| P. J. Jones | |||||||
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| Born | April 23, 1969 Torrance, California |
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| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career | |||||||
| 2010 position | 56th | ||||||
| Best finish | 42nd - 1993 | ||||||
| First race | 1993 Save Mart Supermarkets 300K (Sonoma) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Nationwide Series career | |||||||
| Best finish | 38th - 2000 | ||||||
| First race | 2000 NAPA Auto Parts 300 (Daytona) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career | |||||||
| Best finish | 17th - 1995 | ||||||
| First race | 1995 Copper World Classic (Phoenix) | ||||||
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| Statistics current as of January 14, 2010. | |||||||
P. J. Jones (born April 23, 1969)[1] is a race car driver. He has raced in NASCAR, Indycar, IMSA GT, ALMS, and Champ Car. He is the son of racing legend Parnelli Jones, and brother of Page Jones.
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He first ran in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 1993 for Harry Melling. Driving the #9 Melling Auto Products Ford in six races, his best finish was an eighth at Watkins Glen. He again returned to the series in 1994 for two races with a best finish of 29th in the Ultra Motorsports' #06 Ultra Racing Wheels Ford. Jones returned to the series in 2000 with Chip Ganassi and Ganassi Racing. His best finish, a 21st, came at Watkins Glen in the #01 BellSouth Chevrolet. He raced again in 2002 for A.J. Foyt Racing at Watkins Glen where he would have his first career top five, a fourth place finish. In 2003, he drove the historic #4 Kodak Pontiac for Morgan-McClure Motorsports. Racing at Watkins Glen he would finish 24th. For the 2004 season, Jones would move to Arnold Motorsports for five races, where his best finish would be a 22nd at Pocono. Jones drove the road courses for Morgan-McClure Motorsports in 2005 and also competed in races for MACH 1 Motorsports and Front Row Motorsports. His best finish that season would be a 32nd at Infineon. In 2006, he competed in one race with Morgan-McClure Motorsports at Infineon Raceway, where he finished 36th after a rear end failure. Jones raced again at Infineon in June 2007, driving the #00 Toyota owned by Michael Waltrip Racing and normally driven by David Reutimann. He finished 12th after starting 43rd. Jones also received an unexpected chance to race in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway after Robby Gordon was suspended for the race by NASCAR following the events of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal the previous week. Jones started the race in 30th position and posted a 37th place finish. He would again pilot the MWR #00 in place of Reutimann in the August 12th race at Watkins Glen were he would then finish in the 20th position. In 2008, Jones raced at Watkins Glen in the # 96 Hall of Fame Racing Toyota. In 2009, Robby Gordon Motorsports announced that PJ Jones would attempt to make the Toyota/Save Mart 350 in the #04 Jim Beam/Menards Toyota. He qualified 37th and parked, finishing 43rd. Jones also made the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen and would park it after eleven laps, finishing 41st. In 2010, PJ Jones made the Toyota Save Mart 350 qualifying 35th and finishing 41st with electrical problems in the #07 Speedfactory.tv Toyota, a 2nd Robby Gordon Motorsports entry. PJ next appeared at Pocono Raceway in the Pennsylvania 500 in the #7 Speedfactory.tv Toyota, after wrecking the primary car in practice the team went to a back up and finished 35th. PJ then came back the next week back in the #07 Toyota at the Helluva Good 350 at Watkins Glen and qualified 39th and finished 41st. Jones will make his 4th start of the year in the #7 Toyota at the Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway. He will start 41st.
Jones would make his debut in the Nationwide Series in 2000 for BACE Motorsports. After struggling through the first seven races, he would move to David Ridling's team for twelve races. His first top ten in the Busch Series would come at Watkins Glen where he would finish 9th. He would also compete in one race for Phoenix Racing at Homestead. In 2001, he would return to Phoenix Racing for the first four races and post a best finish of 17th at Atlanta. For 2002, Jones competed in one race for Tuttle Motorsports where he would finish 35th at Phoenix. He returned to the series in 2006 to race at Daytona for the Curb Agajanian Performance Group. He would finish 13th in his first start of the season. He would make another start at California Speedway in September in the Washington Mutual sponsored car, where he started 39th and finished 22nd. In 2007, Jones ran at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City for Richard Childress Racing in the #21 AutoZone Chevrolet, finishing 24th. He made one start in 2008 at Watkins Glen for MacDonald Motorsports. He dropped out of the race with overheating problems and finished 38th.
Jones would first compete in the Camping World Truck Series in 1995 with the #1 Sears DieHard Chevrolet. His best finish in 13 races came at Tucson where he would finish 2nd. He returned to the series in 2003 for Ultra Motorsports for a race at Homestead where he would finish 9th. In 2004, he would compete in two races for Ultra Motorsports and post a best finish of 8th at Phoenix. In 2008, Jones made two starts in the #63 for MB Motorsports. He had a best finish of 23rd at Texas.
Jones began his Champ Car career in 1996 with All American Racing. Out of ten races in 1996, his best finish would be a 9th in the ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix. He would end the season 27th in the standings. In 1997, he would compete in 17 races with a best finish of 10th and an overall points finish of 28th. For the 1998 season, he would compete in 15 races and post a best finish of 11th with an overall points position of 26th. The 1999 season would be Jones best as he would finish in the top ten four times on route to a points finish of 17th for Patrick Racing.
Jones drove in the IMSA GT Championship for All American Racers in 1993. His #98 team won the 24 Hours of Daytona and at Laguna Seca and Phoenix International Raceway and he finished second in the championship to fellow All American Racers driver Juan Manuel Fangio II.
He drove in the 2004 and 2006 Indianapolis 500 races for CURB/Agajanian-Beck/Team Leader Motorsports with a best finish of 19th in 2006. Jones had planned to compete in the 2007 Indy 500, this time for Team Leader/Dollander Racing in a car owned by Kent Baker, but was unable to find enough speed to attempt a qualification.
(key)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | All American Racers | MIA |
RIO |
SRF |
LBH |
NZR |
MIS1 Wth |
MIL 24 |
DET 9 |
POR Ret |
CLE Ret |
TOR 20 |
MIS2 16 |
MDO Ret |
ROA Ret |
VAN 13 |
LS Ret |
26th | 4 | ||||
| 1997 | All American Racers | MIA Ret |
SRF Ret |
LBH 16 |
NZR Ret |
RIO Ret |
STL Ret |
MIL 14 |
DET 14 |
POR 20 |
CLE Ret |
TOR Ret |
MIS Ret |
MDO 17 |
ROA 14 |
VAN Ret |
LS Ret |
FON 10 |
28th | 3 | |||
| 1998 | All American Racers | MIA 20 |
MOT Ret |
LBH 11 |
NZR Ret |
RIO 13 |
STL 12 |
MIL 14 |
DET Ret |
POR 16 |
CLE Ret |
TOR Ret |
MIS Ret |
MDO Ret |
ROA Ret |
VAN Ret |
LS |
HOU |
SRF |
FON |
26th | 3 | |
| 1999 | Patrick Racing | MIA 13 |
MOT 15 |
LBH 12 |
NZR 2 |
RIO 7 |
STL 8 |
MIL 20 |
POR 21 |
CLE 15 |
ROA Ret |
TOR 10 |
MIS Ret |
DET |
MDO 15 |
CHI 7 |
VAN Ret |
LS |
HOU |
SRF |
FON 12 |
17th | 38 |
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Dallara | Chevrolet | Practice Crash | Menard | |
| 2004 | Dallara | Chevrolet | 31st | 28th | CURB/Agajanian/Beck |
| 2006 | Panoz | Honda | 32nd | 19th | CURB/Agajanian/Beck |
| 2007 | Dallara | Honda | Failed to Qualify | Team Leader | |