsor or a lucky charm or picture of someone special makes it stand out, which  is how Alexis wanted hers:

"The guy who painted our race cars paints our helmets too. The picture that is on the back of helmet is also on the top of my roof hatch when I open it up.

Alexis DeJoria on a burnout at the Winternationals (Photo: Jay Selig)

With her final round appearance in Bristol along with Del tuning her to the quickest run by a female in funny car history, the only way for the Tequila Patron team and Alexis is to climb higher, winning that 1st NHRA Wally trophy and competing for Rookie Of The Year. DeJorias fans feel the team has the momentum to contend for both. She ended the interview by saying this about her fans and what they can expect for 2012:

"Momentum, getting more time under my belt, more runs. Going more rounds, getting better information and faster and just more consistency"

I would dearly like to thank Alexis DeJoria and her super awesome PR team especially pr manager Allison McCormick for putting the interview together. This was an absolute joy to do, thanks to everyone again.

Love, Peace and lots of Nitro Dreams!

All in the Family

In the history of drag racing, there are many names that are synonymous with the sport. But in funny car, the name of Bob Tasca Sr. is up there among them. Widely credited with coining the phrase "Win on sunday, sell on monday", Tasca Sr. owned a successful ford dealership in his home town of Rhode Island at the age of 27. During that time, The Patriarch of the Tasca family campaigned the "Mystery" series of ford cars for many years and passed on that tradition to his sons Bob Tasca II and Bob Tasca III who campaign the Ford auto parts/Quick Lane Mustang Funny Car on the @NHRA Full Throttle series for 2012. Bob Tasca III is one of the most liked drivers out on the circuit, and with the help of his PR people thru email, I asked Bob when he was first bitten by the nitro gene:

"Englishtown, I was 12 years old. Said Tasca III I went with Ralph Poirier, the crew chief from my alcohol car. That was a cool experience for me"

I also asked when he saw first race, what made himself  say he had to try this

"From the first day I saw them I was amazed by what they did in the sport of drag racing Bob stated. As far as the first car that made me say "I have to try this"was probably....All I know as a kid it was amazing. I was fascinated by it. Tasca continued I remember meeting Bob Glidden at that race. He jumped off the chair when he told me who he was. That was the first time I said wow, my grandfather really is important in racing"

Heroes mean alot to anyone, especially to those who follow the sport of drag racing. Even drivers have those they look upto for guidance and advice, but getting to race alongside some of your heroes is an even greater joy which is exactly how Bob Tasca III describes it

" Bob Glidden, Bill Lawton, Bob Tasca Sr., John Force, Tony Pedregon. Heck, John, I'm racing with him now, but I met him in 1996, thats 16 years ago" Tasca excitedly stated "I remember he was larger than life. He still is today. I've said many times if you were a professional athlete in any sport, there are always people you'd want to play with. In my case, that was John Force...It doesn't get any better for me than to get that opportunity and continue to have that opportunity"

Tasca also added this about his good friend Tony Pedregon:

"Tony has been a mentor of mine for many years. I hated to see him leave John Force but destiny had a different plan in store for Tony" stated Tasca III "To see him go out on his own, start his own team from scratch and win a championship on his own, it inspires me to do the same"

The teams behind the horsepower are really the unsung heroes of drag racing of whom the fans don't get to hear much about. But to the Motorcraft-Quick Lane team and Bob Tasca III, they mean everything personally and professionally

"I can tell you this, when the win light comes on in the race car; the first people I think of are my team. The young Tasca told me "There's no better feeling you can get than not letting your team down, because these guys commit their lives to this. It's an unbelievable sacrifice. I think the average fans have no idea about the commitment these guys make and and the sacrifices they make to be part of a professional drag racing team. They become dear friends of mine. They're a group of guys that you put your life in their hands, and you have to have total confidence and faith in each and every guy on that team. They mean the world to me. Tasca continued by adding "A race car will never win a championship, people win championships. It takes a tremendous amount of confidence and positive attitude because the lows are lows and the highs are high and you just have to find a way to ride the roller coaster. You're going to lose a lot more than you win in this sport and you just have to keep going forward"

Walk the parking lots of any NHRA event, there are classic cars all around you. From fords to chevys, to mopars and oldsmobiles, fans love their cars. Even the stars of the series have their favorites much the way the Tasca family does

" My family... Ive got my alcohol funny car that set the record in Gainsville. I have it ready to run. Bob said "We have a Model A my grandfather saved. We have an old Shelby (of whom the elder tasca had a great relationship with the Late Carroll Shelby) We have a 427 Cobra kit car. We have a Holly Berry Thunderbird, We have 2 ford GT's and we have a few late model Shelbys.

From time to time, the NHRA series can become a hectic thing, and many racers have their ways of unwinding during the season. Running a business or corporation or an auto dealership are some ways, but Bob Tasca doesn't really unwind at all

"You're just so spun up on the treadmill of life. Whether its at the dealership or at the track, it moves fast You just don't stop. Thats what I love said the young tasca "Whatever minute I have I like to spend it with my family. The only way I can unwind is being with my kids, but even when I'm with my kids; you never turn it off. Bob added "Fortunately for me I have a motor home. No matter how lousy the day went, when you get back to the motor home and my kids are there, it makes it that much better"

When the new year begins for any team in any sport, the fans get hyped up and excited for what is to come for the season. New teams, new drivers and new cars give cause for expectations to hope for exciting things. The fans of NHRA teams want to see the very best their favorite teams and drivers bring to the table for 2012, and thats exactly how Bob Tasca III and the team want it:

"They can go to the bank that our team will fight and give 110% at each and every race each and every round that we compete in. Said the confident Tasca "I can't make any prediction on who will win the championship or a race, but I can make the prediction we will fight 110% at each and every race to put ourselves in position to win"

Bob Tasca III then added " We go to every race with a positive attitude and a determination to win. It's a humbling sport. We are competing against the best in the world and margins of victories are measured in the hundredths or tens of thousandths. Some things are out of your control, but what is in your control is going in to every race with a determination and going into every race with motivation to win"

Bob finished by saying "You have to race because you have the will to race. You've got to love the sport. When you love the sport, you're going to win sometimes, but you're going to lose more than you win. You're going to win battles and lose battles, but you can't lose sight of why we;re racing. There's nothing you can do to change last weekend, but you can change next weekend"

As the @NHRA celebrates the Nitro generation for 2012, many know the fabric of the sport has been the interaction drivers have with their fans. Spending time with their favorite driver means alot to them no matter their age. One of the most fan friendly drivers on the NHRA full throttle circuit is Parts plus HQ Top fuel drivers Clay Millican. Clay understands what the fans mean to the sport. Along with having won 6 top fuel championships, Millican is one of the best driving talents out there. I along with my good friend Jason Carey (@StrokerAcekid) were able to sit in on a conference call and interview Clay from his shop in Drummonds Tenn. To Clay, any fan is important to him:

"For me, it started about the time I was born, and I dont mean that I had fans from the time I was born." Stated Clay "I grew up in a lil bitty grocery store and it was very important in my upbringing that everybody who walked thru that door was our V.I.P. He continued "I was able to eat, you know thats how mom and daddy made their living. So from a very early on I was raised to treat everyone with respect, and the world would be a better place if everyone acted that way''

When the sensation of going to a sporting event for the first time in ones life, the excitement level goes sky high. For Clay and his father traveling to any motorsports event whether it was sprint cars, nascar or tractor pulls, it seemed like second nature. But one drag race in particular stuck out in Clay's mind:

"I vividly remember going to Lakeland Dragway near Memphis, and I saw Big Daddy Don Garlits match race against Ron Bucher (worlds fastest big block chevy)" Clay said " From that moment on that was it. I knew right then I wanted to drive one of these cars, and I knew I wanted to drive a top fuel car"

The pressures of running any team in racing can become very hectic, and lots of drivers have several ways of relieving the stress and tension of the long season that lasts for 23 races. For Millican, he loves to work at the shop to relax and unwind along with playing golf in his spare time.

"I stay here at the shop real late at night" Clay stated "I love working on my kids' mx stuff, and we won the national title and that was alot of fun for me" Im new to golf, im 2 years into it." Millican added "I got invited to a tournament by Justin Timberlake's parents at his golf course in Memphis. I made sure to learn about golf, and its only 15 minutes away from the shop so I go there alot"

In today's world, heroes mean alot to anyone no matter their age from one's childhood up to their adulthood. They can shape our lives into what we dream of. Clay credits 2 heroes for having helped shape his career.

"Obvoiusly, my daddy is #1 on the list. he taught me so much about driving" Clay told us "To be honest with you, no question about it; without him I wouldn't be doing what I do now. Mom and daddy did all they could to help me go racing" The Tennesee native continued "Another one of my heroes is Richard Petty. I always thought the way he reached people, that was someone to model yourself after. John Force is another of my heroes, he means so much to the sport of drag racing. I especially miss Kenny Bernstein being out there. As far as i'm concerned, he is the model of what a professional drag racer should be"

Ask any drag racer usually their favorite race track is the one where they have won the most at. Or its where the fans are smiling and enjoying themselves. The choice for Clay was clear what his favorite track is:

"Norwalk, OH. It comes from the top. The Bader family who owns the race track there are all about putting on a show for the fans" Millican exclaimed "The owner Bill bader Sr. greets the fans, helps parks the cars, cleans up the race track after a race, always has coffee and donuts for al the teams. From there, it has gone right thru the family with their children"

As most fans have seen, the top fuel class has become ultra competitive with races decided by thousandths of a second. Teams have been running astronomical times and incredible speeds. Certain teams are at disadvantages. My dear friend Jason Carey asked Clay what he felt was the biggest obstical in getting his first wally:

"We need to have more laps by getting more round wins in competition. Obvoiusly it's on us to do it" Said Millican "At Englishtown, it was a prime example. We've got young crew chiefs in Justin Crosslin and Mike Domagala tuning us to our quickest run to 1000ft (A 3.80). Clay Added "There's a tremendous amount of supercharger development going on that costs near 300k. And we've rented time to develop our supercharger. When our young guys continue, this team is only going to get better"

So far the 2012 season is 9 races in to its 23 race schedule and there have been plenty of surprises. The performances of Morgan Lucas and his race team, and the continued dominance in Top Fuel by Don Schumacher racing. However one surprise has shocked alot of people including Millican:

"Alan Johnson (Al Anabi crew chief) having not won a race so far this year. I mean that has really shocked me"

But in any motorsports, rivalries are everywhere. Its formed part of the fabric that is the NHRA. Muldowney Vs. Kalitta, Snake Vs. Mongoose. There are racers who have a friendly rivalry when going up against one another, and my good friend jason asked Clay if there was a particular driver he either liked or disliked to run up against out on the track:

"I love racing against Larry Dixon. Him and i have this ultra competitive thing going that we rarely speak about. But I just love racing agaisnt him" Clay told Jason " I also enjoy running against Bruce Litton in the IHRA. He's been the guy i've staged against the most. Its always fun running with him"

From the begining, racing machines have had some of the best paint jobs ever seen. Even so, the helmets of drivers are starting to catch the eye of those attending any event. Most racers give an artist a general idea of what they would like on the design of their helmet which is exactly the way Clay likes to have his done:

" A company is washington state designs my helmets" Said Clay "They ask me what do I want and I say i'd like it to look like it came from the 60's era of drag racing. I love to collect helmets, put them in my office and in the lobby of the race shop. i also like to display my firesuits in my shop much the way John Force does in his"

When a new season begins, teams love to set goals. Fans of NHRA drag racing feel the same way about their favorite teams or drivers because they want to see them do well for the upcoming tour. For fans of Clay Millican and the parts plus team, he states fans can look forward to good times:

"Hopefully our fans can look forward to more win lights. We look forward to entertaining our fans" Clay said  "We look forward to Justin and Mike and everybody on this team making this car haul butt and getting that first NHRA Wally. " Millican chuckled when adding "It always makes me laugh when fans asks me when i'm going to win. You can't make it happen, it will happen in its own time"