Brandon Jones |
While driving for Eddie
Sharp Racing in 2012, the Mooresville (NC) High School sophomore competed in
the Pro All Stars Series and United Auto Racing Association Series Super Late
Models. He finished fifth in the UARA final standings, with a win at Concord
Speedway, five Top-5 and 11 Top-10 finishes in 22 starts. He ran as high as
fifth in his first K&N Pro Series East start at Greenville-Pickens Speedway,
before a last-lap wreck dropped him back in the standings. That performance
followed 2011 track championships in the
pro truck division at Lanier (Ga.) Speedway and Gresham (Ga.) Motorsports Park.
In 2013, Jones will race
the full UARA season, seven NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races, two NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series events and selected NASCAR Late Model Stock races
under the Turner Motorsports banner.
"I am extremely
excited to be joining Turner Motorsports and look forward to driving in UARA
and select K&N and Camping World Truck races in 2013 for the Turner
organization," said Jones. "I'm confident that with the outstanding
team at TMS and with the help of Mike Greci and Cale Gale, we will be very
competitive. This opportunity for me would not be possible without the
development and coaching I received in 2012 from all the guys at Eddie Sharp
Racing and Lee McCall."
At Turner Motorsports,
Jones will work under the tutelage of Mike Greci, a stock car racing veteran,
famed NASCAR crew chief and NASCAR driver development expert. Following
back-to-back K&N Pro Series titles in 1997 and 1998 as owner/crew chief for
Mike Stefanik, Greci went on to again score consecutive K&N East titles
with Martin Truex, Jr. in 2009 and 2010. Greci has served as crew chief in the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series for Paul Menard and
Martin Truex, Jr. Most recently, Greci has mentored and been crew chief for
Brett Moffit, Ryan Truex, Travis Pastrana and Sergio Pena in NKNPSE and NNS.
Greci will now serve as Turner Motorsports' Competition Director for the NKNPSE
teams.
"I echo Mr.
Turner's sentiments of working with the younger talent in the sport; I truly
enjoy seeing the younger generation work so hard at their dreams, and to be a
part of that is special to me. We have a great core of people working for
Turner Motorsports and I feel like we will see the success that has become
synonymous with Turner Motorsports," mentioned Greci.
In addition to Greci, 2012
Truck Series winner Cale Gale will continue his longtime mentoring relationship
with Jones. Gale recently rejoined Turner Motorsports as a crew chief and will
continue to groom Jones for his climb up the racing ranks.
"Coming to Turner
Motorsports was a great opportunity for me and I look forward to working more
closely with Brandon Jones in the NKNPSE series. I've worked with him the last
couple of years on honing his skills and I've seen him come a long way in short
time period. I think he has the talent necessary to be successful in his racing
career," said Gale.
In 2013, Turner
Motorsports plans to field three Nationwide teams, four Camping World Truck
Series teams, four K&N Pro Series East teams, as well as entries in the
UARA Series and the NASCAR Late Model Stock program.
So according to this Gale is out of the Truck Series and only being a Crew Chief in 2013?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that way. It will be interesting to see how this former driver does as a crew chief. Some others have done quite well. (See Ray Evernham, Paul Wolfe)
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