• Dubai-born Brit threatens top three finish in Illinois
• Ganassi ace takes the fight to IndyCar’s heavy-hitters
• 23-year-old showcases spectacular overtaking skills

Ed Jones rolled the dice in last weekend’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at Gateway Motorsports Park – round 15 of 17 on the fiercely-disputed Verizon IndyCar Series calendar – and whilst his late podium bid didn’t quite come off under the Illinois floodlights, he nonetheless dug deep to tally a seventh top ten finish of the 2018 campaign.
 
Unlike many of its rivals, Chip Ganassi Racing did not test at the 1.25-mile St. Louis oval earlier this year, meaning IndyCar sophomore Jones headed into the weekend somewhat on the back foot. Impressively undeterred, the talented Dubai, UAE-born ace was immediately on the pace behind the wheel of his 720bhp Dallara-Honda single-seater, lapping fifth-quickest amongst the 21 high-calibre contenders in FP1 – a session repeatedly interrupted by rain that left puddles of standing water at the entry to the pit-lane.
 
With the elements playing havoc with the track schedule, qualifying was cancelled in favour of a longer final practice to allow drivers and teams more time to dial their cars in for the following evening’s 248-lap race. Jones improved to fourth in that session – just two places behind championship-leading CGR stablemate Scott Dixon, the third-most successful driver in IndyCar history – and he duly went into the next day in confident mood.
 
“It obviously wasn’t the situation anyone wanted with the weather, but that’s what we were dealt,” mused the 2016 Indy Lights Champion and 2017 IndyCar ‘Rookie of the Year’. “The No.10 NTT DATA car was fast, and I was really pleased with that given we were one of the few teams that didn’t take part in the Gateway test.
 
“It was super frustrating losing another opportunity to start up front, but in the running we had, we were able to make moves and pass cars so I was determined to fight my way through in the race.”
 
The field lined up for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 in championship order, meaning Jones took the start from 12th position but he gained three spots straightaway and soon settled into seventh, chasing former champions Simon Pagenaud and Ryan Hunter-Reay.
 
Breaking away from the pursuing pack and pegging leader Dixon for pace – at one stage posting the fastest lap of anybody at an average speed of 177.362mph – the erstwhile European F3 Open Champion went on a charge. Pulling off a series of spectacular overtakes, he scythed his way boldly past Pagenaud, defending title-holder and Gateway race-winner Josef Newgarden and 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi, before latching right onto his team-mate’s tail.
 
A late splash ‘n’ dash fuel top-up with 22 laps to go dropped Jones to tenth, from where he battled back to eighth at the chequered flag – having spent the majority of the race running in close company with some of the biggest names in US open-wheel competition.
 
“We had decent pace, and if qualifying had gone ahead, I’m confident we would have been in the top five throughout,” reflected the 23-year-old Brit, who is being coached this year by multiple IndyCar Champion and Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti.
 
“It’s tricky to pass at this track, but we made the most of what we had. I even climbed up to third at one point but when we caught the backmarkers, I got pushed a bit high and lost a lot of grip on the ‘marbles’. It wasn’t a bad result for the NTT DATA Car considering we started 12th, but for sure I think there was more in there.”
 
Jones will return to the fray this weekend (30 August - 2 September) for the Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway, the penultimate round on IndyCar’s 2018 schedule.

• Dubai-born Brit denied opportunity to fight for strong finish in Pennsylvania
• Chip Ganassi Racing ace left on back foot after picking up debris at start
• Quick turnaround before next outing at Gateway Motorsports Park on Saturday

Pocono Raceway is known in Verizon IndyCar Series circles as the ‘Tricky Triangle’ due to its challenging and unforgiving nature, and for Ed Jones, it more than lived up to that notorious moniker last weekend (18/19 August), as misfortune denied the talented young Dubai, UAE-born ace a strong finish.
 
Competing for Chip Ganassi Racing in his sophomore season at the pinnacle of US open-wheel competition, Jones has been consistently on the pace in 2018 but all-too-often out of luck behind the wheel of his 720bhp Dallara-Honda single-seater – and Pocono would serve up a similar story.
 
The unique, 2.5-mile triangular Pennsylvania oval played host to the 14th round of the campaign, and the former Indy Lights Champion and reigning IndyCar ‘Rookie of the Year’ overcame understeer to lap at an average speed of 216.547mph in qualifying, thereby putting the No.10 NTT DATA entry 12th on the grid amongst the 22 high-calibre contenders for Sunday’s ABC Supply 500.
 
That placed Jones ahead of the likes of championship-leading team-mate Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan – the most experienced driver in the current field – and oval specialist Ed Carpenter, and right behind 2017 pole-sitter Takuma Sato.
 
A long, punishing, 200-lap race lay in wait – although nobody could have predicted just how punishing it would be. A start-line collision towards the back of the pack instantly precipitated a full course caution, and at the second attempt to get proceedings underway, contact between Robert Wickens and Ryan Hunter-Reay sent the former spinning through the air and into the catch-fencing, bringing out the red flags.
 
Thankfully extricated from his car awake and alert, the Canadian was subsequently airlifted to hospital, where he is being treated for injuries to his lower extremities, right arm and spine as well as a pulmonary contusion.
 
Following a two-hour delay, Jones was due to take the re-start from eighth position, but he was immediately forced to pit to allow the Ganassi crew to replace his front wing and repair damage caused by debris from the accident. With teams not permitted to work on the cars under red flag conditions, the setback cost the 23-year-old Brit a lap in relation to the vast majority of his rivals, leaving him down in 15th and playing catch-up throughout.
 
Thereafter, he was routinely one of the quickest drivers on the circuit and ultimately regained three places to cross the chequered flag 12th, with a late charge bringing him to within a second of the driver ahead in 11th. A better fastest lap than four-time title-holder and erstwhile Pocono winner Dixon – who eventually finished third – proved Jones’ potential and what might have been.
 
The result nonetheless elevated the 2013 European F3 Open Champion a spot in the overall standings as he switches his focus now to the next outing on the fiercely-disputed IndyCar schedule – the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at Illionois’ Gateway Motorsports Park on Saturday, 25 August.
 
“Pocono is one of the toughest ovals you’re ever going to encounter,” reflected Jones, who is being coached this year by multiple IndyCar Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti. “It’s nicknamed the ‘Tricky Triangle’, which really sums it up and I was looking forward to the challenge – especially after two weekends away from the track.
 
“You’re always a little disappointed when you don’t line up near the front of the grid, but both CGR cars struggled a bit in qualifying – and with the final practice session being rained off, we didn’t get a lot of pre-race track time over the weekend, which limited the improvements we could make to the NTT DATA entry.
 
“The start of the race was pretty crazy, but we made it through. Obviously, we sat and waited for a while after the accident and it was great to hear the positive news on Robert [Wickens]. We picked up some damage and had to make repairs when we got going again. We went laps down after that, and from there just tried to adjust the NTT DATA car the best we could to get the most out of it.”

• Dubai-born Brit quick but out-of-luck in Honda Indy 200
• Puncture denies Ganassi ace top ten finish
• 23-year-old vows to ‘come back stronger’ at Pocono

Ed Jones is eager to banish the bad luck that has dogged him in recent weeks when the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series resumes in Pennsylvania next month, after seeing his strong turn-of-speed again scuppered by ill-fortune last weekend in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (27-29 July).
 
When Lady Luck has been on his side, Jones has impressed during his sophomore campaign at the fiercely-disputed pinnacle of US open-wheel competition, tallying six top ten finishes – including a brace of podiums – for Chip Ganassi Racing.
 
The 2016 Indy Lights Champion and 2017 IndyCar ‘Rookie of the Year’ looked primed for another eye-catching result at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – a challenging 13-turn, 2.258-mile road circuit characterised by sequences of fast, flowing corners each leading into the next.
 
In the first free practice session, Jones lapped sixth-quickest amongst the 24 high-calibre protagonists behind the wheel of his 720bhp Dallara-Honda single-seater, less than six hundredths-of-a-second adrift of four-time title-winning team-mate Scott Dixon – the third-most successful IndyCar driver in history and a man with five previous Mid-Ohio victories to his name, a record in the sport.
 
The talented young Dubai, UAE-born ace maintained that encouraging form with eighth position in FP2 – once more right on Dixon’s heels – and he was on-course to progress through to the Firestone Fast Six in qualifying when the red flags flew late on for an accident involving another car. That spelt a premature end to the action and restricted him to a disappointed 11th on the starting grid, around a circuit where overtaking opportunities are famously few-and-far-between.
 
“Mid-Ohio is a very difficult track,” Jones acknowledged. “Qualifying is extremely important there and one of the biggest keys to a great race. Having tested at the circuit the previous week, we came out-of-the-blocks fast with the No.10 DC Solar Honda in practice, with both Ganassi cars unloading well and showing good speed.
 
“That represented a really positive start and left us feeling optimistic for the rest of the weekend. We spent a lot of time focussed on trying to get into the ‘Fast Six’ in qualifying and were on a lap that was quick enough to achieve that when the late red flag came out. That was a tough break, because we had great pace and it’s frustrating when you know you have a fast car that can get you through to the next round but circumstances outside of your control keep you out.”
 
The former European F3 Open Champion made a bright start to the 90-lap race, but found himself baulked on the first lap and then further delayed by a spinning car ahead on lap two. He nonetheless advanced to ninth position early on, pushing hard and notably engaging in an entertaining wheel-to-wheel duel with six-time race-winner James Hinchcliffe.
 
Jones was running just outside the top ten and matching the leader for pace at mid-distance when he was forced to make an unscheduled pit visit to replace a punctured tyre, putting him a lap down. With no caution periods to help him regain ground, he went on to take the chequered flag 15th. A better fastest lap than the race-winner – and, indeed, three of the top four finishers – hinted at what might have been had he enjoyed a trouble-free weekend.
 
“It was a frustrating day for the DC Solar team,” reflected the 23-year-old Brit, who is being coached this year by multiple IndyCar Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti. “I think we had the pace and we should have been around seventh or eighth, but we made a call on strategy and got on what proved to be the wrong tyres. Unfortunately, everything we did from that point on made the race worse for us.
 
“To compound the situation, we then also picked up a puncture. It just seems like everything has gone against us recently no matter what we try to do, and that makes it look a lot worse than it is. Surely things will change around and we will come back stronger.”
 
Jones will return to the track on 18/19 August for the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway, the 14th of 17 races on the 2018 IndyCar calendar.

• Dubai-born Brit battles back from early delay on streets of Toronto
• Chip Ganassi Racing ace puts more points on the board on difficult weekend
• IndyCar sophomore duels wheel-to-wheel with defending champion

Ed Jones had to dig deep in yesterday’s Honda Indy Toronto (15 July), fighting hard to take the chequered flag nine places higher than he started on a gruelling day around the streets of the Canadian city.
 
Verizon IndyCar Series sophomore Jones boasts an excellent street circuit record and having finished on the podium in Toronto on his way up the Mazda Road to Indy ladder in Indy Lights, he returned in optimistic mood.
 
“I was really looking forward to the weekend,” acknowledged the talented young Dubai, UAE-born ace, who is being coached this year by multiple IndyCar Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti. “We were very quick in the last two street races in Detroit, and – Iowa aside – we arrived off the back of a positive recent run of results in the NTT DATA car, so the aim was to continue that good form.”
 
Jones lapped inside the top ten from the outset in the high-calibre, 23-strong field, focussing his free practice efforts on fine-tuning the set-up of his 720bhp Dallara-Honda single-seater to adapt to the ever-changing conditions and cope with the bumps that famously characterise the demanding 11-turn, 1.786-mile track – scene of the second longest-running street race in IndyCar history.
 
Another top ten performance in the final practice session – less than a quarter-of-a-second adrift of championship-leading Chip Ganassi Racing team-mate Scott Dixon, four times a title-winner at the fiercely-disputed pinnacle of US open-wheel competition – left the 23-year-old Brit feeling bullish about his prospects for qualifying, but the weather had other ideas.
 
The combination of rain and a fully dry set-up on the No.10 NTT DATA entry resulted in contact with the unforgiving barriers, costing Jones both his front wing and two fastest laps and restricting him to just 21st on the grid for the following day’s 85-lap contest – unaccustomed territory indeed.
 
Undeterred, the 2016 Indy Lights Champion and 2017 IndyCar ‘Rookie of the Year’ proved his potential with the sixth-best time in Sunday morning’s pre-race warm-up, before making a feisty start to rise four spots to 17th on the opening tour, subsequently picking up another place when a driver ahead made a mistake on lap five.
 
Swiftly settling into a multi-car scrap over 13th, Jones opted to make an off-sequence first pit-stop on lap 14 in a bid to leapfrog his immediate rivals around a circuit where overtaking is notoriously tricky, but a stalled engine cost him more than half-a-minute and dropped him to the tail of the pack.
 
Narrowly avoiding going a lap down, the former European F3 Open Champion confidently kept the race leader behind him in evidence of his raw pace and pushed hard to regain ground. Deftly navigating his way past a first corner mêlée not long before mid-distance – in which he came within literally inches of being wiped out – Jones went on to duel wheel-to-wheel with defending champion Josef Newgarden and former Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi. He had closed to within sight of a top ten finish by the chequered flag and ultimately flashed across the line in 12th at the end of a hot, humid and physically punishing encounter.
 
“That wasn’t the weekend we wanted,” he candidly reflected. “I was happy with the way we unloaded with the NTT DATA car in free practice, but qualifying was a tough one for us. It was the first time we had run in the wet all weekend and while the No.9 team elected to go with a full wet set-up, we went full dry. It obviously started raining, and we struggled for traction.
 
“On my lap, I just lost the rear end and there was nothing I could do about it. That was super frustrating, as we had time in the car to advance for sure. It left us with a lot of work to do in the race, but we knew we had good speed and we were well up for the fight.
 
“Unfortunately, however, things just didn’t seem to go our way again. With some early pit-stop strategy and the way the race played out we were able to make up nine positions, but we wanted more than that. Hopefully we can come back stronger at Mid-Ohio in a few weeks.”
 
The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will be the 13th of 17 outings on the 2018 IndyCar schedule and takes place on 27-29 July.