Clay Jones Overcoming Learning Curve in Super Late Model Return

When Clay Jones retuned to Super Late Model racing in last year’s Snowball Derby, he knew he had a steep learning curve ahead of him.  After all, it has been some four years since his previous stint in the Straight Rail cars.

Now, Jones finds himself overcoming that learning curve and contending in the Championship Auto Racing Series (CARS) Super Late Model Tour.  Jones finished fourth in Saturday night’s Don’t Tread On Me 250 presented by Military Missions in Action at Southern National Motorsports Park, a track he has logged a lot of laps at, and thinks he’s heading the right direction,

“I’m proud of everybody,” Jones said after the race.  “We worked so hard.  The race before this was the worst we have run in a long time.  To bounce back and have a top-five finish, we can’t ask for much more.”

In the past few years, Jones had been running in a Late Model Stock Car at Wake County Speedway, where he won the championship last season, and in a Limited Late Model at Southern National Motorsports Park where he won a championship in 2013.  This year, he’s put all his effort into Super Late Model racing.

“We’ve put our car to the side, running this full time,” Jones commented.  “We’re doing all we can, learning every week.  We’re getting there, getting better every week.”

Jones has previously raced at the Snowball Derby, making the field in his first ever attempt, and in the Winchester 400.  Jones actually finished in 10^th in the 2006 Snowball Derby in spite of an accident.  Jones again plans to race at the high banks of Winchester and in the Derby.

“We went to the Snowball last year,” Jones remarked.  “That was my first time in a Super in about four years so that was a big experience.  We’re learning.  We’re used to the Late Model Stock Car stuff and, all this Super stuff is all new again.  We’re learning week to week and we’re all working together and getting better every week.  Hopefully we’ll be up there battling for the win soon.”

Being out of a Super Late Model for so long put Jones behind in terms of having to catch up in terms of how technological and mechanical advances have improved the racecars over the past few years.  Jones feels that’s natural in every form of racing, but he’s still learning new things nevertheless.

“Racing itself changes all the time,” Jones explained.  “You’ve got to keep up with everything, just us getting back in the groove of stuff.  You get used to working with Late Model Stock stuff, coil binding and bump stops.  To get back in the groove, learning the bump stops, learning what to change, makes you do what you wanted to do.”

Jones’ fourth place finish in Saturday night’s CARS Tour race at Southern National Motorsports Park certainly gives him reason to be confident about finding victory lane.

“I think a win is coming,” Jones stated.  “We’re learning and that’s all we can do, get better every week.  I think we’re doing that.”

Clay Jones’ fourth place finish was his best finish in the CARS Super Late Model Tour this season.  He will continue racing in the series which heads to Tri-County Motor Speedway on Friday, June 12^th.