By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway was a career day for one Brandon Jones.
Starting sixth for the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300, the third-year XFINITY Series driver turned top-five speed to dominating speed, leading 106 laps on the day.
However, a late caution added one more pit stop to the race, and it was Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ryan Preece who slipped through for the race win. Jones fell hard and fast back to a sixth-place finish.
“Our game just didn’t work out,” Jones said. “Way too loose on the restart to make anything of it.”
Jones’ 106 laps out front were more than his entire XFINITY career combined and his sixth place is his best finish in more than two years.
But Saturday showed winning colors, and it came one week after Texas, where the No. 19 led laps and won a stage.
“All weekend we were top three in practice, qualified well and was getting ready t possibly get a victory,” he said. “Texas was big for me even though we crashed out early. That’s what led to this. That’s the momentum on right now and I’m going to stick with that.”
Despite the result, Jones was smiling after the hot, competitive day. Racing a teammate for the win was part of that contentment.
“I enjoyed racing Preece there at the end,” he said. “I did everything but try to wreck him. I think I guess I raced well as a teammate.”
Moving forward through his first season with JGR, Jones feels he’s quickly becoming a better driver with the team behind him.
“[Crew chief] Chris Gabehart has been teaching me a ton on how to get good and get my racing I.Q. up,” he said. “It’s showing, too. I know my guys are disappointed but there’s not much to be disappointed about after what we did today.
“There’s a smile on my face even though we’re not in Victory Lane.”