BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 29, 2026) – John Force Racing’s Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team rolls into the May 1-3 NHRA Southern Nationals with minimal performance records to work from but South Georgia Motorsports Park, hosting its inaugural NHRA national event, is a facility driver Alexis DeJoria has fond memories of from early in her drag racing career.
The six-time NHRA Funny Car event winner competed at South Georgia Motorsports Park in March 2011 when she competed in the Top Alcohol Funny Car class of the NHRA Southeast Division meet. She qualified second (5.446 seconds at 267.91 mph) and won the first two rounds before her day ended in the semifinals against Mickey Ferro.
DeJoria’s first-round win at last week’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals was the 200th of her Funny Car career. Her first round win came at the 2012 NHRA Gatornationals where she defeated her current team owner and 16-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion John Force in Round 1 before losing to current John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman.
Her NHRA 4-Wide Nationals performance moved the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team up one position, to sixth, in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. DeJoria is 30 points behind John Force Racing teammate Jordan Vandergriff for fifth place and 44 behind Chad Green in fourth.
In six previous NHRA Southern Nationals Funny Car starts (2012-2016, 2021 at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.), DeJoria earned one No. 1 Qualifier (2014) and a 1-6 overall round record.
John Force Racing Southern Nationals statistics
- Atlanta was the site of the first all-JFR final round (April 21, 1996), in which Tony Pedregon dealt John Force one of the six losses he suffered over the course of a 19-race season.
- On April 27, 2008, Ashley Force Hood became the first woman to win a Funny Car race in the NHRA series when she beat her dad in the Atlanta final.
- Overall, five different JFR drivers won 14 times in the Atlanta version of the Southern Nationals, the last win in 2018 when Courtney beat Matt Hagan.
- John Force raced in the final round of the final race at Atlanta in 2021, losing to Bob Tasca III.
The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after four of 20 races are: 1. Ron Capps, 369; 2. Matt Hagan, 327; 3. J.R. Todd, 299; 4. Chad Green, 276; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, 262; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 235; 7. Spencer Hyde, 221; 8. Jack Beckman, 213; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 170; 10. Dave Richards, 138.
Quotes
Is there any extra motivation in trying to win an inaugural event?
“I raced at South Georgia Motorsports Park back when I was in Top Alcohol Funny Car so I do have a little bit of history there. But, with it being the inaugural national event, everybody’s gonna want to win the very first one there. I’m very excited to go back to South Georgia and to have a new track on the NHRA national event schedule.”
How do you prep for an inaugural NHRA national event with minimal or possibly zero information about the track to work with?
“I raced there but that was a long time ago. I only can remember my grandmother leaning against the fence watching me, both my grandma and my grandpa, God rest his soul. My grandma is turning 98 next month and my lasting memory is my grandparents looking through the fence, watching me run that car down the racetrack.”
Is there any adjustment you have to make from four-wide back to two, or is it just muscle memory?
“There really isn’t. It’s kind of like when you when we used to race in Denver. You have one setup for that race because that’s the only race like it. Same with the four-wide. I’m just looking forward to getting back to normal.”
What are your thoughts on the Southern Nationals being part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series again?
“The big races with lots of history like the Southern Nationals are important and we love them. We need more people to come see the race because once you see it, you’re hooked. There is absolutely nothing like it on the planet.”
Track & TV Schedules
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 1, with the final two rounds Saturday, May 2, at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS FOR DEJORIA AT SGMP
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 29, 2026) – John Force Racing’s Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team rolls into the May 1-3 NHRA Southern Nationals with minimal performance records to work from but South Georgia Motorsports Park, hosting its inaugural NHRA national event, is a facility driver Alexis DeJoria has fond memories of from early in her drag racing career.
The six-time NHRA Funny Car event winner competed at South Georgia Motorsports Park in March 2011 when she competed in the Top Alcohol Funny Car class of the NHRA Southeast Division meet. She qualified second (5.446 seconds at 267.91 mph) and won the first two rounds before her day ended in the semifinals against Mickey Ferro.
DeJoria’s first-round win at last week’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals was the 200th of her Funny Car career. Her first round win came at the 2012 NHRA Gatornationals where she defeated her current team owner and 16-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion John Force in Round 1 before losing to current John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman.
Her NHRA 4-Wide Nationals performance moved the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team up one position, to sixth, in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. DeJoria is 30 points behind John Force Racing teammate Jordan Vandergriff for fifth place and 44 behind Chad Green in fourth.
In six previous NHRA Southern Nationals Funny Car starts (2012-2016, 2021 at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.), DeJoria earned one No. 1 Qualifier (2014) and a 1-6 overall round record.
John Force Racing Southern Nationals statistics
- Atlanta was the site of the first all-JFR final round (April 21, 1996), in which Tony Pedregon dealt John Force one of the six losses he suffered over the course of a 19-race season.
- On April 27, 2008, Ashley Force Hood became the first woman to win a Funny Car race in the NHRA series when she beat her dad in the Atlanta final.
- Overall, five different JFR drivers won 14 times in the Atlanta version of the Southern Nationals, the last win in 2018 when Courtney beat Matt Hagan.
- John Force raced in the final round of the final race at Atlanta in 2021, losing to Bob Tasca III.
The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after four of 20 races are: 1. Ron Capps, 369; 2. Matt Hagan, 327; 3. J.R. Todd, 299; 4. Chad Green, 276; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, 262; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 235; 7. Spencer Hyde, 221; 8. Jack Beckman, 213; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 170; 10. Dave Richards, 138.
Quotes
Is there any extra motivation in trying to win an inaugural event?
“I raced at South Georgia Motorsports Park back when I was in Top Alcohol Funny Car so I do have a little bit of history there. But, with it being the inaugural national event, everybody’s gonna want to win the very first one there. I’m very excited to go back to South Georgia and to have a new track on the NHRA national event schedule.”
How do you prep for an inaugural NHRA national event with minimal or possibly zero information about the track to work with?
“I raced there but that was a long time ago. I only can remember my grandmother leaning against the fence watching me, both my grandma and my grandpa, God rest his soul. My grandma is turning 98 next month and my lasting memory is my grandparents looking through the fence, watching me run that car down the racetrack.”
Is there any adjustment you have to make from four-wide back to two, or is it just muscle memory?
“There really isn’t. It’s kind of like when you when we used to race in Denver. You have one setup for that race because that’s the only race like it. Same with the four-wide. I’m just looking forward to getting back to normal.”
What are your thoughts on the Southern Nationals being part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series again?
“The big races with lots of history like the Southern Nationals are important and we love them. We need more people to come see the race because once you see it, you’re hooked. There is absolutely nothing like it on the planet.”
Track & TV Schedules
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 1, with the final two rounds Saturday, May 2, at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3.
Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 from 9:30 – 11 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 2, a second qualifying show Sunday, May 3, from 1 – 2 p.m. ET and eliminations from 7 – 10 p.m. ET.