Even though the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) Speedway was nearly three months ago, part-time staple competitor Terry Jones is still gleaming about his career-best second place finish.
Jones’ smile, however, is about to get serious when he suits up and competes in Friday afternoon’s General Tire 200 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
Armed with the same car that he recorded his runner-up finish with at Daytona, Jones will be in the hands of AM Racing’s development partner Win-Tron Racing for the 76-lap race on Friday afternoon.
With the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in competition at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, a partnership was formed between Rette Jones Racing co-owner Mark Rette and Win-Tron Racing team principal Kevin Cywinski to field Jones’ No. 33 Toyota Camry in his second race of the season.
“I’m definitely looking forward to getting back in the saddle this weekend,” said Jones, a native of Amherstburg, Ontario Canada. “Daytona was a blast. We worked hard and played harder. The car was strong and we got lucky and avoided the chaos. I’m hoping for more of the same on Friday afternoon.”
Jones, although a part-time figure in ARCA Racing Series competition is no stranger to Talladega’s 2.66-mile high banks. This weekend, he’ll make his 10th career start at ‘Dega and eyes his second top-five finish. In 2013, Jones after starting 24th drafted to a fifth-place finish.
“I love Talladega, although it hasn’t always been kind to me,” Jones added. “These plate races (Daytona and Talladega) are just a game of luck and survival. You can have the strongest car in the field, but if the dice don’t fall your way – you may have nothing to show for it.
“We know we have a strong car and Win-Tron Racing are some of the best in the business. Together, we know what we need to do and we’ll look to do that in 76 laps.”
Ironically, Friday’s ARCA race won’t be the first time that Jones has been associated with the Win-Tron Racing team. In 2014, Jones drove the team’s flagship entry, led laps and contended for the win before a battery issue plagued their finish.
A one-car operation in 2014, Jones is aware that he’ll be working with defending Talladega ARCA champion Gus Dean who is wheeling the team’s No. 32 Toyota entry on Friday afternoon as a teammate.
“I learned more than ever at Daytona in February that teammates are important,” Jones explained. “If I had a teammate, I might have ended up in Victory Lane. Shoulda… Coulda…. Woulda… I know Gus is fast everywhere he goes and he’ll have a strong car on Friday. If we can link up, who knows. He’s a great plate racer and I look forward to working with him.”
Like Daytona, The band Buck Twenty will sport their logos on Jones’ No. 33 Toyota in Friday afternoon’s roar.
Nestled in the small town of Harrow, Ontario Canada, Mike Ure and Aidan Johnson-Bujold are a singer / songwriter duo. The two combine their distinct voices to create a trademark blend that listeners have recognized and proudly identify as Buck Twenty.
Their debut four track extended play (EP) was put on display as they were honored as Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAO) artist of the month in January 2015.
Beyond Talladega, Jones’ ARCA schedule remains fluid. If he wins, the successful Canadian entrepreneur could add more races to his Rette Jones Racing schedule.
The General Tire 200 (76 laps / 202 miles) is the fourth of 20 races on the 2017 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. Practice begins Fri., May 5 with an hour and a 50-minute practice session planned from 8:30 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. General Tire pole group qualifying is set for later in the day at 2:30 p.m., with the race set to take the green flag shortly thereafter at 5:00 p.m. ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the weekend’s activities, while the race will be live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). All times are local (Central).
For more input on Rette Jones Racing, please visit their all-new website, RetteJonesRacing.com.
RJR PR
