Toyota Tundra Dream Build Launched by NHRA Nitro Funny Car Driver Alexis DeJoria

Read More

Nothing Funny About Race-Ready Tundra Prerunner Desert Racer

TORRANCE, Calif., (September 12, 2012) — Alexis DeJoria, one of only two women ever to win an NHRA Alcohol Funny Car race, is now the only woman in a different kind of competitive event—the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge (www.ToyotaRacingDreamBuild.com). DeJoria—one of four famous drivers aiming to win the vehicle-modification build competition—is taking a stock Toyota Tundra full-size pickup and turning it into a fully race-ready desert racer she’s christened the “Tundra Prerunner.”

Fans will determine by online voting which of the four modified Toyota vehicles will win the challenge—along with $50,000 to the winning driver’s charity of choice.

“We’re going to take a stock truck and make it cooler in every way,” said project lead Andy Peterson of Racer Engineering in San Jacinto, Calif., where the Tundra is being transformed under DeJoria’s supervision. “We’re going to make it go faster, bigger, louder.”

Racer Engineering is fabricating long A-arms, trailing arms and shocks to achieve 20 inches of wheel travel in front and 24 inches in the rear—enough to tackle virtually any navigable stretch of desert race territory.

DeJoria’s Tundra Prerunner will make its public debut—along with its rivals in the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge—on Oct. 30 in the Toyota display at the Special Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas.

“I think this is going to be the baddest vehicle at SEMA,” said DeJoria, who drives the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car for Kalitta Motorsports. Patrón Spirits Company is owned by DeJoria’s father, John Paul DeJoria, who co-founded the John Paul Mitchell Systems line of professional hair-care products.

Despite their bloodlines, neither DeJoria nor her Tundra Prerunner is just another pretty face. DeJoria drag raced successfully in the NHRA Super Gas, Super Comp, and Top Alcohol Funny Car series before joining the Toyota team in late 2011. And her project Tundra “is going to be fully caged front to rear, with big tires and wheels—we’re trying to make a statement,” according to Dale Dondel, owner of Racer Engineering.

Meanwhile, DeJoria’s competitors are trying to make statements of their own: NASCAR drivers Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch, with their “Tekked-Out” Prius and “Rowdy” edition Camry, respectively, along with NHRA Top Fuel points leader Antron Brown and his built-for-speed Sequoia.

Each is competing for the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge title and a $50,000 check from Toyota to the driver’s chosen charity. A win by DeJoria will benefit Safety Harbor Kids, whose purpose is to enrich the lives of orphans, foster and homeless children through education.

A 28-episode online reality series has been developed around the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge. Fans can see the progress DeJoria’s team has made in Episode 4 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr0r5nrOMlw&feature=relmfu. New episodes are uploaded regularly at www.ToyotaRacingDreamBuild.com.

Voting will open on October 20 and will continue through October 29. Fans will be able to vote once per day on Facebook, where they can also enter to win prizes, including a Toyota Racing “Dream Trip,” which will be given away to one lucky fan.

The final vehicle builds will be unveiled during a press conference at the Toyota display at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas on Oct. 30. Fans will be able to tune in live to watch the entire press conference and see the winner announced in real time.

 

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos to accompany this story are available and can be retrieved in digital form by media without charge at www.toyotanewsroom.com.
 

Toyota Division Communications
Greg Thome (310) 468-3279 or [email protected]
Sam Butto (310) 468-7728 or [email protected]

Gardner Automotive Communications
Dan Gardner (310)-933-5505 or [email protected]

Media Web site: http://www.toyotanewsroom.com
Public Web site: http://www.toyota.com
 

Tags

Email Sign Up

Enter your email address below to sign up for email alerts.

*Indicates Required