Erik Jones claims NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Iowa Speedway

Erik Jones was fast at the start and fastest at the end Saturday, winning the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway. Jones has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins at the Newton track.

Jones collected his first Xfinity Series race coveted gas pump trophy from Iowa Speedway in four tries on the track. The Xfinity Series rookie won his third race this season.

“A great night for us. It’s really cool to get back to Victory Lane and to do it at Iowa, which is one of my absolute favorite places to come during the year,” Jones said after driving the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 DeWalt Toyota to victory.

Jones dominated most of the race leading from the green flag. He lost the lead a couple times on cautions, but charged right back to the front.

Following the sixth and final caution of the race, Ty Dillon pushed his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Chevrolet to the lead. Dillon used lap traffic to help fend off the challenges by Jones to regain the lead.

Jones finally tracked down Dillon, who has not won an Xfinity Series race since 2014, with 15 laps remaining.

“I knew I was going to have to work him over in traffic some how. He (Dillon) got caught up with a lap car. I got a good run off Turn 4 and got inside of him,” Jones said of his battle with Dillon. “Once, I got by him it was clear sailing.”

Jones started on the front row next to pole winner Daniel Suarez of Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones had won the pole position at June’s Xfinity race at Iowa, but had to start the race from the rear because of unapproved body modifications. Jones finished 27th in June after he went to the garage for a fuel cell repair.

Not on this July night as he bolted to the lead off the green flag and led the first 42 laps. Jones would lead 154 laps of the 250-lap race. Dillon, who finished second, led 83 laps.

“We had a great car. One that definitely deserved to win the race," Jones said. "The fastest car I feel like won tonight, which is always a good feeling. It was an awesome day for us.

"I feel like we deserved to win when we came here earlier this year, we had a really fast car. It was nice to get some redemption for that one."

Elliott Sadler, Brennan Poole, and Dakoda Armstrong finished third, fourth and fifth.

Suarez sustained damage to his No. 18 ARRIS Toyota on the final restart when he got into the back of Josh Berry's No. 88. Suarez stayed out for a few laps then went to pit road and his night was done. He finished 30th, 76 laps down, which cost him his Xfinity Series lead.

Sadler went to the top of the driver points list, 14 points ahead of Suarez.

Brad Keselowski, the only NASCAR Sprint Cup driver in Saturday's race, was eighth.

More on the final race of the 2016 season at Iowa Speedway will be in Monday’s Newton Daily News.