Nobody likes being the odd man out. In 2023, Brandon Jones was the only JR Motorsports driver to miss the playoffs. This year, through the first three races, he appears to be turning the corner.
After the first trio of events this season, Jones has two top 10s and a solid average finish of 10.7. He is 10 points above the playoff cut line, in 10th position. Just above Jones are teammates Sammy Smith and Justin Allgaier. Jones has a lead on Parker Kligerman and JRM teammate Sam Mayer, two drivers who made the playoffs in 2023. So, what is the secret to the early season turnaround?
“It’s about confidence,” Jones said. “I’ve spent a lot of time honing my skills and understanding the dynamics of the car. Confidence in myself and the team’s ability to execute race strategies has played a crucial role.”
In our last installment of Eyes on Xfinity, we went through the 14 drivers and teams that are most likely to reach the playoffs, with at least two of those teams missing out. Based on what happened in 2023 and a few other factors, I predicted that Jones and Josh Williams would be the two drivers among that group to miss the cut. It’s early, but right now it looks like I may have been wrong about Jones.
“We’ve made some strategic adjustments within the team,” Jones added. “We’ve fine-tuned our setups, focusing on areas where we struggled last year. The team has put in a tremendous amount of effort during the offseason, and it’s paying off early in the season.”
Lifting his average finish by 12 positions compared to last season’s first three races is huge. Some might chalk it up to small sample size or even luck. For Jones, luck could have a little bit to do with it, but there’s much more at play.
“Luck can only take you so far in this sport,” Jones said. “Sure, it plays a role, but ultimately, it’s about preparation and execution. We’ve been in the right place at the right time, but it’s because we’ve positioned ourselves there through hard work and dedication.”
With 14 full-time Xfinity Series drivers in what could be considered top-tier rides, other teams like Jordan Anderson Racing and RSS Racing showing more speed this year, plus the routine appearances from ‘Buschwacking’ Cup Series drivers and people like Aric Almirola running a significant partial schedule, wins aren’t going to be easy to come by in the series. After Jones went winless last season, he knows this well….
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