Alexis DeJoria

Alexis DeJoria is an NHRA Funny Car driver who races at speeds exceeding 330 mph, proving that billionaire heiresses can choose horsepower over boardrooms—and win doing it.

EARLY YEARS

Born September 24, 1977, in Venice Beach, California, Alexis is the daughter of John Paul DeJoria, the billionaire entrepreneur who co-founded Paul Mitchell hair products and Patrón Tequila, and Jamie Briggs. Despite growing up with access to wealth and privilege, she was raised with a strong work ethic and determination—traits her famous father insisted upon. She could have easily slid into a comfortable executive role in the family empire, but DeJoria had other plans. The track called louder than the boardroom ever could.

Rather than leveraging her family name for an instant ride, she took the hard route. DeJoria enrolled at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in Gainesville, Florida, and moved there to train intensively. She learned to be a robot inside the car—visualizing every move, perfecting every reaction. It wasn’t glamorous, and it wasn’t easy, but it was real.

OTHER INTERESTS

For all her rock-and-roll edge and adrenaline-junkie reputation, DeJoria is surprisingly grounded. She’s a bit of a country girl at heart, balancing her high-octane career with family life. She has a daughter and embraced motherhood seriously enough to step away from full-time racing for a period to focus on being present as a mom and wife.

Music is another passion—she’s admitted that if she weren’t racing, she’d probably be a singer or musician. Music helps her get in the zone before races, and it’s a big part of who she is off the track. She even had a cameo in the 2013 film Snake and Mongoose, about the legendary rivalry between drag racing icons Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen.

Beyond racing and music, DeJoria is deeply committed to philanthropy, particularly women’s health. She launched the “Free Mammograms for the Fans” program, now in its fourth year, providing free mammograms to women over 40 at NHRA events during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. The program has been offered at Dallas and Las Vegas races, giving fans access to potentially life-saving screenings right at the track.

EARLY SUCCESS

In 2009, DeJoria co-founded Stealth Motorsports, making her one of the few women to own and compete for her own team. She raced mostly on the West Coast, getting seat time and building experience the old-fashioned way. Her professional Funny Car debut came in 2011 at the Dallas event, racing for Kalitta Motorsports in a Patrón XO Cafe-sponsored Toyota Camry.

Her first career Funny Car win came in 2014, and it was a statement. At the Las Vegas spring race that year, DeJoria proved she wasn’t just another driver with a famous last name—she could win. She backed it up with another Vegas win in 2016, cementing her reputation as someone who shows up when it counts.

From 2011 to 2017, she raced to five event wins, three runner-up finishes, 16 semifinal appearances, and four No. 1 qualifiers. She also became the first woman to compete in 100 Funny Car events and recorded Top 10 finishes in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2014: First woman ever to make a sub-four-second pass in Funny Car, running a 3.997-second elapsed time at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California[1].
• 2014: Won the prestigious 60th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis[2].
• 2014, 2015, 2016: Finished in the Top 10 in NHRA Funny Car standings[3].
• 2011-2017: Earned five event wins, three runner-up finishes, 16 semifinal appearances, and four No. 1 qualifiers with Kalitta Motorsports[4].
• 2014: Set multiple Funny Car records throughout the season[5].
• 2019: Inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame[6].
• First female driver to win a NHRA Drag Racing Funny Car, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and Super Comp race[7].
• First woman to compete in 100 Funny Car events[8].
• 2025: Posted five semifinal finishes while driving for JCM Racing, part of the sport’s first all-female nitro team alongside Ida Zetterstrom[9].

INSPIRATIONS

DeJoria’s inspiration came from her own drive to prove herself on her own terms. She wasn’t handed a ride because of her last name—she earned it. Her father, John Paul DeJoria, instilled in her a fierce work ethic and a refusal to take shortcuts. That toughness and determination have defined her career.

She’s also been vocal about wanting to inspire other women in motorsports. As she’s said, “Cars don’t care if you’re a man or a woman.” Her presence on the track, alongside other successful female drivers like Courtney Force and Erica Enders-Stevens, has helped shift the narrative around women in NHRA racing.

REPUTATION

DeJoria is known for being tough, determined, and unapologetically herself. She didn’t ride her family name to success—she built her own legacy in a male-dominated sport. Her reputation is that of a serious competitor who races hard, takes hits (literally—she suffered a fractured pelvis in a crash at Sonoma in 2017 that didn’t require immediate surgery but was extremely painful), and comes back stronger.

Off the track, she’s approachable and committed to giving back, whether through her free mammogram programs or her advocacy for women in racing. She’s also been open about her personal life, including her 2013 marriage to TV personality Jesse James and their 2020 divorce, which she attributed in part to infidelity. Through it all, she’s remained focused on what matters: family, racing, and making a difference.

In 2017, she stepped away from full-time racing to focus on being a mom to her daughter and embracing a more “normal” life. But the pull of the track proved too strong. She returned to competition, and in 2024, joined JCM Racing, where she drove as part of the sport’s first all-female nitro team.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

In December 2025, John Force Racing announced a major expansion, signing DeJoria to drive a third Funny Car for the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and beyond. The team will continue to have primary sponsorship from Bandero Premium Tequila. This move marks a new chapter for DeJoria, joining one of the most legendary teams in drag racing history.

Her goals for 2026 include competing at the highest level, adding to her win total, and continuing to prove that women belong at the front of the pack in NHRA Funny Car racing. She’s not done making history—she’s just getting started.

REFERENCES

[1] Alexis DeJoria – Wikipedia
[2] Alexis DeJoria inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame – NHRA
[3] Alexis DeJoria inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame – NHRA
[4] Alexis DeJoria is the Biggest Beast on the Road – Austin Woman
[5] Alexis DeJoria inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame – NHRA
[6] 2019 NIASHF Inductees – National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
[7] First female driver to win a NHRA Drag Racing Funny Car – Guinness World Records
[8] Alexis DeJoria inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame – NHRA
[9] JCM Racing to Field All-Female Nitro Team in 2025 – JCM Racing
Alexis DeJoria: Living life to the fullest in the fast lane – Austin Fit Magazine
Alexis Dejoria Racing – NHRA Funny Car Driver
Alexis DeJoria: Age, Net Worth, Family, and Career Highlights – Mabumbe
Determination and being tough has worked well for Alexis DeJoria – Fox Sports
Jesse James, Alexis DeJoria split after 7 years of marriage – UPI
Jesse James Finds True Love Again, Marries Drag Racer Wife Alexis DeJoria – Bleacher Report
DEJORIA ADJUSTS TO LIFE WITHOUT NITRO – Alexis DeJoria Racing
JOHN FORCE RACING EXPANDS WITH SIGNING OF ALEXIS DEJORIA – John Force Racing
Thanks to Alexis DeJoria, NHRA fans can watch a race, get a free mammogram – Women Rock Inc
Why Alexis DeJoria Shunned the Board Room for a 330-MPH Career in Drag Racing – Hagerty
Alexis Dejoria: “Cars don’t care if you’re a man or a woman” – Females in Motorsport
Alexis DeJoria suffered broken pelvis in NHRA crash at Sonoma – Fox Sports
Alexis DeJoria Suffers Fractured Pelvis Following Accident at Sonoma Raceway – Team Kalitta