P J Jones Popular Books

P J Jones Biography & Facts

Parnell Velko "P. J." Jones (born April 23, 1969) is an American professional racing driver. He has contested in multiple disciplines, including NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA GT Championship, the American Le Mans Series, USAC, the Chili Bowl, and the Stadium Super Trucks. Jones was runner-up at the GTP class of the IMSA GT Championship in 1993 and fourth in 1992. He also finished fourth at the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at Watkins Glen, and second at the 1999 CART race at Nazareth. His father is Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones, his brother is Page Jones, a former racing driver, and one of his sons, Jagger Jones, currently races in the ARCA Menards Series West. Racing career Early career and 1980s Jones' preliminary efforts in racing were, in a fashion not atypical for young drivers, 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 the USAC governing body's expansive portfolio of open-wheel divisions, Jones opted to participate in the West Coast Midget category. 1986's racing season saw Jones earn the rookie of the year title in that class as the then-young driver began a quest to surpass his father in auto racing accomplishments; he had, by virtue of being a high school junior, already overtaken Parnelli in academic achievement. As Jones continued to craft a reputation as the future of motorsport in USAC, he began to dabble in IMSA GT, foreshadowing the dawn of his career's peak, which would take place, at least in part, in the GTP classification within the series. 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. Low rankings, however, would not overshadow Jones' ability in the rotary-engined racing car; instead, 1988 was highlighted by a podium finish in one of the GTU races. In 1988, Jones also scored victory in a world championship sprint car race which transpired in Auckland, proving that his talents transcended both the scope of pavement racing and the borders of the United States of America. The decade would not close without another racing reconnaissance from P.J. Jones; in this instance, he was surveying the American Racing Series with its turbocharged Buick formula cars. This series encompassed elements from both midget racing and sports car racing, serving as a fusion of lessons Jones had learned in his prior experience. Masterful in applying the skills he had developed as a youth, Jones triumphed on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as he scored a victory to crown a season's efforts 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. An unsuccessful foray into what is now NASCAR's K&N Pro Series West and a handful of forgettable trials at the wheel of a Ford Ranger in SCCA's Racetruck Challenge rendered this year particularly difficult from a Jonesian perspective. The promise of the 1980s had now faded into an oppressive doubt that could have jeopardized a blossoming career. Jones was not the kind of prospect to be discouraged by slow development, though, and rose from the quiet 1990 to reestablish his potential as an auto racing champion in 1991. His 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 a race that would not see the loftiest of successes. Still, for Jones to even be considered by a man as keen in motoring matters as Gurney provided a much-needed elevation in confidence level that would propel Jones through the coming year, where his focus remained on the American Racing Series. Racing down an avenue which would take him to the season's vice-runner-up position, Jones scored two victories in twelve races, exhibiting excellence on the narrow confines of treacherous street circuits in Toronto and Denver. Having now proven that his talents were beyond the challenges the American Racing Series could offer, Jones would never return to the championship subsequent to 1991's conclusion. Prior to the year's end, Jones participated in an ice race, much as fellow North American racing drivers Paul Menard and Greg Moore have at various stages in their own careers. 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. Jones was outclassed by his teammate, Juan Manuel Fangio II, who had taken the series title, but such results must be qualified with recognizance of the fact that Jones was a rookie in prototype competitions and had to adapt to the powerful cars which featured astronomical amounts of downforce. Fourth in points with two wins, as Jones was by the year's end, had far exceeded any reasonable expectations one could have for a young driver in such refined machinery. Outside of Jones' two wins on the IMSA circuit, the second-generation driver dominated the 1992 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach. All American Racers retained Jones for 1993 and swept the championship and vice-championship positions in IMSA's GTP category with P.J. trailing Fangio. Now acclimated to the Eagle MkIII Toyota, Jones capitalized on his year's GTP experience in the season-opening 24 Hours of Daytona, which he won. The victory was shared with co-drivers Mark Dismore and Rocky Moran, father of one of Jones' future sports car teammates. As an individual, Jones excelled, erasing any doubts that he relied too heavily on his partners for success. In a measure of pure pace, Jones rewrote the track record of Lime Rock Park with a lap of 43.112 seconds. To this day, no one has ever circulated the Western Connecticut racecourse's figure as quickly. Never afraid of a challenge and always willing to broaden his résumé, Jones participated in NASCAR Winston Cup action when such events did not conflict with his sports car exploits. Limited in stock car experience but carrying abundant levels of natural driving talent, Jones was able to qualify for the majority of races he entered (six from eleven) and collect a top ten finish at historic Watkins Glen International at the iconic No. 9 Ford's wheel. The car was furnished by the Melling Racing stable and serviced by a team of mechanics led by Harry Hyde. It was in the stock car direction that Jones' career would turn, with oval racing becoming the.... Discover the P J Jones popular books. Find the top 100 most popular P J Jones books.