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Alexis DeJoria Advances to Norwalk Semifinals After Strong Qualifying
Highlights
- Alexis DeJoria reached semifinals at NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio
- She qualified consistently, ranking No. 2 for second consecutive event
- DeJoria defeated Blake Alexander and Chad Green to reach semifinals
- Tire smoke ended her run against three-time champion Ron Capps
- Team earned 40 race points and seven bonus qualifying points
- Next event: DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 17-19
Alexis DeJoria converts commanding qualifying into a Norwalk semifinal at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Ohio, sustaining momentum for John Force Racing’s Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car.
She defeats Blake Alexander and Chad Green before tire smoke halts her run against three-time champion Ron Capps.
Consistency underpins the weekend. DeJoria appears in the top three of every session and qualifies second for the second consecutive event, securing seven bonus points across four runs.
Friday opens with a 3.947-second pass at 331.53 mph, the session’s second-best elapsed time for two points. She follows with a 3.918 at 330.63 mph, third quickest.
On Saturday, crew chiefs Mike “Zippy” Neff and Jonnie Lindberg guide a 3.886 at 330.31 mph, good for two more points, before a 3.900 at 334.32 mph ranks second again.
Race day as the No. 2 seed offers lane choice over Blake Alexander. He leads early, then smokes the tires past 300 feet, and DeJoria clocks 3.918 at 333.41 mph.
No. 2 qualifier for the second straight event, plus seven bonus points from consistency.
The quarterfinal brings Chad Green, twice a final-round nemesis this season. Green loses traction immediately, and DeJoria advances with 3.958 at 329.18 mph.
“He definitely had it coming … finally!” — Alexis DeJoria on beating Chad Green.
The semifinal is finely poised. Reaction times differ by two-thousandths, but immediate tire smoke ends DeJoria’s challenge and clears a path for Ron Capps to reach the final.
The performance profile is robust. Four full pulls before eliminations underline a forgiving setup window, suggesting the Bandero Café car carries pace across changing track temperatures.
Forty race-day points join two runner-up finishes and a #2Fast2Tasty win in DeJoria’s 2026 campaign.
Norwalk yields 40 race points, strengthening a season that already includes two runner-ups and a Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory. DeJoria sits seventh in the Mission Foods Funny Car standings.
The wider John Force Racing picture is mixed, with attention also on John Force’s Norwalk results as the team manages resources across two contending programs.
That outcome aligns with Ron Capps’ qualifying form, which positioned him as a persistent benchmark through the sessions.
The team regards a breakthrough as imminent. Preparation now switches to Sonoma, July 17–19, with lessons from Norwalk reinforcing confidence first signaled after Epping.
DeJoria and Capps left within two-thousandths in the semifinal before tire smoke intervened.
Visual Summary
Start
Qualifying
🏁
Semifinal Lead
80%
Alexis DeJoria Sprints to Norwalk Semifinals
(Tire smoke drama ends Cinderella run)
(Tire smoke drama ends Cinderella run)
3 Top-3
Qualifying Runs
7
Bonus Points
#2
Qualifier
Key Eliminations: Alexander ➔ Green (revenge!) ➔ Capps 🛑
“We made it down the track every time except for that semifinal round.”
Ranking: 7th in Mission Foods Funny Car Standings
Next stop: Sonoma, CA (July 17–19)
Nicholas Rivera delivers NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car news, including eliminator-round results and reaction-time stats. He brings track-side interviews, contender profiles, and championship-point breakdowns straight from drag-racing’s biggest national events.
