Alexis DeJoria will return to full-time Funny Car competition in 2020. The Californian, who last competed full-time in 2017, will be on the entry list at the 2020 Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals.

“I honestly knew deep down when I made the announcement to retire at the end of the 2017 NHRA season that it was going to be sort of an open-ended retirement,” said DeJoria. “I’m beyond excited to get back out there. I’ve been blessed spending time with my family these past two years off. This was a decision I made with their support, and we are all looking forward to my return to the driver’s seat.”

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She will drive for a new, independently-operated team with Nicky Boninfante and Del Worsham as co-crew chiefs. DeJoria last drove under the Kalitta Motorsports umbrella with Boninfante as one of the crew chiefs of her Funny Car.

Both Boninfante and Worsham currently tune Shawn Langdon’s Global Electronic Technology Funny Car, which heads to Charlotte as the most recent winner on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour.

Watch Alexis DeJoria drive to the winner's circle in Brainerd

“I now have this incredible opportunity to build a team with two of the people who were by my side when I started my nitro Funny Car career,” said DeJoria. “Del is my mentor and the person whose car I licensed with in the first place, and Nicky was one of the first people at Kalitta who I talked to when I made the transition from Top Alcohol Funny Car to nitro Funny Car. Del and Nicky, they’re the ‘dream team’ for me, and I’m eager to embark on this new adventure with them.”

No partners were immediately announced. Corresponding announcements have not been made about the Funny Car entered by Kalitta Motorsports. The NHRA is back in action in Charlotte beginning Friday.

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