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[/media-credit]Concord, NC (May 1, 2012) — 15-year-old Rookie, Erik Jones did more than impress fans today with a fifth place finish at Salem Speedway in only his second career start in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.
Jones made history in March at Mobile Int’l Speedway by becoming the youngest driver to ever race in the prestigious series. Age not being a factor, the Byron, Michigan native qualified his No. 55 CJ Solar Band/Paragon Corvette Reproductions Chevrolet in the tenth position for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200.
“Never racing at Salem before I really didn’t know what to expect,” stated Jones. “You can’t compare it to anywhere else because of all its character. I wished we would have qualified a little better but I was confident in the car the Venturini crew gave me and I think that showed in the end.”
At the drop of the green flag Jones quickly found his groove and settled into the ninth position. Demonstrating his veteran mentality, he took the race lap by lap and found himself in the third position at the halfway point. As the race went on, Jones effortlessly dodged all ten cautions that seemed to happen right in front of him. Out of the 33 drivers to start the race, ten remained on the lead lap at the end. Jones ended his day successfully in fifth.
“You really have to be on the wheel the entire time while racing here,” joked Jones. “If you fall out of your seat for one lap you could go backwards in a hurry. I was really happy with how things turned out today. The No. 55 Venturini crew did a great job on my pit stops and I can’t thank them enough for assisting me in bringing home the top five finish.”
Jones’ next Venturini Motorsports ARCA appearance will be at the familiar Toledo Speedway on Sunday, May 20. The 2011 JEGS/CRA All-Star Tour champion finished third when he visited with that series at the track last April. In between time he will be making appearances in his CRA Late Model at Winchester Speedway on May 5 and Berlin Raceway on May 12.
For more media information please contact Stephanie Bigelow, sbigelow@erikjonesracing.com
Official: www.ErikJonesRacing.com | Twitter @erik_jones | Facebook: Erik Jones Racing
About Venturini Motorsports
Venturini Motorsports (VMS), fielding cars in the ARCA Racing Series, is one of the premier NASCAR driver development programs in the country. The 2012 season marks the teams 30th Anniversary of competition in the ARCA Series. Multiple team championships and consistent on-track success, VMS has evolved into one of the most recognizable names in motorsports.
Since 2007, VMS has assisted in the career development of notable NASCAR drivers such as Joey Logano, Justin Allgaier, Steve Arpin, Brian Scott, Max Gresham, Miguel Paludo, Josh Richards, Ryan Blaney, and Scott Lagasse, Jr.
Official: www.VenturiniMotorsports.com | Twitter @VenturiniMotor | Facebook: Venturini Motorsports
