NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

After two weeks off, Funny Car’s Alexis DeJoria is ready for a swift turnaround at this weekend’s 35th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.

The race kicks off the second half of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, and DeJoria is eager to get back on track after a month of struggles in June. After a strong start to the season in her 11,000-horsepower Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota GR Supra, including a final-round appearance in Phoenix, things didn’t go as planned over the past four races, picking up just one round-win.

But there’s ample time for a turnaround, and DeJoria believes it can come in Seattle, where her crew chief, Del Worsham, still holds the Funny Car track e.t. record (3.832 seconds). That came in 2016, and conditions could be ripe for stellar runs this weekend, especially as racers will compete under the lights for the first time in Pacific Raceways history on Friday.

The first-time night session in the nitro ranks is a definite highlight for the weekend, and DeJoria will try to take advantage, setting the tone for what she hopes is a big event.

“We’re looking to continue our progress and have a long Sunday of going rounds,” DeJoria said. “This year at Seattle will be unique because we’ll have an evening qualifying session there for the first time. We’re scheduled for 9:15 p.m. [PT for the second round of Funny Car qualifying], so we should see some great runs in those cooler conditions.”

Last season, Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won in Seattle, and this year’s race will be shown on FS1 and the FOX broadcast network, including eliminations on FOX at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 21. It is the 11th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA season, kicking off the second half of the season, as the weekend in Seattle will feature all four Pro classes for the first time in history and the popular Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge specialty race on Saturday.

DeJoria, meanwhile, is looking to right the ship as the Countdown to the Championship playoffs approach. Now is the perfect time to do so with back-to-back races in Seattle and Sonoma, and the Funny Car veteran, who is currently eighth in points, could take a major leap forward over the next two weeks.

To find sucess in Seattle, she’ll have to get past the likes of points leader Austin Prock, Norwalk winner Bob Tasca III, Daniel Wilkerson, defending world champ Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, J.R. Todd, and Chad Green, but DeJoria always has confidence in a group that has shown it can rise to the occasion.

“We do really well under pressure,” said DeJoria., who has six career Funny Car victories. “This team has been together a long time, and Del has given our Toyota Supra a worthy setup for the weekend’s conditions.”

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3:30 p.m. and 8:15 PT on Friday, July 19 and two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, July 20 at 1:30 and 3:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday, July 21. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 10:30 p.m. ET on Friday, 1 p.m. on Sunday, and then eliminations on FOX at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday.

To purchase tickets to the NHRA Northwest Nationals, fans can click here or call 800-884-6472.