P. J. Jones

Racing career

Early career and 1980s

Jones' preliminary efforts in racing were focused on go-karting. Upon graduation from his introductory-level competitions, Jones began to enter the oval races at Ascot Park, much as his father did decades prior. Accumulating experience and accolades, Jones would progress vertically to United States Auto Club-sanctioned events. From numerous choices within USAC's open-wheel divisions, Jones opted to participate in the West Coast Midget category in 1986, earning the rookie of the year title in that class.

As Jones continued to compete in USAC, he began to dabble in IMSA GT. At this stage, Jones was participating in the GTO and GTU classes with Clayton-Cunningham Racing and their stable of Mazda RX-7 vehicles. A partial season in both GTO and GTU left Jones just fourteenth and twenty-seventh in the respective standings. Despite low rankings, 1988 was highlighted by a podium finish in one of the GTU races, and a victory in a world championship sprint car race in Auckland.

Before the end of the decade, Jones switched to the American Racing Series with its turbocharged Buick formula cars. Jones triumphed on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as he scored a victory to crown the season, which would culminate in a sixth-place final classification. In the same year, Jones was suspended for thirty days from USAC competition after deliberately colliding with a competitor's vehicle.

1990s

Jones returned to the American Racing Series in 1990. Though with the same team, and utilizing the same March/Buick package, Jones failed to score a single race victory. Jones also had an unsuccessful foray into what is now the ARCA Menards Series West and a handful of forgettable trials at the wheel of a Ford Ranger in SCCA's Racetruck Challenge.

Jones' 1991 season began in GTP, running the 24 Hours of Daytona for Dan Gurney and his All American Racers squad, which fielded a Toyota-powered Eagle HF90 in the race, but his focus remained on the American Racing Series. Jones scored two victories in twelve races, both on street circuits in Toronto and Denver, on route to a third place finish in the standings. Prior to the year's end, Jones participated in an ice race.

In 1992, Jones became a full-fledged professional racing driver, now joining Gurney's team for a full season's run in IMSA GTP piloting the brand-new Eagle MkIII. As a rookie in prototype racing, Jones finished fourth in points with two wins, although he was outclassed by his more experienced teammate, Juan Manuel Fangio II, who took the series title. All American Racers retained Jones for 1993 and swept the championship and vice-championship positions in IMSA's GTP category with Jones trailing Fangio. Jones capitalized on his second year of GTP experience by winning the season-opening 24 Hours of Daytona along co-drivers Mark Dismore and Rocky Moran. Later in the season, Jones rewrote the track record of Lime Rock Park with a lap of 43.112 seconds, which stands as of 2024 as the fastest lap ever recorded at the track.

Always willing to broaden his résumé, Jones participated in NASCAR Winston Cup action when such events did not conflict with his sports car exploits. While limited in stock car experience, Jones was able to qualify for six of the eleven races he entered, collecting a top ten finish at historic Watkins Glen International in the No. 9 Ford for Melling Racing. Jones also contested the Chili Bowl in 1993 and many other midget races in 1994, often with his brother Page. In the USAC Silver Crown Series event on the IRP facility, P.J. would score a respectable second-place finish behind Mike Bliss, then the dominant driver on that particular circuit, after starting from the pole position.

At that point, Jones was at a crossroads between stock cars and his childhood dream of open wheel racing, having unofficially tested a CART engine for Toyota and Dan Gurney. After getting his first stock car win in a Winston West series event at Phoenix International Raceway, Jones joined the newly stablished NASCAR SuperTruck division, which was set to begin in 1995, contesting the exhibition races in 1994 and 1995. Racing seven times for Scoop Vessels, Jones picked up two victories (in Mesa Marin and again in Phoenix) which were underscored by a further pair of second-place finishes and another two third-place results. His seventh race ended outside of the top ten. After his good performances, Jones secured the ride for 1995, as the original driver (his brother, Page) was recovering from injuries sustained in a midget crash. In official Truck Series running, Jones was less successful, scoring just two top ten finishes in thirteenth starts. After being released from the team, Jones switched gears again.

With the Toyota engine now an official entrant in CART for 1996, Jones was hired as a driver for the All American Racers team and its Eagle MK-V Champ Car for an abbreviated season that would begin on the Milwaukee Mile. In his second CART race, Jones finished ninth at the Belle Isle street course, with the first points ever scored by a Toyota-powered car in CART competition. Jones continued with this program through 1998; success was largely nonexistent, and would only score points at three other races.

In 1999, Jones switched to the Patrick Racing team, abandoning one motorsport legend in Gurney to join another in Pat Patrick. With better equipment at his disposal, Jones had four consecutive points-scoring finishes from Long Beach to Gateway, including a career-best runner-up result on the Nazareth Speedway, in a year that saw two other top ten classifications in Toronto and Chicago's races.

2000s

As with Scott Pruett and Robby Gordon, Jones decided to leave open-wheel racing and make a full-time switch to NASCAR. Unlike the other two former CART competitors, Jones would focus on the Busch Series rather than the premier Cup division, where he would enter just two races. One of those was a relief driver for Gordon, who was participating in the rain-delayed 2000 Indianapolis 500 while the Coca-Cola 600 commenced with Jones in the cockpit of the No. 13 Burger King Ford.

Jones' season started with BACE Motorsports, a team which had won three Busch Series titles from 1995 to 1997, in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo. It was not to be a championship effort, however; with no results better than the twenty-fourth spot by the end of seven races, Jones was relieved of his driving duties. David Ridling was impressed with Jones, and signed him right away to drive his No. 19, bettering his performances to include a seventeenth-place run on Loudon's Magic Mile and a top ten in the Watkins Glen event, a race Jones believed he and the team "should have won". Jones would return to Watkins Glen in August for the second of his two Winston Cup races; he was quietly twenty-first for Felix Sabates and SABCO Racing as a substitute driver for Ted Musgrave, himself a replacement to the late Kenny Irwin Jr., against whom Jones had raced in USAC.

After rumors circulated about Jones joining a newly formed Galaxy Motorsports and Robert Yates Racing conglomerate for the next season, Jones remained in the Busch Series and signed with Phoenix Racing. Qualifying third for the season-starting Daytona race and scoring a best result of seventeenth on the Atlanta Motor Speedway's oval, Jones was ousted for Jimmy Spencer, significant in that Spencer would later succeed him at both Ultra Motorsports and the Arnold Development team.

After 2001's disappointment, Jones spent 2002 in a variety of series, including the USAC Silver Crown Series where he had found success earlier in his career. Jones parlayed this into a chance to run the Indianapolis 500-mile race with Team Menard; it was to be his Indy Racing League debut and return to top-level North American open-wheel racing in a competitive mount, but misfortune struck when he suffered a neck injury in a crash during May's practice runs and was ruled out for the rest of the month; his replacement, Raul Boesel, placed the car on the front row. The Menards chain would also sponsor him later in the year for a Busch Series race at Phoenix.

Between these events, A. J. Foyt selected Jones to drive the No. 14 Conseco Pontiac in NASCAR Winston Cup competition at the Brickyard 400, where he failed to qualify, and at the SIRIUS Satellite Radio at the Glen, where he earned his best ever result in the series with a fourth place finish. Jones would be invited to return to the Foyt team in 2003, this time for the Dodge/Save Mart 350 to be held on the Sonoma Raceway. For the second time in three attempts with Foyt, Jones failed to qualify for the race, frustrating Foyt to the point that Jones would not be welcomed back to defend his top five from 2002. Instead, Jones would race a Pontiac Grand Prix for Morgan-McClure Motorsports, finishing in an unremarkable 24th place.

Jones made his Craftsman Truck Series return at the 2003 season-closer at Homestead-Miami Speedway and scored a top ten finish for Jim Smith, who brought him back for the Fontana and Phoenix races in 2004, scoring another top ten in the latter. In May 2004, Jones was finally able to make his debut in the Indianapolis 500, a race his father won in 1963. The rain-shortened race was reduced in length for all competitors, but even more so for Jones, who crashed. During the year, Jones also drove five NASCAR Nextel Cup races in Don Arnold's Dodge; further starts came in 2005 for MACH 1 Motorsports, failing to qualify for ten races in fourteen attempts, and the Morgan-McClure ride for the road courses, where he struggled mightily.

Jones made his Craftsman Truck Series return at the 2003 season-closer at Homestead-Miami Speedway and scored a top-ten finish for Jim Smith, who brought him back for the Fontana and Phoenix races in 2004, scoring another top-ten in the latter. In May 2004, Jones was finally able to make his debut in the Indianapolis 500, a race his father won in 1963. The rain-shortened race was reduced in length for all competitors, but even more so for Jones, who crashed. During the year, Jones also drove five NASCAR Nextel Cup races in Don Arnold's Dodge; further starts came in 2005 for MACH 1 Motorsports, failing to qualify for ten races in fourteen attempts, and the Morgan-McClure ride for the road courses, where he struggled mightily.

Jones made his final Nationwide and Truck starts in 2008, and remained as a road course ringer in Sprint Cup competition, driving for Robby Gordon Motorsports in that capacity between 2009 and 2011 in a start-and-park entry.

2010s

Jones joined the General Tire Trophylite Race Series off-road truck division for 2012, finding a place to utilize his Baja 1000 experience. In Henderson, Nevada, Jones was victorious.

The 2013 season began at the Chili Bowl midget car race for Jones. He won the seventh heat race on opening night in his RFMS Racing entry. By the week's end, he had been eliminated from contention, and did not feature in the main event. Later in the year, he finished fourth in the inaugural Stadium Super Trucks race at University of Phoenix Stadium. He continued to race in SST that season, resulting fourth in the standings with a win at Las Vegas.

Jones continued racing in the Stadium Super Trucks—albeit on a part-time basis—from 2014 to 2017. He scored race wins at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in 2014, the OC Fair & Event Center's Sand Sports Super Show in 2015, and Texas Motor Speedway in 2017.

In 2017, Jones returned to NASCAR, racing in the Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International in Chris Cockrum Racing's No. 25 car.

Personal life

Jones was a proficient ice hockey player, scoring ninety-eight goals (coincidentally, Jones often wears this number when racing) in thirty games when he was just short of one decade old and playing peewee hockey in California. He and his team were state champions that year. Any ideas of a professional career in Jones' other sport were hindered by a surgery six years after the championship; following another two years of play, Jones ceased participation in ice hockey of all kinds.

In his late teens and early twenties, Jones enrolled in several courses at El Camino College. While there, he studied various subsets in the overarching field of business education.

Jones has an interest in aircraft. His biography in CART media materials often indicated that Jones was an avid flyer, holding a pilot's license at the time. As far as religion, Jones is irreligious.

With predominantly vehicular passions, Jones shares his love of motors to customers through PJ's Performance, which specializes in UTVs. This venture has kept Jones busy even as his entries to auto races dwindle in quantity.

Married to Jolaina, Jones is the father of Jagger and Jace Jones. His residence has been established in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Motorsports career results

American Open-Wheel racing results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

American Racing Series/Indy Lights

CART

IRL IndyCar Series

Indianapolis 500

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Sprint Cup Series

Xfinity Series

Craftsman Truck Series

Season still in progress

Ineligible for series points

ARCA Racing Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Stadium Super Trucks

(key) (Bold – Pole position. Italics – Fastest qualifier. * – Most laps led.)

References

References

1. "P.J. Jones – Driver Statistics". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC..
2. Roberts, Rich. (April 14, 1989). "NEW JONES ON TRACK : Young P.J. Is Trying to Follow in Dad Parnelli's Footsteps - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com.
3. "IMSA History". IMSA History.
4. Glick, Shav. (December 26, 1991). "All in the Family : P.J. and Page Jones May Have Inherited a Genetic Advantage in Racing From Their Dad, Parnelli - Page 3 - Los Angeles Times". [[Los Angeles Times]].
5. "1989 CART American Racing Series Race 9 results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC..
6. Glick, Shav. (1991-12-26). "All in the Family : P.J. and Page Jones May Have Inherited a Genetic Advantage in Racing From Their Dad, Parnelli - Page 2 - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com.
7. "1990 Spears Manufacturing 400 results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC..
8. "Driver P.J. Jones 1991 Firestone / Dayton Indy Lights Results - Racing-Reference.info".
9. Glick, Shav. (December 26, 1991). "All in the Family : P.J. and Page Jones May Have Inherited a Genetic Advantage in Racing From Their Dad, Parnelli - Los Angeles Times". [[Los Angeles Times]].
10. "IMSA History". IMSA History.
11. "IMSA History". IMSA History.
12. "Driver P.J. Jones 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Results - Racing-Reference.info".
13. "P.J. Jones | Racing career profile | Driver Database".
14. "Driver P.J. Jones 1994 NASCAR Winston West Series Results - Racing-Reference.info".
15. (1969-04-23). "P.J. Jones Career Statistics". Racing-Reference.info.
16. "Driver P.J. Jones 1999 CART Results - Racing-Reference.info".
17. "Jayski'sŽ Silly Season Site - Past News Page". Jayski.com.
18. (2003-08-10). "2003 Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen". Racing-Reference.info.
19. (2004-11-05). "2004 Chevy Silverado 150 Presented by Valley Chevy Dealers". Racing-Reference.info.
20. "Driver P.J. Jones 2004 IndyCar Series Results - Racing-Reference.info".
21. "Don Arnold's NASCAR Sprint Cup races". Racing-Reference.info.
22. "Driver P.J. Jones 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Results - Racing-Reference.info".
23. "Driver P.J. Jones 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Results - Racing-Reference.info".
24. "Driver P.J. Jones 2006 IndyCar Series Results - Racing-Reference.info".
25. "Driver P.J. Jones 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Results - Racing-Reference.info".
26. "Driver P.J. Jones 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Results - Racing-Reference.info".
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32. Sinclair, Adam. (March 16, 2015). "SPEED Energy Stadium Super Trucks Presented by TRAXXAS Returns to St. Petersburg Grand Prix for Two Races March 27–29". Speedway Digest.
33. (September 19, 2015). "TRAXXAS Driver PJ Jones Wins Stadium SUPER Trucks Night 1 in Costa Mesa, Calif.". [[Stadium Super Trucks]].
34. (June 10, 2017). "Jones wins Stadium Super Trucks stage race". [[Texas Motor Speedway]].
35. "23rd Annual Zippo 200 at The Glen - NASCAR XFINITY Series - Watkins Glen International - 8/5/2017". [[Jayski's Silly Season Site]].
36. (December 5, 2019). "PJ Jones Interview". [[YouTube]].
37. "About PJ Jones". Pjsperformance.com.
38. (1969-04-23). "PJ Jones". Rsrjaguar.com.
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40. "P. J. Jones – 1997 CART Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
41. "P. J. Jones – 1998 CART Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
42. "P. J. Jones – 1999 CART Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
43. "P. J. Jones – 2002 Indy Racing League Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
44. "P. J. Jones – 2004 IndyCar Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
45. "P. J. Jones – 2006 IndyCar Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
46. "P. J. Jones – 2007 IndyCar Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
47. "P. J. Jones – 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
48. "P. J. Jones – 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
49. "P. J. Jones – 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
50. "P. J. Jones – 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
51. "P. J. Jones – 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
52. "P. J. Jones – 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
53. "P. J. Jones – 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
54. "P. J. Jones – 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
55. "P. J. Jones – 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
56. "P. J. Jones – 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
57. "P. J. Jones – 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
58. "P. J. Jones – 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
59. "P. J. Jones – 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
60. "P. J. Jones – 2000 NASCAR Busch Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
61. "P. J. Jones – 2001 NASCAR Busch Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
62. "P. J. Jones – 2002 NASCAR Busch Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
63. "P. J. Jones – 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
64. "P. J. Jones – 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
65. "P. J. Jones – 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
66. "P. J. Jones – 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
67. "P. J. Jones – 1995 NASCAR SuperTruck Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
68. "P. J. Jones – 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
69. "P. J. Jones – 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
70. "P. J. Jones – 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
71. "P. J. Jones – 2017 ARCA Racing Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
72. "2013 SST Point Standings". [[Stadium Super Trucks]].
73. "Official 2014 Point Standings". [[Stadium Super Trucks]].
74. "2015 Official Point Standings". [[Stadium Super Trucks]].
75. "2016 Overall Point Standings". [[Stadium Super Trucks]].
76. "2017 Overall Point Standings". [[Stadium Super Trucks]].