Sevierville, Tennessee native Blake Jones scored a third place finish Sunday in the CARS Pro Cup Series Salute to America 200 at Lonesome Pine Raceway. Photo by Joe VanHoose
Blake Jones knew he had a car that could win Sunday’s CARS Pro Cup Series Salute to America 200 at Lonesome Pine Raceway in Coeburn, VA, Sunday.
Jones showed speed throughout the 200-lap race and, after a mid-race pit miscue, rallied to finish third. The finish is Athens, Georgia based Kirk May Racing’s best since the spring.
Afterward, the 14-year-old rookie said it was a rookie mistake that kept him from victory lane.
On lap 104, Jones pitted from the second position with the rest of the leaders. But as he came into his box, the car didn’t slow.
“When I came in, the brake pedal went to the floor and I couldn’t stop,” Jones said. “I hate that I did that to the team.”
Jones stopped on the next lap and restarted the race at the back of the pack. But it didn’t take the Tennessee native long to make up ground. He steadily passed several veterans of the series, including JP Morgan, AJ Frank and Jeff Agnew. By the time he reached the third position, he felt a tire starting to go down on the car.
Instead of pitting, Jones stayed on the track and held his position. At the end of the race, he had the fastest car on the race track.
“I moved around a little bit and found a little more speed,” Jones said. “I can’t thank Kirk and the team enough. It’s a great race car.”
Jones and Kirk May Racing hope to build some momentum on their strong run as the Pro Cup Series heads to Hickory Motor Speedway in early October.
