PJ Jones Phoenix II Race Preview
Official Team Report
P.J. JONES - #43 Diversified Partners/CAPG Dodge
NASCAR Busch Series Arizona Travel 200
Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006 - Phoenix International Raceway
TV: Live on NBC, 3:30 p.m. EST; Radio: Live on MRN
Product Partners: Wiley X Eyewear, Rod End Supply, Planar, Odyssey Batteries, Shurtape, Smith Transport, Mobile Storage Group, X1R, Hylomar, Lehigh Safety Shoes, High Performance Coatings, Gunk, Dayco, E.A.R.,Inc.
FAST FACTS
* P.J. Jones and the Curb Agajanian Performance Group Dodge team bring their #43 Diversified Partners- and Lotus of Scottsdale-sponsored racing machine to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend, seeking a milestone run in the NASCAR Busch Series Arizona Travel 200.
* Last we saw of Jones and his CAPG teammates, the 37-year-old veteran driver was behind the wheel of the #43 Washington Mutual-sponsored Dodge, fighting for a top-20 Busch series finish at California Speedway on Labor Day weekend.
* Jones, a Southern California native who now resides in nearby Scottsdale, has logged thousands of racing and testing miles on the legendary mile tri-oval here in numerous types of race cars during his career. His four previous NASCAR top-tier starts include an eighth-place Craftsman Truck Series finish in 2004. In addition, he has raced in and tested here for everything from NASCAR Winston West, USAC Silver Crown and Midget, Indy Lights and IMSA GTP sports cars. He still holds the PIR road course lap record in his 1993 race-winning Toyota Eagle prototype.
* After piloting the #43 CAPG Dodge to a season-high 13th-place finish on the superspeedway tri-oval at Daytona in July, Jones and his teammates had to endure a tough night at O'Reilly (Indianapolis) Raceway Park for a 39th-place finish the first weekend in August, then turned in a gutsy performance Sept. 2 at California in overcoming severe handling difficulties for a 22nd-place finish.
* In May, Jones drove the #98 Curb Records-sponsored IRL IndyCar Series CAPG entry to a 19th-place finish in the Indianapolis 500.
* Since its last race at Fontana in September, the CAPG team has been actively seeking sponsorship that will enable a solid NBS run in 2007 and beyond. "We have left our mark at a number of tracks this season and feel we have the momentum to carry our program well into the future with equipment and racing resources firmly in place," said Cary Agajanian, who co-owns the team with record industry executive Mike Curb. "As everyone in racing knows, we are very dependent on our ability to secure the financial support it takes to keep things going. That's our main focus right now."
* Sponsoring the #43 CAPG Dodge this weekend is Scottsdale, Ariz.-based real estate developer Diversified Partners (www.diversified-partners.com), which also sponsored Jones CAPG entry at the Indy 500, and the #43 CAPG Dodge at Daytona and IRP.
* Also sponsoring the #43 this weekend is nearby auto dealership Lotus of Scottsdale (www.lotusofscottsdale.com).
P.J. JONES QUOTES ON PIR:
"I have always loved that place. I've always felt comfortable and confident at PIR, especially since I've logged probably thousands of miles there racing various kinds of cars and doing an incredible amount of testing. It's my home track, since I live in Scottsdale, now, and it's also the home track for two of my sponsors this weekend - Diversified Partners and Lotus of Scottsdale. With my sponsors nearby, and a whole lot of family and friends here to root us on, we're looking for really good things. The Curb-Agajanian team has always been known for a solid short-track program, so I'll do my part to make that work to our advantage this weekend."
PRE-RACE SCHEDULE (All EDT):
Friday:
NBS Practice, 3:15-4:15 p.m.
NBS Final Practice, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Saturday:
NBS Qualifying, 12 noon (Live on SPEED-TV).
P.J. JONES BIO/BACKGROUND
Birthdate: April 23, 1969
Hometown: Rolling Hills, Calif.
Residence: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Marital Status: Single
When P.J. Jones, oldest son of 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones, was a toddler, he slept in a bed shaped like a race car. As a baby, his parents took him to Indianapolis in the month of May and that's where he could be found for the next 25 years. It is not confirmed whether P.J. had gasoline in his milk bottle, but nobody was surprised when he announced at age 13 that race driving would become his life.
He started in go-karts and quickly progressed to midgets, where he won more than 20 main events from 1986 to 1991. Despite his hectic schedule, he still had time to graduate from high school. He then went on to compete in the Firestone Firehawk and Indy Lights Series. There he caught the eye of Dan Gurney who at the time was looking for a driver for one of his Toyota Eagle GTP cars to be campaigned in the 1992 IMSA GTP Championship. PJ was chosen as a teammate to Juan Manuel Fangio II. He was an instant success, scoring two victories and the "Most Improved Driver Award" in 1992.
In 1993, Jones captured six pole positions and three race wins, the highlight being the Daytona 24-hour classic. He was runner-up in the 1993 Drivers Championship and played a vital role in securing the GTP Manufacturers Championship for Toyota. After 1993, Jones began development work for all American Racers and Toyota on the Champ Car World Series in `96 and `97. He became the first driver to score points for Toyota with an impressive ninth-place finish at the Detroit Grand Prix.
While Jones lively intelligence and his solid and comprehensive knowledge about car set-up, coupled with his natural driving ability, make him the ideal race driver, he also has a great fondness for airplanes. He got his pilot's license in 1992 and owns a 609 A Aero Commander, which he flies to most of the races. "All the stuff I own lies around in that plane somewhere," he says. "I use it like an old station wagon going across the country." Golf and boating are other passions and physical fitness along with a strict diet program are a must for the 5-10, 180-pound young athlete. His natural curiosity and ready smile serve him well while traveling in foreign countries. He fell in love with Australia and New Zealand while racing there some years ago. He makes his home in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Official Team Report
P.J. JONES - #43 Diversified Partners/CAPG Dodge
NASCAR Busch Series Arizona Travel 200
Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006 - Phoenix International Raceway
TV: Live on NBC, 3:30 p.m. EST; Radio: Live on MRN
Product Partners: Wiley X Eyewear, Rod End Supply, Planar, Odyssey Batteries, Shurtape, Smith Transport, Mobile Storage Group, X1R, Hylomar, Lehigh Safety Shoes, High Performance Coatings, Gunk, Dayco, E.A.R.,Inc.
FAST FACTS
* P.J. Jones and the Curb Agajanian Performance Group Dodge team bring their #43 Diversified Partners- and Lotus of Scottsdale-sponsored racing machine to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend, seeking a milestone run in the NASCAR Busch Series Arizona Travel 200.
* Last we saw of Jones and his CAPG teammates, the 37-year-old veteran driver was behind the wheel of the #43 Washington Mutual-sponsored Dodge, fighting for a top-20 Busch series finish at California Speedway on Labor Day weekend.
* Jones, a Southern California native who now resides in nearby Scottsdale, has logged thousands of racing and testing miles on the legendary mile tri-oval here in numerous types of race cars during his career. His four previous NASCAR top-tier starts include an eighth-place Craftsman Truck Series finish in 2004. In addition, he has raced in and tested here for everything from NASCAR Winston West, USAC Silver Crown and Midget, Indy Lights and IMSA GTP sports cars. He still holds the PIR road course lap record in his 1993 race-winning Toyota Eagle prototype.
* After piloting the #43 CAPG Dodge to a season-high 13th-place finish on the superspeedway tri-oval at Daytona in July, Jones and his teammates had to endure a tough night at O'Reilly (Indianapolis) Raceway Park for a 39th-place finish the first weekend in August, then turned in a gutsy performance Sept. 2 at California in overcoming severe handling difficulties for a 22nd-place finish.
* In May, Jones drove the #98 Curb Records-sponsored IRL IndyCar Series CAPG entry to a 19th-place finish in the Indianapolis 500.
* Since its last race at Fontana in September, the CAPG team has been actively seeking sponsorship that will enable a solid NBS run in 2007 and beyond. "We have left our mark at a number of tracks this season and feel we have the momentum to carry our program well into the future with equipment and racing resources firmly in place," said Cary Agajanian, who co-owns the team with record industry executive Mike Curb. "As everyone in racing knows, we are very dependent on our ability to secure the financial support it takes to keep things going. That's our main focus right now."
* Sponsoring the #43 CAPG Dodge this weekend is Scottsdale, Ariz.-based real estate developer Diversified Partners (www.diversified-partners.com), which also sponsored Jones CAPG entry at the Indy 500, and the #43 CAPG Dodge at Daytona and IRP.
* Also sponsoring the #43 this weekend is nearby auto dealership Lotus of Scottsdale (www.lotusofscottsdale.com).
P.J. JONES QUOTES ON PIR:
"I have always loved that place. I've always felt comfortable and confident at PIR, especially since I've logged probably thousands of miles there racing various kinds of cars and doing an incredible amount of testing. It's my home track, since I live in Scottsdale, now, and it's also the home track for two of my sponsors this weekend - Diversified Partners and Lotus of Scottsdale. With my sponsors nearby, and a whole lot of family and friends here to root us on, we're looking for really good things. The Curb-Agajanian team has always been known for a solid short-track program, so I'll do my part to make that work to our advantage this weekend."
PRE-RACE SCHEDULE (All EDT):
Friday:
NBS Practice, 3:15-4:15 p.m.
NBS Final Practice, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Saturday:
NBS Qualifying, 12 noon (Live on SPEED-TV).
P.J. JONES BIO/BACKGROUND
Birthdate: April 23, 1969
Hometown: Rolling Hills, Calif.
Residence: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Marital Status: Single
When P.J. Jones, oldest son of 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones, was a toddler, he slept in a bed shaped like a race car. As a baby, his parents took him to Indianapolis in the month of May and that's where he could be found for the next 25 years. It is not confirmed whether P.J. had gasoline in his milk bottle, but nobody was surprised when he announced at age 13 that race driving would become his life.
He started in go-karts and quickly progressed to midgets, where he won more than 20 main events from 1986 to 1991. Despite his hectic schedule, he still had time to graduate from high school. He then went on to compete in the Firestone Firehawk and Indy Lights Series. There he caught the eye of Dan Gurney who at the time was looking for a driver for one of his Toyota Eagle GTP cars to be campaigned in the 1992 IMSA GTP Championship. PJ was chosen as a teammate to Juan Manuel Fangio II. He was an instant success, scoring two victories and the "Most Improved Driver Award" in 1992.
In 1993, Jones captured six pole positions and three race wins, the highlight being the Daytona 24-hour classic. He was runner-up in the 1993 Drivers Championship and played a vital role in securing the GTP Manufacturers Championship for Toyota. After 1993, Jones began development work for all American Racers and Toyota on the Champ Car World Series in `96 and `97. He became the first driver to score points for Toyota with an impressive ninth-place finish at the Detroit Grand Prix.
While Jones lively intelligence and his solid and comprehensive knowledge about car set-up, coupled with his natural driving ability, make him the ideal race driver, he also has a great fondness for airplanes. He got his pilot's license in 1992 and owns a 609 A Aero Commander, which he flies to most of the races. "All the stuff I own lies around in that plane somewhere," he says. "I use it like an old station wagon going across the country." Golf and boating are other passions and physical fitness along with a strict diet program are a must for the 5-10, 180-pound young athlete. His natural curiosity and ready smile serve him well while traveling in foreign countries. He fell in love with Australia and New Zealand while racing there some years ago. He makes his home in Scottsdale, Ariz.
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