DeJoria began her drag racing career in 2005, initially competing in the Super Gas and Super Comp categories. Within eight months of her debut, she secured a victory at the Sportsman Nationals in Fontana, California. In 2006, she transitioned to the Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC) class. Between 2009 and 2011, she owned and operated her own team, Stealth Motorsports. During her tenure in TAFC, she won a divisional event, broke two female world records, and became the second woman to win an NHRA national event in the category with a victory at the 2011 Northwest Nationals in Seattle.
DeJoria moved to the Nitro Funny Car class at the end of 2011, making her debut at the age of 34. Her transition was mentored by crew chief Del Worsham, and her nitro license was signed by veteran drivers including John Force. After failing to qualify in her first attempt at Dallas, she began her 2012 rookie season with Kalitta Motorsports, earning her first round-win by defeating John Force at the Gatornationals. That year, she reached her first final round in Bristol and set a career-best speed of 319.07 mph in Reading.
In 2014, DeJoria became the first woman to break the three-second barrier in a Funny Car with a 3.997-second pass at the Winternationals in Pomona. She earned her first professional Funny Car victory that year in Phoenix at the Arizona Nationals. Later in the 2014 season, she won the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on the event's 60th anniversary, defeating John Force in the final round. By 2016, she became the first female to compete in 100 Funny Car events.
After a two-year hiatus, DeJoria announced her return to full-time competition in late 2019 for the 2020 season. She formed a new team with crew chiefs Del Worsham and Nicky Boninfante, supported by a multi-year sponsorship with ROKiT Phones and ABK Beer. In December 2025, it was announced she would drive the Bandero Premium Tequila Chevrolet SS for John Force Racing. Throughout her Funny Car career, she has recorded six wins, seven No. 1 qualifiers, and career-best performance figures of 3.854 seconds and 336.40 mph.
DeJoria is the daughter of entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria and Jamie Briggs. She has a daughter named Bella. She was previously married to motorcycle customizer Jesse James; their divorce was announced in March 2020. Outside of racing, she has contributed to fundraising efforts to repair the Earles Court water tower and appeared as Paula in the 2013 film Snake and Mongoose.
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