Page 206 - 2019_NPPG_digital copy

BRANDON JONES

Birth Date: February 18, 1997 Hometown: Atlanta
Birth Date: August 12, 1993 Hometown: Bakersfield, CA
Team: No. 19 Toyota Supra / Joe Gibbs Racing
Team: No. 16 Toyota Tundra/Roush Fenway Racing

Just ask Brandon Jones. Even at nearly 200 mph, sometimes a racing career is a matter
of taking baby steps.

He started slowly in his first season at Joe Gibbs Racing with no top-five and three top-
10 finishes, as well as a 16th-place finish in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series point
standings.

Last year, he took steps, albeit baby steps, to showing steady
improvement with a pair of top-fives, 17 top-10s and a ninth-place
points finish.

If the trend continues, Jones’ next step could be in
FEATURED DRIVERS Victory Lane.

“I know the organization can win, but for us as a
team, that’s pretty cool from what I came from
last year to where we are now and being in
contention just about every week to win one of
these races,” the driver from Atlanta said.

And since he won’t turn 21 until two days
after the Xfinity Series season-opening
Daytona 300 on Feb. 16, he’s got plenty of time
to find better footing in the sport.

Car owner Joe Gibbs is willing to be patient,
saying, “Our NASCAR Xfinity Series program is so
important to us at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Jones made a big entrance into the Xfinity Series with an
eighth-place finish at the Iowa Speedway in his debut with
Richard Childress Racing in 2015. In five selected starts that
year, he also finished fifth at Kentucky.

After spending 2016 at RCR and 2017 at JGR, Jones started to
find speed last season. He was in position to win his first race last
April at the Talladega Superspeedway when he fell in line with Spencer
Gallagher on the final lap in a charge to pass race leaders Tyler Reddick
and Christopher Bell. Gallagher won with Jones trailing in his wake.

“Second is pretty phenomenal for this track,” Jones said. “Knowing how hard
it is to make it to the end. Phenomenal run for our guys, phenomenal year.

206 THE OFFICIAL NASCAR 2019 PREVIEW & PRESS GUIDE