When NHRA Funny Car nitro star Alexis DeJoria beat drag racing legend John Force in the opening round of eliminations at the Gatornationals, Gainesville, Florida, in 2012, she never thought that one day she would be driving for him. But next season she will, in the Bandero Premium Tequila machine.
To drag racers, John Force Racing is the royalty of NHRA teams, like say, the Penske and Ganassi teams are to IndyCar.
The move is part of Force Racing expanding its stable of drivers to four. Others under next year’s umbrella include Jack Beckman, Josh Hart and one driver yet to be announced.
“Being asked to join John Force Racing is a huge honor and an incredible opportunity to build upon my career,” says DeJoria, 48. “Since day one, my goal has been to become the sport’s first female Funny Car World Champion, and this is a chance to do that.”
This past year, DeJoria drove for JCM Racing with Swede Ida Zetterstrom as her partner in the Top Fuel Dragster category. It was the first and only all-female NHRA top-tier nitro team.
DeJoria has been racing since 2005, and came into the NHRA top nitro class in 2011. She has won six Funny Car final event races out of 16, including the 2014 Nationals in Phoenix, Arizona, and will be the only women next year competing in the nitro Funny Car class. John Force’s daughter, Brittany, who currently holds the world record for speed – in a Top Fuel Dragster, 343.51 mph – retired earlier this year.
DeJoria’s father, John Paul, an owner of Patron Tequila until he sold his stake in 2018, and co-founder and owner of John Paul Mitchell Systems hair care line, has been an ardent supporter of his daughter since she was a teenager. He can be seen often in the garage and pit area during DeJoria’s races.
The great John Force retired earlier this year after a horrific crash in 2024 in Richmond, Virginia, which almost killed him. He has a total of 157 NHRA wins, more than twice that of any other driver, and an unprecedented 16 National Funny Car Championships.
“Alexis is a fierce competitor who has earned her place in the Funny Car ranks, and it’s great to have her become the newest member of our team,” says Force. “I’m obviously pretty familiar with the dynamic between father and daughter competing in NHRA drag racing, so I respect and admire what Alexis and her father, John Paul, have built together.”