SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. Coeburn , Va. South Boston (Va. Speedway
While Jones became the youngest driver to ever take the green flag in a Pro Cup Series show, he didn’t just take the green flag in the South Boston event – he opened the eyes of many racing insiders by finishing the 250-lap event on the lead lap in fourth place, coming home ahead of many veteran racers much older than himself.
With some off-season testing under their belts, Blake and team are excited about getting the 2011 USARacing Pro Cup Series season underway this coming Saturday, March 19, at New Smyrna (Fla. Speedway
With some off-season testing under their belts, Blake and team are excited about getting the 2011 USARacing Pro Cup Series season underway this coming Saturday, March 19, at New Smyrna (
Many say Blake is a natural talent when it comes to racing, it’s like he was born with a steering wheel in his hands. The progression up the racing ladder has seen him win not only races but championships each step in the climb.
His first season racing go-karts in 2005 at Dumplin Valley Raceway in Kodak, Jones captured 14 wins in 16 starts to win both the championship and Rookie of the Year honors. In 2006 he began racing in the INEX-sanctioned Bandolero Bandits division, competing on the quarter-mile track inside the tri-oval along the front-stretch at Lowe’s (Charlotte
The 2007 and 2008 racing seasons proved to be banner campaigns for young Jones, as he won the ’07 Tennessee State Bandolero Bandits championship – and in ’08 he captured both the Lowe’s Motor Speedway Winter Heat title and the Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday Thunder championship. Along the way over the course of those two seasons, Jones won over 20 races and recorded over 40 top-five finishes.
Making the move up to an INEX-sanctioned Legends car for the 2009 racing season, Jones continued his winning ways by parking in Newport Speedway’s victory lane in just his second start. He also captured additional hardware by being named ’09 Tennessee State Legends champion after a phenomenal 17-win season.
“We had a really good rookie season racing Late Model Stocks in 2010, one that probably even exceeded our own expectations entering my first year of stock car racing,” said Blake, an 8th-grade honor roll student at New Center Middle School in Sevierville, recently from the race shop. “I guess overall when you consider we won several races, the track championship at Lonesome Pine Raceway, along with being named rookie of the year, to be quite honest we (team) were all very pleased with our accomplishments. But last year is in the past, I’m ready to strap-in and race, get the new racing season started.
“We’ll be competing this year with the USARacing Pro Cup Series, and let me tell you – there’s a lot of very good race car drivers I’ll be running against in each event. As a racer you always have in your mind you want to win. That’s what racing’s all about – winning. But unfortunately in racing, there’s only one winner at each event. At the end of the day, if you’ve brought home a solid top-10 finish, really you’ve had a pretty good showing. With this being our rookie year in Pro Cup Series, our goals each race are to be competitive, to put ourselves in good position at each event we run to build momentum for our race team and myself. And at some point I believe we can win us a Pro Cup race this year. I feel like I’m being coached and mentored by one of the very best in the (racing) business in Wade Day. He knows all there is to know about these race cars.”
Along with Blake’s parents, Teddy and Kristy, his sister Brittni and brother, Briggs, one of Blake’s biggest supporters in his racing efforts was his Nana (Sandy Terry), who unfortunately lost her life last fall to cancer. Blake and the team plan to remember her with their racing in 2011, as they will help the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. The foundation funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S.
Sponsors on the No. 80 Chevrolet Impala driven by Blake Jones for the 2011 racing season include Baker’s Wrecker Service, Breeden Paving, Chambers Market & Grill, Colonial Loan, NAPA Auto Parts of Sevierville, Sevierville Import & Truck Center, WD Performance, Fast Cash Pawn, eXlander Designs, with special thanks to W.C. and Tracey Mills of Old Town, Fla.
The Teddy Jones-owned team is headed up by crew chief Wade Day, car chief Kirby Gobble, and crew members Scott Breeden, Marvin Henegar, Kenny Baker, Ronnie Breeden, Ricky Day, Gary Hensley, Daniel Sedgwick, Wendell Spence, Briggs Jones and Rhyan Jones.
Day has been around racing for several years, with him being quite accomplished behind the wheel as a driver, along with sitting on top the pit box overseeing racing operations for young drivers. In Blake he knows he’s dealing with a special kid.
“Running full-time this season with the USARacing Pro Cup Series and all the good competitors, it’s going to mean we’ve got to bring our ‘A-game’ to each event,” said crew chief Wade Day. “The majority of guys we’ll be racing against, they’ve been racing since before Blake was even born – they’re experienced racers. But I’ve got 110 percent confidence in Blake when he’s behind the wheel of the race car. He listens to what I tell him, how he needs to drive the car. Sometimes I have to kind of pull back on the reins to reel him in, though.
“He’s only 14 years old, and sometimes I have to remind myself of that, because he’s really so mature for his age. Let me tell you, he’s a born racer and all he thinks about is driving the race car. When you’ve got someone young as him, and they’re so enthusiastic about racing – you kind of just turn him loose and marvel at what he does driving the race car.”
To learn more about Blake Jones, visit his Web site at www.BlakeJonesRacing.com … and to contact Teddy Jones Racing call (865) 388-2795.
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Press Release Prepared By:
Robert Walden
Walden Motorsports Communications
Walden Motorsports Communications
(423) 928-9644
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