CLERMONT, Ind. (AP) — Alexis DeJoria raced past John Force to win the Funny Car division at the NHRA’s U.S. Nationals on Monday.
DeJoria crossed the finish line in 4.038 seconds at 310.34 mph in a Toyota Camry. She became the fourth female winner of the U.S. Nationals and the first woman to win three Funny Car races in a single season.
“It’s huge,” DeJoria said. “I was just happy to make it to another semifinal; that was four in a row. To make it past the semifinals that was huge, but to win this race just builds our confidence even more and in me especially.”
Force, a 16-time Funny Car world champion, finished in 4.039 seconds at 319.67 mph in a Ford Mustang.
Richie Crampton (Top Fuel), Shane Gray (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were first-time winners at the event.
Crampton, appearing in his first U.S. Nationals, powered past Steve Torrence with a time of 3.766 seconds at 327.98 mph to claim the Wally trophy. It was Crampton’s second career win.
In Pro Stock, Gray drove a Chevy Camaro to his fourth career win. He beat teammate Dave Connolly in the final with a time of 6.641 seconds at 208.42 mph.
Krawiec earned his third victory of the season with a 6.941 at 192.63 on a Harley-Davidson, beating Jerry Savoie. It was the 25th career victory for Krawiec, a three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champ.
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