September 20, 2025 • 26 mins
Alexis DeJoria started the NHRA Funny Car season in a brand-new environment with new people, resources, and cars around her. But as the NHRA Countdown has arrived, DeJoria explains how all the work has the JCM Racing team on the verge of something big; how scary it was to start over at this point in her career; seeing it all come together so quickly; how this compares to other changes in her career; what went into building the team chemistry away from the racetrack; what each side wants from the other; the amount of fun she’s had this year; outlook on the Countdown and realistic expectations; having three straight races to start the postseason; having a four-wide race in the Countdown for the first time; chasing a championship before the end of her career; the evolution of the Funny Car class and competition; hopes to end the season.
Original music created by Tony Monge.
Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall
PRE-ORDER: NASCAR Race Day Eats https://insighteditions.com/products/nascar-race-day-eats
Alexis DeJoria feature story: https://racer.com/2021/07/27/insight-dejorias-second-act
Original music created by Tony Monge.
Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall
PRE-ORDER: NASCAR Race Day Eats https://insighteditions.com/products/nascar-race-day-eats
Alexis DeJoria feature story: https://racer.com/2021/07/27/insight-dejorias-second-act
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hey, everyone, Welcome to the Racing Writers Podcast. I'm your host,
Kelly Crandell. Our guest today is Alexis Djori, a badass,
funny car driver at NHRA, just a badass in general.
And I always enjoy chatting with Alexis, and today we're
gonna catch up on how her season has gone as
the NHA Countdown begins. So Alexis began the year with
a new team, a lot of new crew members and
(00:27):
basically doing a lot of new things from scratch this
year in her career with JCM Racing, but she's had
quite a few appearances in semi finals, the team is
on the verge of winning a race, and she begins
to countdown as the number eight seed, and we're gonna
talk all about that, from the newness to how scary
it is to working with this new team, how the
season has gone, and her realistic expectations for the countdown, which,
(00:50):
as I said, begin at Maple Grove. So we're gonna
catch up with Alexis. She is a joy, always fun
to talk to, and she brings that to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
I hope you enjoy.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Let's get to it. Here is a Lexus Dajoria on
The Racing Writers Podcast. All right, we're going to catch
up with Alexis Dajoria because, as we were just saying
before we hit record, there actually is a lot to
talk about. Now. This season has been pretty phenomenal for
(01:20):
you and your race team, and when you think about it,
it's a brand new race team, and to accomplish everything
you guys are accomplishing, I feel like it's been pretty impressive.
So let's start with that, just how it all came
together and just to be at this point in the
season where it feels like lex this team is on
the verge of something big.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
My gosh. So at the end of last season, I
kind of was in limbo. I didn't know if I
was gonna be continuing with Dell, if Dell wanted to continue,
if I was going to be, or what team I
was going to be able to join, if I was
going to be able to race it all. I've had
a very long relationship with Dell Worship. We've had this
(02:00):
marking relationship for years. I mean, he was my mentor,
and you know, I got licensed in his family's car,
so we had, you know, all this history and all
this data and everything built up. But that last year
and a half together. It was just like it really
kicked our butts and we were fighting equipment, we were
(02:20):
fighting so many things, and then we lost some guys
on the team, so we're kind of working with a
skeleton crew and it just seems like all the cards
were bet against us, and if we didn't have bad luck,
we wouldn't have luck at all. That's like, that was
the takeaway.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
I was like Jesus really like again, But I think
it's it's seasons like that that really builds character and
a driver, and it really you learn from it.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Like if everything goes well all the time, what is
there to learn? Where's the lesson in that? But if
you have trials and tribulations and you work through it
and you learn from it and you persevere, then I
mean it just makes you that much better of a driver.
So yeah, it was an unfortunate parting of ways with Dell,
but it was a mutual decision. We both were like, Okay,
(03:09):
let's try something different. You know. He wanted to kind
of slow the pace down a little bit. He wanted
to maybe license some people in his car, maybe run
a couple of races himself. But as far as what
I'm looking for. And you know, obviously I have unfinished
business and my goal one day is to win a championship.
(03:31):
You have to race competitively, and that's racing all races
in the season. And luckily I was able to join
forces with JACM and they took me on.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
When you say there about unfinished business and now this
journey that you've been on this year with JCM, I'm
wondering how scary that is for someone in your position
who has done this for so long, and as you said,
you're chasing that championship to essentially start over that that
can't be I mean for me on the outside looking in,
(04:03):
that has to be, like I said, kind of scary
or not a fun feeling at first, to feel like, again,
you're trying to build something from scratch this far into
your career.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yes, but I mean at that point, I mean it
was like the lowest point in my career. I mean,
we didn't do well at all the last year, so
I'm like, okay, I mean there's only one way and
it's up from here. But yeah, it's a very frightening feeling.
As a driver, we don't like change. We like things
to be consistent, consistency. I mean even when things we
(04:36):
eat on race day, we want that to be consistent.
And I mean everything we have our routines and whatnot.
But yeah, I was really really blessed to be able
to join forces with JCM and work with Mike Neph
and Todd Smith and that entire team who you know,
before they were running with Tony Schumacher on his Top
(04:58):
Fuel team. But Mike Neph is a car tuner and
so is Todd Smith, and they have history. They have
championships as care chiefs for Funny Cars. Mike Neph has
driven a funny car before, so in one on one hand,
it was like, yeah, it's like, you know, starting from
from ground zero, but also there's knowledge there, there's you know,
(05:21):
there's history. So I mean, man, we we hit the
ground running our first race in Florida. We just we
did so good. I mean, we didn't expect that we
had one car. I think we made like we made
some test runs prior to the race, and that was
it because we didn't have time. We didn't have a
car ready in time to test prior to the season start.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Well, and that's so that's what I meant when when
I said you guys seem like you're on the verge
now of something big because this has come together so
so well, and I think so impressive for a lot
of people to see a team like this come together
as it has. What has that been like? Just seeing
how quickly things have fallen into place? What kind of
feeling was that, lex As you guys are just right
(06:06):
from as you said, the beginning, just everything kind of
fell into place for you guys.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
It was unbelievable. I mean, that's the most you can
hope for, you know, just joining with a new crew.
One of my guys that has been with me since
day one, Bill Swart, he came from my very first
Nitro funny Car team and he's been with me since
day one. He came over to the new team, so
that was nice. I had a familiar face with me.
(06:31):
I'm like, all right, Phil, we're doing this. Man. He's like,
I got you. I'm not gonna leave. I'm like, all right, cool.
But that was the open invitation. I was like, anybody
that wants to join, obviously, I want, you know, everybody
to have a chance at this. I'm not leaving anyone behind.
It's your choices to make and Phil. Phil was like,
(06:51):
I'll come so so that was really nice. But yeah,
I mean we've exceeded our expectations from day one, so
I'm very excited right now. I mean we just clinched
our spot in the countdown. We finished in the semi
finals at this last race, the US Nationals of all races,
so to have a good shilling there starting off the countdown.
(07:15):
We've got two months left, which is kind of incredible.
I can't believe this year has gone by so fast.
But you know, we've just been doing really good. I mean,
we're chipping away at it, and I have so much
faith in that team and those crew chiefs. It's really
it's been a blessing really working with Mike Nephin Todd Smith.
(07:36):
They're very methodical about how they run these cars, and
it's been great to be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Yeah, I want to shift gears and talk about the
countdown in a second. As we look again at this program,
I'm curious for you as a driver, is this the
most or the biggest change you've ever gone through with
a program or a team in your career.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
No, when I took a two year hiatus from Kolitas.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
It was really hard. I left a championship team, Tommy
Dee and Glenn and the guys. I mean, that was
an incredible team. But I stepped away to be home
with my daughter. I have a daughter. She was turning sixteen,
and I'm like, I can't parent by proxy. I mean,
this is a pivotal moment in her in her life
where she's learning how to drive. You know, there's just
(08:23):
so many things, and I really wanted to be there.
I mean, she grew up at the racetrack, but it's different.
She was stepping into a new, a new uh position
in her life, and I wanted to I wanted to
be there. So I did take those two years off.
When I started back again, it was Dell, myself and
Nikki Bonifane. We started DC Motorsports, a new team, so
(08:43):
that was a that was a big transition, but still
familiar faces, still working with the same people, still sponsored
by Toyota, so that was that was good. It's a
it wasn't as much of a transition as you would think.
And we had some really we had some really good years.
We had some great years. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Yeah, shameless plug for my listeners. You and I had
talked about your stepping away and coming back and what
that was like. So folks can go find that story
on racer dot Com. I'll have to plug it again
because when you're saying that about your daughter reminded me
of that conversation. What goes into building chemistry with your team?
What all did have you all put in together this
(09:25):
year to build that chemistry, to gel, to get to
know each other, to find a common language. And again
you talked about how quickly on the racetrack it came together.
What about just the overall relationships of building that together.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
I think a common understanding and respect. We all want
the same thing out there. We're all, you know, focused
on doing our jobs to the best of our ability
and being accountable when things go wrong. If I make
a mistake, I'll be the first one to come back
and be like, hey, guys, that was on me or
you know, I don't know what is that like? Let's look,
(10:01):
look the computer doesn't lie, you know, and it'll show
you definitely you know things that are going on. And
just having that communication with your crew and your crew
chiefs is key. The more comfortable a driver feels, the
better they're going to do and that helps everybody in
the long run.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
That was gonna be my next question. You as a driver,
when you come in and you're working with new people,
what do you like to show or project to your
team that you're going to bring to the role that
of how you're going to be a leader, of how
you're going to do your job, and that they don't
have to worry about you and vice versa. What do
you want to see from your team that you know, Okay,
(10:42):
they're going to give me everything that they've got.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Positivity I think that's huge PM. A positive mental attitude
is so big. If you come you bring your home life,
maybe things aren't going so well in your marriage or
with your kids or whatever or your parents, who knows,
and you bring that into to work. I mean that's
you know, you got to leave it at the curb.
(11:06):
You got to leave it at the curb and come
in there with positivity and the team building I mean
simple things like going out to dinner together, getting to
know each other. Just this last race in Indie prior,
we all of us got together at one of our
crew guys' houses and he barbecued and we had a
(11:26):
great time and it was awesome. We just got to
like hang out buyer like as ourselves, not you know,
in our normal all black gear, you know, at the
racetrack and being on all the time. It's important to
really get to know each other on a personal basis.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Yeah, all right, So as we look at this season
as a whole, you mentioned it countdown clinched, You're gonna
be what the number eight seed, by my notes, a
couple of semi five You've been to, not a couple,
a bunch of semi finals this year.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
In the semi finals one five, I would like to
call it a final. I mean, it's the four wide.
I was the last, it was the last quad. So
you talk to my peer agent, She's like, well, technically,
I'm like, anyways, I would like to say that's the final.
But yeah, we've been to a bunch of semi finals,
qualified really well. And yeah, I mean it's just consistency
(12:20):
building that consistency.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
So from the outside looking in, this may be unfair
to try to assume this from the outside looking in, lex,
but by what I see watching from Afar and from
what I see on social media, it seems like you
are having a ton of fun this year. The way again,
just the way you've come off on TV and on
(12:43):
social media, it's accurate, like it seems.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
It definitely is. It's not a joke. I wear my
heart on my sleeve. I mean, well, you can tell
right away if I'm not happy. I tend to drop
a few swear words when I get excited or when
I get pissed off, and hopefully they don't have they
don't have a microphone in my face. When I do,
I always try to give myself a moment to breathe.
I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna save it for the lounge.
(13:08):
When I get back into the pit. I'm gonna quietly
go into my lounge and then I'm gonna scream. I'm like, ah,
you know, but it's just it's frustration on Like I
expect the best from myself, and if I think I've
done something to you know, to uh, disrupt the run
in a way, or if I drove it out of
the group, or maybe I didn't have a good reaction time,
(13:29):
like that's on me and I take that to heart.
If the car doesn't get down the track, something falls
off of it or breaks, I don't mf my team.
I mean we're we're adults. I mean, obviously I have
the utmost faith in my crew and I trust them
with my life, you know. But that being said, it's like,
(13:49):
you know, things happen and it's just part of the
it's kind of for the course. You know, they're nitra
funny cards that they are unpredictable and they're crazy, but
it's a it's a mental mind game out there, and
sometimes you get really pissed off and frustrated and you
just need to scream it out and you're quietly in
your own in your lounge. So all right, Yes, we've
(14:10):
been having a great time. Social media people have been
doing an excellent job. I have a love hate relationship
with my social media, so it's like I need I
definitely need help. I want to do so much more,
but you know, I just yeah, it's it's great to
have good social media people that are just that is
that is their job and they are really good at it.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
So when you say they're about you know, attitude and
mental and all of that. As we look at the countdown,
where is that for Alexis da Joria Now as we're
as we're getting ready to start this weekend in reading.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Yes, obviously we want to win race this year. We
want to win our first race as a team, a
new team together. Hopefully finishing and you know, the top
five that would be great, top eight would be great.
Finishing in the points, yeah, I mean beyond that, I'm
(15:07):
just being very you know. Uh. I guess you could
call it a reserved in the sense of, like, again,
it's our first year together, so I'm not expecting, like
none of us are like, oh, We're going to go
for the championship this year. Like, no, that's just not
how I've been doing this for too long and Mike
(15:27):
never have been doing this for too long. We know
better than that. But we have the ability to be
the best, and we have not been completely in our
our full potential yet. I mean we've we have plenty
of room to grow. There's a lot left on the
table right now, so we're building right.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
As a funny car driver in the class, looking at
the countdown, you you realistically just spoke about your expectations,
Whereas when you say about a championship, I think, of
course the JFR cars probably are are going to be
the ones ever body's chasing. So yeah, you as a
funny car driver in this class. Give me kind of
your your outlook of how do how do teams and
(16:09):
drivers beat those cars? Is it possible?
Speaker 2 (16:12):
You just stay in your lane and you do the
best you can. You don't, you don't, you know, get
caught up and who you're racing in the other lane.
You know, I've come come across those cars many times
in my life. I've raced John Forrest and you know,
I've raced his daughter, and uh, you know, those cars
are great. Those teams are excellent, and they are proven
(16:34):
funny Car Championship teams. But again, you just, hey, man,
you just do You do your best to go out
there and you try to cut the best light you
can and keep it in the groove and hope for
the best.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
The countdown starts with three consecutive races, which I'm sure
is nice for you all on the tour to have
kind of that consistency.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Is that?
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Is that how you view it? Do you like the
fact that the this most important, biggest time of the year,
it's bang, bang bang right off the ya, everybody's able
to see what they got.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Definitely, when you have like three races back to back,
you get on this heat, you know, you don't have
that two week time or a week off to cool off.
It's like bam bam bam b Like I literally pack
a bag, go to the race, come back on Sunday
Sunday night, because if they come back Sunday night, that
(17:26):
means we went out verset round, pack my bags again.
I mean rinse and repeat and then we're back out
on the road and then do it again. And it's uh,
it's good because it keeps that vibe going, it keeps
that aggression in that progression. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
So starting off at Maple Grove, what is your preview
or what's kind of in the notebook when it comes
to that racetrack.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I've done pretty well there in the past. I've never
won at that racetrack. My team has never won or
in the past, I've never woned that track, but I
love racing there. Last year we did run our fastest
speed ever and eat I believe et and speed, which
was three hundred and thirty seven miles an hour three
(18:11):
point eight four seconds. So that was really exciting and
actually lost to Jack Beckman and I believe it was
the semi finals. It was a great race, but we
both we both smoked the tires and it was a
pedal fest and he just got there a little bit
quicker than me, but it was a it was a
good race. So I'm excited to go back there with
(18:32):
this new team and then see what we can do.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Looking at z Max, that's going to be four wid
this year, which is new in the count Yes, four wide.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Racing two boards.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Yeah, where do you stand on that? Because I know
that for wide racing in general, there's split opinions throughout
the pits of how drive about it? How do you
feel about it? In the countdown?
Speaker 2 (18:52):
I don't mind it personally. I've always wanted to win
a four wide race. I think it's pretty cool that
you're not just going up against one team, one driver,
You're going up against three teams, three drivers, three crews.
So it it's bragging rights. You know, you walk away
with one of those trophies that are four wide and
you're you're feeling pretty good about yourself. Talk about confidence
(19:17):
boost So yeah, that's uh, that's definitely something that's on
the list.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
How do you approach for four wide racing in the
sense of does anything change for you? Is it? Do
you have to be on your toes more because I've
heard drivers talk about when it's obviously two more drivers
and an extra cris right, there could be a lot
more distractions.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
I mean, it's kind of a circus. You're going up
there and like you're like, Okay, what lane am I in? Okay,
this is the lane I'm in. That's the light I
look at. But I've been up there, you know, getting
ready to like to stage and are staging, and and
some you know, a car doesn't know that they're not stage.
They're looking at the wrong both of them, and they
(20:01):
think they're in a different lane and they forget, and
you're like, oh gosh. But when it all goes right,
it's incredible to watch. It really is, and I'm grateful
to be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Yeah. I want to go back to something you said
earlier about the unfinished business and chasing this championship. You
again mentioned kind of realistically maybe that that's probably not
going to be top of list or happen for you
guys this year.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
You know where you are. Yeah, that's not really any
finished thought.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
But overall, though, do you I don't want to flat
out I ask you know, how many more years you
think you're going to do this, But do you do
you see that as something that is realistic for you,
that you can keep chasing this championship before you are done.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yes, definitely. Relatively speaking, I am still pretty young compared
to some of my competitors that have been doing this
for quite quite a long time. I mean, you look
at John Forrest and I mean, no one's gonna, you know,
compare to all his championships. But i mean he started
getting hot, you know, in the in later days and uh,
(21:09):
you know, and still kept it going. And I'm definitely
not done, not anytime soon.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yeah. The overall funny cart class, what's been your thoughts
of just how that's evolved, even recently, because it seems
like there's been there's been more and more really good
teams and drivers popping up, and it's very much it
seems like that it's got the depth of competition has experienced.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Yeah, all the cars are running good numbers. Now, I mean,
to be the best, you've got to be running three
eighties consistently. Obviously, the you know, the Force cars do
that very well. You know the way that Mike Neff
and Todd Smith have been executing our runs have been
(21:54):
just very again, very methodical. We're working with new parts,
new driver, new team, so everything you know, has a
little bit of a different feel. So we're all learning
from each other as we go and not going over center,
you know what I mean, being you know, relatively conservative,
you know sometimes and just trying to make it down
(22:15):
the track. Have a good number, definitely, I mean, we're
not going to give it away, but you know, at
the same time, we're not trying to rotate the inns,
not just yet. There's time for that.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
A couple more things for you. Do you appreciate that
as a driver, of having more and more competition to
stay on your toes like that, to be challenged by
new drivers, what their personalities are, what their characteristics are,
and having to learn all of that.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Most definitely, I love to see bigger car counts, you know,
better cars qualifying cars running against us. I mean, it
just makes our class and the sport that much better.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
I wanted to wrap up by asking kind of what
your expectations were for the countdown, but you kind of
answered that before, so it's I guess to reiterate that.
I mean, it's it's what top eight, top five would
be a it would probably be top yeah, expectations.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
I mean top eight would be great, top five would
be excellent. A win before the season ends, I mean,
my god, like yes please.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Number one goal?
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Right? Yeah, yeah, I we would love to get a
trophy before a wallay before this season ends. So we'll see,
might get in reading.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
You never know, keep that going for twenty six.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Yep, definitely, lex I always appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
I enjoy chatting with you every time we get to
do it.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Right on. Thank you, Kelly. I really appreciate it too.
You have a great night, and.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
There we have it. I appreciate her honesty, the realism
that she brings to everything that she does, and as
well as just the joy. And I mentioned in our conversation.
You can tell how much fun she and her race
are having this year. It is evident just watching it
on television, and I find that awesome. And as I said,
she's also just a badass. So how can you not
(24:08):
enjoy your life when you are a Lexus DeJoria or
when you get to talk to Alexus Dajoria. So I
appreciate her coming on the podcast. My thanks as well
to Jessica Hatcher for coordinating getting this on our calendars.
I mentioned the story in the interview that I did
with Alexis about her marriage, about retiring and then coming
back and that period of her life. I'm going to
link that that should be in the description of this
(24:30):
episode if you'd like to check it out. One of
the stories I'm very proud of, and I also appreciate
her honesty and everything that we talked about of how
she had to go and be home with her family,
how she had to step away and give up a
championship opportunity that she had at the time and be
there for her daughter try to fix her marriage. So
the link to that story will be in the show
(24:51):
description of this episode, and I really hope you'll check
that out. NASCAR Race Day Eats the official NASCAR cookbook.
We are closing in on a little over month away
from publication day. I hope you will check that out.
That is also linked in the show description of this episode.
It's the official cookbook of NASCAR, and we have everything
from main courses, starters, appetizers, soups, salads, dessert and drinks.
(25:14):
So please check out NASCAR Race Day Eats. It's available
for pre order now or it'll be in bookstores beginning
October twenty eighth. So with that, if you enjoyed this episode,
please leave our rating and review let me know what
you think. On social media, you can find me across
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(25:35):
at Kelly Crandles the easiest way to find me, or
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But please leave a rating, review, reach out to me
on social media, and of course hopefully you are following
the podcast, it'll peer in your feed whenever there is
a new episode. And with that, I will be back
hopefully soon with a new episode for you enjoy here
(25:57):
on the Racing Writers Podcast.
Hey, everyone, Welcome to the Racing Writers Podcast. I'm your host,
Kelly Crandell. Our guest today is Alexis Djori, a badass,
funny car driver at NHRA, just a badass in general.
And I always enjoy chatting with Alexis, and today we're
gonna catch up on how her season has gone as
the NHA Countdown begins. So Alexis began the year with
a new team, a lot of new crew members and
(00:27):
basically doing a lot of new things from scratch this
year in her career with JCM Racing, but she's had
quite a few appearances in semi finals, the team is
on the verge of winning a race, and she begins
to countdown as the number eight seed, and we're gonna
talk all about that, from the newness to how scary
it is to working with this new team, how the
season has gone, and her realistic expectations for the countdown, which,
(00:50):
as I said, begin at Maple Grove. So we're gonna
catch up with Alexis. She is a joy, always fun
to talk to, and she brings that to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
I hope you enjoy.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Let's get to it. Here is a Lexus Dajoria on
The Racing Writers Podcast. All right, we're going to catch
up with Alexis Dajoria because, as we were just saying
before we hit record, there actually is a lot to
talk about. Now. This season has been pretty phenomenal for
(01:20):
you and your race team, and when you think about it,
it's a brand new race team, and to accomplish everything
you guys are accomplishing, I feel like it's been pretty impressive.
So let's start with that, just how it all came
together and just to be at this point in the
season where it feels like lex this team is on
the verge of something big.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
My gosh. So at the end of last season, I
kind of was in limbo. I didn't know if I
was gonna be continuing with Dell, if Dell wanted to continue,
if I was going to be, or what team I
was going to be able to join, if I was
going to be able to race it all. I've had
a very long relationship with Dell Worship. We've had this
(02:00):
marking relationship for years. I mean, he was my mentor,
and you know, I got licensed in his family's car,
so we had, you know, all this history and all
this data and everything built up. But that last year
and a half together. It was just like it really
kicked our butts and we were fighting equipment, we were
(02:20):
fighting so many things, and then we lost some guys
on the team, so we're kind of working with a
skeleton crew and it just seems like all the cards
were bet against us, and if we didn't have bad luck,
we wouldn't have luck at all. That's like, that was
the takeaway.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
I was like Jesus really like again, But I think
it's it's seasons like that that really builds character and
a driver, and it really you learn from it.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Like if everything goes well all the time, what is
there to learn? Where's the lesson in that? But if
you have trials and tribulations and you work through it
and you learn from it and you persevere, then I
mean it just makes you that much better of a driver.
So yeah, it was an unfortunate parting of ways with Dell,
but it was a mutual decision. We both were like, Okay,
(03:09):
let's try something different. You know. He wanted to kind
of slow the pace down a little bit. He wanted
to maybe license some people in his car, maybe run
a couple of races himself. But as far as what
I'm looking for. And you know, obviously I have unfinished
business and my goal one day is to win a championship.
(03:31):
You have to race competitively, and that's racing all races
in the season. And luckily I was able to join
forces with JACM and they took me on.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
When you say there about unfinished business and now this
journey that you've been on this year with JCM, I'm
wondering how scary that is for someone in your position
who has done this for so long, and as you said,
you're chasing that championship to essentially start over that that
can't be I mean for me on the outside looking in,
(04:03):
that has to be, like I said, kind of scary
or not a fun feeling at first, to feel like, again,
you're trying to build something from scratch this far into
your career.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yes, but I mean at that point, I mean it
was like the lowest point in my career. I mean,
we didn't do well at all the last year, so
I'm like, okay, I mean there's only one way and
it's up from here. But yeah, it's a very frightening feeling.
As a driver, we don't like change. We like things
to be consistent, consistency. I mean even when things we
(04:36):
eat on race day, we want that to be consistent.
And I mean everything we have our routines and whatnot.
But yeah, I was really really blessed to be able
to join forces with JCM and work with Mike Neph
and Todd Smith and that entire team who you know,
before they were running with Tony Schumacher on his Top
(04:58):
Fuel team. But Mike Neph is a car tuner and
so is Todd Smith, and they have history. They have
championships as care chiefs for Funny Cars. Mike Neph has
driven a funny car before, so in one on one hand,
it was like, yeah, it's like, you know, starting from
from ground zero, but also there's knowledge there, there's you know,
(05:21):
there's history. So I mean, man, we we hit the
ground running our first race in Florida. We just we
did so good. I mean, we didn't expect that we
had one car. I think we made like we made
some test runs prior to the race, and that was
it because we didn't have time. We didn't have a
car ready in time to test prior to the season start.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Well, and that's so that's what I meant when when
I said you guys seem like you're on the verge
now of something big because this has come together so
so well, and I think so impressive for a lot
of people to see a team like this come together
as it has. What has that been like? Just seeing
how quickly things have fallen into place? What kind of
feeling was that, lex As you guys are just right
(06:06):
from as you said, the beginning, just everything kind of
fell into place for you guys.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
It was unbelievable. I mean, that's the most you can
hope for, you know, just joining with a new crew.
One of my guys that has been with me since
day one, Bill Swart, he came from my very first
Nitro funny Car team and he's been with me since
day one. He came over to the new team, so
that was nice. I had a familiar face with me.
(06:31):
I'm like, all right, Phil, we're doing this. Man. He's like,
I got you. I'm not gonna leave. I'm like, all right, cool.
But that was the open invitation. I was like, anybody
that wants to join, obviously, I want, you know, everybody
to have a chance at this. I'm not leaving anyone behind.
It's your choices to make and Phil. Phil was like,
(06:51):
I'll come so so that was really nice. But yeah,
I mean we've exceeded our expectations from day one, so
I'm very excited right now. I mean we just clinched
our spot in the countdown. We finished in the semi
finals at this last race, the US Nationals of all races,
so to have a good shilling there starting off the countdown.
(07:15):
We've got two months left, which is kind of incredible.
I can't believe this year has gone by so fast.
But you know, we've just been doing really good. I mean,
we're chipping away at it, and I have so much
faith in that team and those crew chiefs. It's really
it's been a blessing really working with Mike Nephin Todd Smith.
(07:36):
They're very methodical about how they run these cars, and
it's been great to be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Yeah, I want to shift gears and talk about the
countdown in a second. As we look again at this program,
I'm curious for you as a driver, is this the
most or the biggest change you've ever gone through with
a program or a team in your career.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
No, when I took a two year hiatus from Kolitas.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
It was really hard. I left a championship team, Tommy
Dee and Glenn and the guys. I mean, that was
an incredible team. But I stepped away to be home
with my daughter. I have a daughter. She was turning sixteen,
and I'm like, I can't parent by proxy. I mean,
this is a pivotal moment in her in her life
where she's learning how to drive. You know, there's just
(08:23):
so many things, and I really wanted to be there.
I mean, she grew up at the racetrack, but it's different.
She was stepping into a new, a new uh position
in her life, and I wanted to I wanted to
be there. So I did take those two years off.
When I started back again, it was Dell, myself and
Nikki Bonifane. We started DC Motorsports, a new team, so
(08:43):
that was a that was a big transition, but still
familiar faces, still working with the same people, still sponsored
by Toyota, so that was that was good. It's a
it wasn't as much of a transition as you would think.
And we had some really we had some really good years.
We had some great years. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Yeah, shameless plug for my listeners. You and I had
talked about your stepping away and coming back and what
that was like. So folks can go find that story
on racer dot Com. I'll have to plug it again
because when you're saying that about your daughter reminded me
of that conversation. What goes into building chemistry with your team?
What all did have you all put in together this
(09:25):
year to build that chemistry, to gel, to get to
know each other, to find a common language. And again
you talked about how quickly on the racetrack it came together.
What about just the overall relationships of building that together.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
I think a common understanding and respect. We all want
the same thing out there. We're all, you know, focused
on doing our jobs to the best of our ability
and being accountable when things go wrong. If I make
a mistake, I'll be the first one to come back
and be like, hey, guys, that was on me or
you know, I don't know what is that like? Let's look,
(10:01):
look the computer doesn't lie, you know, and it'll show
you definitely you know things that are going on. And
just having that communication with your crew and your crew
chiefs is key. The more comfortable a driver feels, the
better they're going to do and that helps everybody in
the long run.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
That was gonna be my next question. You as a driver,
when you come in and you're working with new people,
what do you like to show or project to your
team that you're going to bring to the role that
of how you're going to be a leader, of how
you're going to do your job, and that they don't
have to worry about you and vice versa. What do
you want to see from your team that you know, Okay,
(10:42):
they're going to give me everything that they've got.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Positivity I think that's huge PM. A positive mental attitude
is so big. If you come you bring your home life,
maybe things aren't going so well in your marriage or
with your kids or whatever or your parents, who knows,
and you bring that into to work. I mean that's
you know, you got to leave it at the curb.
(11:06):
You got to leave it at the curb and come
in there with positivity and the team building I mean
simple things like going out to dinner together, getting to
know each other. Just this last race in Indie prior,
we all of us got together at one of our
crew guys' houses and he barbecued and we had a
(11:26):
great time and it was awesome. We just got to
like hang out buyer like as ourselves, not you know,
in our normal all black gear, you know, at the
racetrack and being on all the time. It's important to
really get to know each other on a personal basis.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Yeah, all right, So as we look at this season
as a whole, you mentioned it countdown clinched, You're gonna
be what the number eight seed, by my notes, a
couple of semi five You've been to, not a couple,
a bunch of semi finals this year.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
In the semi finals one five, I would like to
call it a final. I mean, it's the four wide.
I was the last, it was the last quad. So
you talk to my peer agent, She's like, well, technically,
I'm like, anyways, I would like to say that's the final.
But yeah, we've been to a bunch of semi finals,
qualified really well. And yeah, I mean it's just consistency
(12:20):
building that consistency.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
So from the outside looking in, this may be unfair
to try to assume this from the outside looking in, lex,
but by what I see watching from Afar and from
what I see on social media, it seems like you
are having a ton of fun this year. The way again,
just the way you've come off on TV and on
(12:43):
social media, it's accurate, like it seems.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
It definitely is. It's not a joke. I wear my
heart on my sleeve. I mean, well, you can tell
right away if I'm not happy. I tend to drop
a few swear words when I get excited or when
I get pissed off, and hopefully they don't have they
don't have a microphone in my face. When I do,
I always try to give myself a moment to breathe.
I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna save it for the lounge.
(13:08):
When I get back into the pit. I'm gonna quietly
go into my lounge and then I'm gonna scream. I'm like, ah,
you know, but it's just it's frustration on Like I
expect the best from myself, and if I think I've
done something to you know, to uh, disrupt the run
in a way, or if I drove it out of
the group, or maybe I didn't have a good reaction time,
(13:29):
like that's on me and I take that to heart.
If the car doesn't get down the track, something falls
off of it or breaks, I don't mf my team.
I mean we're we're adults. I mean, obviously I have
the utmost faith in my crew and I trust them
with my life, you know. But that being said, it's like,
(13:49):
you know, things happen and it's just part of the
it's kind of for the course. You know, they're nitra
funny cards that they are unpredictable and they're crazy, but
it's a it's a mental mind game out there, and
sometimes you get really pissed off and frustrated and you
just need to scream it out and you're quietly in
your own in your lounge. So all right, Yes, we've
(14:10):
been having a great time. Social media people have been
doing an excellent job. I have a love hate relationship
with my social media, so it's like I need I
definitely need help. I want to do so much more,
but you know, I just yeah, it's it's great to
have good social media people that are just that is
that is their job and they are really good at it.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
So when you say they're about you know, attitude and
mental and all of that. As we look at the countdown,
where is that for Alexis da Joria Now as we're
as we're getting ready to start this weekend in reading.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Yes, obviously we want to win race this year. We
want to win our first race as a team, a
new team together. Hopefully finishing and you know, the top
five that would be great, top eight would be great.
Finishing in the points, yeah, I mean beyond that, I'm
(15:07):
just being very you know. Uh. I guess you could
call it a reserved in the sense of, like, again,
it's our first year together, so I'm not expecting, like
none of us are like, oh, We're going to go
for the championship this year. Like, no, that's just not
how I've been doing this for too long and Mike
(15:27):
never have been doing this for too long. We know
better than that. But we have the ability to be
the best, and we have not been completely in our
our full potential yet. I mean we've we have plenty
of room to grow. There's a lot left on the
table right now, so we're building right.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
As a funny car driver in the class, looking at
the countdown, you you realistically just spoke about your expectations,
Whereas when you say about a championship, I think, of
course the JFR cars probably are are going to be
the ones ever body's chasing. So yeah, you as a
funny car driver in this class. Give me kind of
your your outlook of how do how do teams and
(16:09):
drivers beat those cars? Is it possible?
Speaker 2 (16:12):
You just stay in your lane and you do the
best you can. You don't, you don't, you know, get
caught up and who you're racing in the other lane.
You know, I've come come across those cars many times
in my life. I've raced John Forrest and you know,
I've raced his daughter, and uh, you know, those cars
are great. Those teams are excellent, and they are proven
(16:34):
funny Car Championship teams. But again, you just, hey, man,
you just do You do your best to go out
there and you try to cut the best light you
can and keep it in the groove and hope for
the best.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
The countdown starts with three consecutive races, which I'm sure
is nice for you all on the tour to have
kind of that consistency.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Is that?
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Is that how you view it? Do you like the
fact that the this most important, biggest time of the year,
it's bang, bang bang right off the ya, everybody's able
to see what they got.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Definitely, when you have like three races back to back,
you get on this heat, you know, you don't have
that two week time or a week off to cool off.
It's like bam bam bam b Like I literally pack
a bag, go to the race, come back on Sunday
Sunday night, because if they come back Sunday night, that
(17:26):
means we went out verset round, pack my bags again.
I mean rinse and repeat and then we're back out
on the road and then do it again. And it's uh,
it's good because it keeps that vibe going, it keeps
that aggression in that progression. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
So starting off at Maple Grove, what is your preview
or what's kind of in the notebook when it comes
to that racetrack.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I've done pretty well there in the past. I've never
won at that racetrack. My team has never won or
in the past, I've never woned that track, but I
love racing there. Last year we did run our fastest
speed ever and eat I believe et and speed, which
was three hundred and thirty seven miles an hour three
(18:11):
point eight four seconds. So that was really exciting and
actually lost to Jack Beckman and I believe it was
the semi finals. It was a great race, but we
both we both smoked the tires and it was a
pedal fest and he just got there a little bit
quicker than me, but it was a it was a
good race. So I'm excited to go back there with
(18:32):
this new team and then see what we can do.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Looking at z Max, that's going to be four wid
this year, which is new in the count Yes, four wide.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Racing two boards.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Yeah, where do you stand on that? Because I know
that for wide racing in general, there's split opinions throughout
the pits of how drive about it? How do you
feel about it? In the countdown?
Speaker 2 (18:52):
I don't mind it personally. I've always wanted to win
a four wide race. I think it's pretty cool that
you're not just going up against one team, one driver,
You're going up against three teams, three drivers, three crews.
So it it's bragging rights. You know, you walk away
with one of those trophies that are four wide and
you're you're feeling pretty good about yourself. Talk about confidence
(19:17):
boost So yeah, that's uh, that's definitely something that's on
the list.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
How do you approach for four wide racing in the
sense of does anything change for you? Is it? Do
you have to be on your toes more because I've
heard drivers talk about when it's obviously two more drivers
and an extra cris right, there could be a lot
more distractions.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
I mean, it's kind of a circus. You're going up
there and like you're like, Okay, what lane am I in? Okay,
this is the lane I'm in. That's the light I
look at. But I've been up there, you know, getting
ready to like to stage and are staging, and and
some you know, a car doesn't know that they're not stage.
They're looking at the wrong both of them, and they
(20:01):
think they're in a different lane and they forget, and
you're like, oh gosh. But when it all goes right,
it's incredible to watch. It really is, and I'm grateful
to be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Yeah. I want to go back to something you said
earlier about the unfinished business and chasing this championship. You
again mentioned kind of realistically maybe that that's probably not
going to be top of list or happen for you
guys this year.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
You know where you are. Yeah, that's not really any
finished thought.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
But overall, though, do you I don't want to flat
out I ask you know, how many more years you
think you're going to do this, But do you do
you see that as something that is realistic for you,
that you can keep chasing this championship before you are done.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yes, definitely. Relatively speaking, I am still pretty young compared
to some of my competitors that have been doing this
for quite quite a long time. I mean, you look
at John Forrest and I mean, no one's gonna, you know,
compare to all his championships. But i mean he started
getting hot, you know, in the in later days and uh,
(21:09):
you know, and still kept it going. And I'm definitely
not done, not anytime soon.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yeah. The overall funny cart class, what's been your thoughts
of just how that's evolved, even recently, because it seems
like there's been there's been more and more really good
teams and drivers popping up, and it's very much it
seems like that it's got the depth of competition has experienced.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Yeah, all the cars are running good numbers. Now, I mean,
to be the best, you've got to be running three
eighties consistently. Obviously, the you know, the Force cars do
that very well. You know the way that Mike Neff
and Todd Smith have been executing our runs have been
(21:54):
just very again, very methodical. We're working with new parts,
new driver, new team, so everything you know, has a
little bit of a different feel. So we're all learning
from each other as we go and not going over center,
you know what I mean, being you know, relatively conservative,
you know sometimes and just trying to make it down
(22:15):
the track. Have a good number, definitely, I mean, we're
not going to give it away, but you know, at
the same time, we're not trying to rotate the inns,
not just yet. There's time for that.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
A couple more things for you. Do you appreciate that
as a driver, of having more and more competition to
stay on your toes like that, to be challenged by
new drivers, what their personalities are, what their characteristics are,
and having to learn all of that.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Most definitely, I love to see bigger car counts, you know,
better cars qualifying cars running against us. I mean, it
just makes our class and the sport that much better.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
I wanted to wrap up by asking kind of what
your expectations were for the countdown, but you kind of
answered that before, so it's I guess to reiterate that.
I mean, it's it's what top eight, top five would
be a it would probably be top yeah, expectations.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
I mean top eight would be great, top five would
be excellent. A win before the season ends, I mean,
my god, like yes please.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Number one goal?
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Right? Yeah, yeah, I we would love to get a
trophy before a wallay before this season ends. So we'll see,
might get in reading.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
You never know, keep that going for twenty six.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Yep, definitely, lex I always appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
I enjoy chatting with you every time we get to
do it.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Right on. Thank you, Kelly. I really appreciate it too.
You have a great night, and.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
There we have it. I appreciate her honesty, the realism
that she brings to everything that she does, and as
well as just the joy. And I mentioned in our conversation.
You can tell how much fun she and her race
are having this year. It is evident just watching it
on television, and I find that awesome. And as I said,
she's also just a badass. So how can you not
(24:08):
enjoy your life when you are a Lexus DeJoria or
when you get to talk to Alexus Dajoria. So I
appreciate her coming on the podcast. My thanks as well
to Jessica Hatcher for coordinating getting this on our calendars.
I mentioned the story in the interview that I did
with Alexis about her marriage, about retiring and then coming
back and that period of her life. I'm going to
link that that should be in the description of this
(24:30):
episode if you'd like to check it out. One of
the stories I'm very proud of, and I also appreciate
her honesty and everything that we talked about of how
she had to go and be home with her family,
how she had to step away and give up a
championship opportunity that she had at the time and be
there for her daughter try to fix her marriage. So
the link to that story will be in the show
(24:51):
description of this episode, and I really hope you'll check
that out. NASCAR Race Day Eats the official NASCAR cookbook.
We are closing in on a little over month away
from publication day. I hope you will check that out.
That is also linked in the show description of this episode.
It's the official cookbook of NASCAR, and we have everything
from main courses, starters, appetizers, soups, salads, dessert and drinks.
(25:14):
So please check out NASCAR Race Day Eats. It's available
for pre order now or it'll be in bookstores beginning
October twenty eighth. So with that, if you enjoyed this episode,
please leave our rating and review let me know what
you think. On social media, you can find me across
the board blue sky x, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok
(25:35):
at Kelly Crandles the easiest way to find me, or
you can Google or I keep saying it in the
show description of this episode, there will be a link
where you can find all of my social media handles.
But please leave a rating, review, reach out to me
on social media, and of course hopefully you are following
the podcast, it'll peer in your feed whenever there is
a new episode. And with that, I will be back
hopefully soon with a new episode for you enjoy here
(25:57):
on the Racing Writers Podcast.
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