JONES AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY: For the final race of “NASCAR Goes West,” teams unload at Auto Club Speedway in Ontario, California. In his only start at the two-mile southern California track, Erik Jones started the race from the 14th position and after 200 laps, finished the race in the 12th spot. This weekend with music in his ears, Jones and the No. 20 SIRIUS XM Toyota Camry team will look to improve upon Jones’ 2017 result as he makes his second-career start at the track.
· JGR AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has 77 total starts at Auto Club Speedway in Cup Series competition earning two wins, 17 top-five finishes, 31 top-10 finishes and five pole starting positions. The team has led 875 laps, completed 16,974 of 17,784 attempted laps (95.4%) and earned an average start of 13.9 and an average finish of 16.6. Kyle Busch visited victory lane in 2013 and 2014 at Auto Club Speedway to earn JGR’s only two MENCS wins at the two-mile track.
· PHOENIX RECAP: Unloading at ISM Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona, Jones and the No. 20 Sport Clips Toyota Camry team qualified in the ninth position for the fourth race of the season. Running solidly in the top 15, but struggling with a tight-handling Camry, the team worked all race to improve the Sport Clips Camry. Moving back in to the top 10 and knocking on the door of the top five, Jones pitted under a mid-race caution and unfortunately, sustained damage on pit road following contact with a competitor. The damage forced the team back to pit road to make repairs, dropping Jones to the back of the field. With the remainder of the race running under green-flag conditions, the No. 20 team continued to improve throughout the race and Jones was able to cross the finish line in the ninth position for the team’s second top-10 finish of the season.
· THIS WEEK ON THE NO. 20 CAMRY: For the final race of NASCAR Goes West, SIRIUS XM will adorn the sides of the No. 20 Toyota Camry for the first time this season at Auto Club Speedway.
· RACE INFO: The Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway is scheduled for Sunday, March 18, 2018. Coverage will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, Sirius XM Channel 90 and MRN Radio.
Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Auto Club Speedway:
|
Starts |
Wins |
Top 5 |
Top 10 |
Poles |
Laps Led |
Avg. Start |
Avg. Finish |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14.0 |
12.0 |
Jones 2018 Season NASCAR Cup Series Stats:
|
Starts |
Wins |
Top 5 |
Top 10 |
Poles |
Laps Led |
Avg. Start |
Avg. Finish |
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
11 |
9.0 |
16.0 |
Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats:
|
Starts |
Wins |
Top 5 |
Top 10 |
Poles |
Laps Led |
Avg. Start |
Avg. Finish |
|
43 |
0 |
5 |
16 |
1 |
322 |
13.6 |
17.4 |
From the Pit Box:
Chris Gayle: “This is one of the few tracks left with really worn out pavement and lots of character. It’s a place that has multiple racing lines and gives a lot of opportunities for passing compared to most downforce tracks. It’s always a tough challenge to get a car handling well for short runs and long runs and not wear the tires out. This is a place that Erik ran well at last year, but we had an unfortunate penalty late in the race that kept us from getting the finish we deserved. So hopefully we can capitalize on last years’ experience, avoid any mistakes, and compete for a top five finish here.”
JGR PR
