Eric Jones
Encyclopedia
Eric Jones is a former part-time NASCAR
driver. He ran in the Busch Series
and had some of his best success in the Craftsman Truck Series
. He won one NASCAR Midwest Series before moving up to major NASCAR.
. He had to start shotgun (43rd) on the field, and only managed 36th place, thirteen laps off the pace.
Jones had a significantly better qualifying effort in his 1999 start, which came at Watkins Glen
. However, despite the 18th place start, Jones finished last. His 44th place finish was due to a break in the rocker arm.
Jones returned to competition in 2001. He started 37th in the #52 Means Racing
Ford at Gateway. He fell to 39th in the order as an engine blew up thirteen laps into the event.
Jones competed in two 2002 events. In the Gateway race, Jones competed for Means Racing again, finishing 43rd after transmission failure. Then, Jones ran for Means' sister team, Moy Racing
at Kansas. This time around, Jones ran a solid race and came home with a 26th place finish.
In 2004, Jones joined the new Red Cactus Racing team. In their debut at Kansas
, Jones drove the team home with a solid 23rd place finish, leading to high expectations about their team. Jones also made the race at Homestead-Miami
, finishing 41st because of a mid-race crash.
Red Cactus was scheduled to run a limited schedule in 2005. Their first start of the year came at Mexico City, where Jones made the inaugural race. He would finish the race 29th, his first career lead lap finish. However, after a series of failures and personal feuds, Jones left the team. He would make one other start on the year for the Sadler Brothers team at Kentucky
. After promising performance in practice, he finished a disappointing 39th place due to a crew member leaving off the radiator cap.
, starting 28th and finishing 29th. After a 30th at Chicago
, Jones scored his best run of the year. He was 23rd at Las Vegas
before finishing 28th at California
.
Jones made nine starts in 2002, all once again for his family team which was largely unsponsored. His best run of the year came at Kansas, where he finished 17th followed by 21st at Vegas. Jones' main problem was finishing races due to parts or preparation failures. In the nine starts, Jones only finished three of them. Nonetheless, he finished a decent 29th in points on a shoe-string budget with a team consisting of nothing but volunteers.
Jones finished 27th in points in 2003, his best career year in NASCAR. This came after joining E.J. Prescott Racing's #03 Chevy. He would finish in the top-twenty in eight of his nine starts. The highlight of the year was a 7th place start and 6th place finish at Kansas, his first career top-tens in both qualifying and results. He was 11th at Texas
and had a pair of 14ths. The only race he did not finish was at New Hampshire
, where he finished 26th after an engine failure. While the #03 had meager funding, the equipment and preparation was significantly better than the equipment he had been privileged to run to-date.
Jones' last year in the series to this point was in 2004, when he had five starts, running for Team Chick Motorsports. His best run was only a 17th at Kansas, however, and the team struggled throughout the season. He only had one other top-20 finish on the year. After the five starts, Jones joined Red Cactus Racing and has not returned to the series since.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver. He ran in the Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
and had some of his best success in the Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
. He won one NASCAR Midwest Series before moving up to major NASCAR.
Busch Series
Jones made his debut in 1998, running the #70 Adrian Carriers Chevy at GatewayGateway International Raceway
Gateway Motorsports Park is a race track in Madison, Illinois, USA, just east of St. Louis, Missouri. After being shuttered by former owner Dover Motorsports Inc., on Nov. 3, 2010, it was announced Sept. 8, 2011, that the facility would re-open and host an NHRA Full Throttle Series event Oct. 5-7,...
. He had to start shotgun (43rd) on the field, and only managed 36th place, thirteen laps off the pace.
Jones had a significantly better qualifying effort in his 1999 start, which came at Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...
. However, despite the 18th place start, Jones finished last. His 44th place finish was due to a break in the rocker arm.
Jones returned to competition in 2001. He started 37th in the #52 Means Racing
Means Racing
Means Racing is a NASCAR Nationwide Series team. It is owned by former driver Jimmy Means. The team primarily runs without sponsorship, and fields the #52 Chevrolet Impala.-Busch/Nationwide Series:...
Ford at Gateway. He fell to 39th in the order as an engine blew up thirteen laps into the event.
Jones competed in two 2002 events. In the Gateway race, Jones competed for Means Racing again, finishing 43rd after transmission failure. Then, Jones ran for Means' sister team, Moy Racing
Moy Racing
Moy Racing was an auto racing team owned by former Ford Motor Company employee Joseph Reilly which fielded entries in the NASCAR Busch Series. Drivers who piloted the Moy Racing Ford included Jimmy Kitchens, Andy Kirby, Carl Long , Bruce Bechtel, Dana White, Brad Teague, Ed Berrier, Donnie...
at Kansas. This time around, Jones ran a solid race and came home with a 26th place finish.
In 2004, Jones joined the new Red Cactus Racing team. In their debut at Kansas
Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway is a tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. The speedway was built in 2001 and currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The IndyCar Series also raced at the speedway until 2011...
, Jones drove the team home with a solid 23rd place finish, leading to high expectations about their team. Jones also made the race at Homestead-Miami
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a race track in Homestead, Florida southwest of Miami.Since 2002 Homestead has hosted the final races of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series...
, finishing 41st because of a mid-race crash.
Red Cactus was scheduled to run a limited schedule in 2005. Their first start of the year came at Mexico City, where Jones made the inaugural race. He would finish the race 29th, his first career lead lap finish. However, after a series of failures and personal feuds, Jones left the team. He would make one other start on the year for the Sadler Brothers team at Kentucky
Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned...
. After promising performance in practice, he finished a disappointing 39th place due to a crew member leaving off the radiator cap.
Craftsman Truck Series
Jones ran four races in 2001 to begin his career in this series, running for his family team on a shoe-string budget at Midwestern tracks. He made his debut at MilwaukeeMilwaukee Mile
The Milwaukee Mile is a -long oval race track in West Allis, Wisconsin that seats about 40,000 spectators. It operated as a dirt track until 1953. The track was paved in 1954....
, starting 28th and finishing 29th. After a 30th at Chicago
Chicago Motor Speedway
The Chicago Motor Speedway at Sportsman's Park located in Cicero, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, was built in 1999 by a group including Chip Ganassi, owner of Chip Ganassi Racing. In 2002 the oval shaped track suspended operations due to financial conditions in the motorsports industry. The...
, Jones scored his best run of the year. He was 23rd at Las Vegas
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada near Las Vegas, is a complex of multiple tracks for automobile racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.-History:...
before finishing 28th at California
California Speedway
Auto Club Speedway is a two-mile , low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since 1997. The track was also used for open wheel racing events until 2005. The racetrack is located near the former locations of Ontario Motor Speedway and...
.
Jones made nine starts in 2002, all once again for his family team which was largely unsponsored. His best run of the year came at Kansas, where he finished 17th followed by 21st at Vegas. Jones' main problem was finishing races due to parts or preparation failures. In the nine starts, Jones only finished three of them. Nonetheless, he finished a decent 29th in points on a shoe-string budget with a team consisting of nothing but volunteers.
Jones finished 27th in points in 2003, his best career year in NASCAR. This came after joining E.J. Prescott Racing's #03 Chevy. He would finish in the top-twenty in eight of his nine starts. The highlight of the year was a 7th place start and 6th place finish at Kansas, his first career top-tens in both qualifying and results. He was 11th at Texas
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
and had a pair of 14ths. The only race he did not finish was at New Hampshire
New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic...
, where he finished 26th after an engine failure. While the #03 had meager funding, the equipment and preparation was significantly better than the equipment he had been privileged to run to-date.
Jones' last year in the series to this point was in 2004, when he had five starts, running for Team Chick Motorsports. His best run was only a 17th at Kansas, however, and the team struggled throughout the season. He only had one other top-20 finish on the year. After the five starts, Jones joined Red Cactus Racing and has not returned to the series since.