In a gritty show of determination, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones outran NASCAR Cup Series regular and former champion Chase Elliott to the finish line. The road to Jones’ win was long and tough for the 28-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, but he made a statement, proving his mettle at the 1.3-mile track.
The No. 20 JGR Toyota looked impressive, and so did its driver, Jones, who snapped his 98-race winless streak in the Xfinity Series.
Brandon Jones Tames Darlington, Wins First Race in 3 Years
Starting just behind pole winner Christopher Bell, Jones raced with one goal — to win. And in a display of strategy and self-belief, Jones outgunned Elliott in the final stretch to pull ahead by 1.105 seconds over HMS’ poster driver.
The win marks the Atlanta native’s sixth career victory in NASCAR’s second-tier series and ends a long slump. Jones last won in 2022 at Martinsville Speedway.
The race itself saw 14 lead changes among nine different drivers. Although it looked like a battle between JRM teammates Ross Chastain and Justin Allgaier up front, the former quickly passed his teammate until a caution slowed his momentum.
As the race went on, it turned into a three-way fight with Cup Series regulars Elliott, Chastain, and Bell all in the mix. But Chastain made contact with both, sending them into the wall to take the lead.
Still, Chastain lost track position after another round of pit stops, which opened the door for Jones. Taking advantage, he stayed out on old tires, and that move ultimately sealed Jones the win and ended his winless streak.
Reflecting on the victory, Jones shared his excitement in the post-race press conference. He said, “This is just one I wanted to make a statement in. Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, some extremely talented Cup drivers in this field today. Sam McAulay, these Joe Gibbs Racing guys, this pit crew, unbelievable. That’s what it takes to win these races. Everyone needs to be bought in, everybody’s got to be at their highest level.”
As for the rest of the field, Elliott finished second, followed by Allgaier and Chastain in third and fourth, respectively. Meanwhile, contact with Chastain knocked Bell out of contention, and he ended up 25th.
With the win, Jones moved up to No. 7 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings, with four top-10s and two top-five finishes. But now, he’s looking for more, and this might be the turnaround he’s been hoping for.