When you start your day with a 3.921 second, 321 mph qualifying pass in your nitromethane powered funny car, you may think that all the hard work is behind you. When the person driving that car is Alexis Dejoria, it’s only just begun.
“Before I’m even back from the last run I’m talking to the crew telling them what I felt, what was going on with the car and how it ran” says Dejoria. “These are some of the greatest people in the industry and they don’t just rely on what the computer tells them, you’ve got to have personal input”.
That statement alone from Alexis may be the best summation of the NHRA family.
Personal input.
While there are other great spectator sports, few if any, rival the fan interaction of motorsports.
Catching up with Dejoria, off the track of course, shines an entirely different light on what this world class athlete is like beneath those blistering high speed passes in her Rokit Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota Camry Funny Car.
Bold, authentic and sweet like agave.
“I just try to be my best self” says Alexis, “I strive to always be honest, reliable and someone who earns everything they get. Be it a partnership, a friendship or victory, I try to always do it the right way because that’s the way I was raised.”
A character trait not just spoken but practiced. “I love what I do” says Dejoria “and it was difficult at times when I stepped away after 2017, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I come from a great family that supports each other and it’s not easy to be a parent when you race for a living, but I am a mom first and that will always be foremost for me.
It was an important time for my family and the place I needed to be was with them so I have no regrets, I mean, how could I?”
Moms know no sacrifice, only investments in their children… and laundry.
” I hate doing it” she says with a sigh, “I don’t actually hate doing the laundry I guess, as much as I hate putting it away. I’d rather be doing anything else y’know, but it has to be done and bills need to be paid and things have to get accomplished and you only have so many days before your back on the road.
Spend a little time with Alexis and you discover a depth of personality and loyalty that reaches far beyond the track. A crowd favorite on race day, Dejoria is a welcoming figure who somehow manages to find the time to greet fans while balancing responsibilities of another record breaking season.
A woman who draws strength from choosing the high road, not the easy one. An athlete driven to be her best while never taking for granted the contributions of those around her.
An engaging and funny individual with a desire to be an example personally & professionally to everyone who has the privilege to meet her.
A passionate and dedicated woman who not only folds and packs her own parachutes but the courage and conviction to use them to slow down for a while.
Because that’s what champions and moms do.
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