April 18, 2024

PCM’s Jones makes Knoxville Raceway debut

By Troy Hyde

PCM junior Jaslyn Jones stands by her sprint car at the Knoxville Raceway on Aug. 24. The 16-year-old Jones competed at Knoxville for the first time after spending most of her young career racing Go Karts. (Submitted Photo)

Jaslyn Jones has spent most of her Saturday nights in the summer at Knoxville Raceway watching her father Matt Jones work as a pit crew member for Larry Ball Jr.

On Aug. 24, Dad got to watch Jaslyn race around the sprint car capital of the world.

Jones made her Knoxville Raceway debut on that night. She hopes it won’t be her only appearance.

“It was pretty fun,” said Jones, a 16-year-old junior at PCM High School. “We were expecting a better finish, but for a first time, I think it went alright.”

Jones was 13th out of 13 cars in her heat race. She then finished 11th out of 13 cars in the feature race. But the result was not as important as just being able to be on the track racing with her father working the pits.

Jones said she got caught in a big wreck in front of her and had to pull off the track after being lapped twice by the leader.

“It was a fun experience to share with my Dad and family,” Jones said. “I’ve spent a lot of time in the shop as a kid and we spent every weekend at Knoxville growing up.”

Jones competed in the Pace Pro Series Class for sprint cars, driving the car owned and operated by Matthew Johnson.

She also races Go Karts and is in her fourth season of those competitions. She raced a Wing Caged car in 2016 and was the track champion at the Newton Kart Club in 2017.

In that 2017 season at Newton Kart Club, Jones won 13 races.

She also was the runner-up in points in the Hoosier Adrenaline Series in 2017 and missed the championship by one point.

Her first competitive race came in a Go Kart back in 2016 when she was 13 years old.

Jones’ current Go Kart took place at the English Creek Speedway in Melcher-Dallas. She drives an Intermediate Outlaw car and the Sept. 7 championship was rained out and will be made up on Oct. 5.

Her goal is to get enough sponsors and funding to compete full time at Knoxville Raceway in 2020.

Jones’ sponsors are Jersey Freeze and Matt Jones Trucking in Monroe, Diamond Auto Detailing and Diamond Motor Sports in Des Moines, Jared Bailey Photography in Carlisle and Skjordal Powder Coating in Indianola.