Jones Eager To Build on Outstanding Rookie Race This May at Indy
April 25, 2018 | By Paul Kelly, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
With all of the justified buzz surrounding Fernando Alonso’s performance last year in the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil, it was easy to forget the two-time Formula 1 World Champion was far from the top rookie finisher in the race.
Alonso qualified fifth, best among rookies, and led twice for 27 laps as the only rookie lap leader last year. But when the checkered flag fell, Alonso already was in street clothes because of a mechanical failure on Lap 180, credited with 24th place.
Ed Jones was the top rookie finisher, in third – just .5278 of a second behind winner Takuma Sato. Alonso still received the Sunoco Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award, but Jones’ sterling drive secured his status as a rising star in the Verizon IndyCar Series and a potential future new face on the Borg-Warner Trophy.
Jones, a native of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, entered last season as a relatively unknown rookie teammate to standout Sebastien Bourdais at Dale Coyne Racing. Jones’ performance during the entire Month of May was very much a mirror of his personality – quiet, composed and smart.
But Jones won’t sneak up on anyone this May. He will enter the 102nd Running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” as a potential winner based on last year’s success and also because of his new address – Chip Ganassi Racing. Jones moved to the powerhouse as the teammate to 2008 “500” winner and four-time series champion Scott Dixon during the offseason.
“I’m with an amazing team, Chip Ganassi Racing, representing NTT Data, which is a great position for me,” Jones said. “Knowing last year how at the same time I was really pleased with finishing third, I was still massively disappointed that I just missed the win by a half a second. That’s all it was. I’ve got to get that win soon.”
Jones is 11th in the series standings with two top-10 finishes, including a best of third earlier this month at Long Beach. He continues to acclimate to his new surroundings at Ganassi and working with the team, in addition to the pressure of being in the spotlight with one of IndyCar’s top teams.
The expectations are large. But Jones always can look back to last year for a successful blueprint for the Month of May, and he doesn’t plan on changing too much from that approach.
“My first Indianapolis 500 was incredible,” Jones said. “To go there as a rookie, I just missed the Fast Nine. I qualified 11th, and to race up front, it’s a long race, much longer than I expected. Knowing when to push and when to be conservative, that’s a massive point for the race.
“To finish third on the podium, the highest-placed rookie, was a big deal for me. It set me in great position for this year. Now I have that wealth of experience behind me. It gives me a great opportunity with Chip Ganassi Racing and the NTT Data car to push even harder and go for the win.”
There was far more to the learning process last year as a rookie for 2016 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires champion Jones than coping with the 500-mile distance of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” as Jones was accustomed to sprint races in Indy Lights, FIA European Formula 3 and Formula Renault.
Time management also was a huge skill to learn. The Indianapolis 500 is far from the longest race in global motorsport, but no other major event features two weeks of on-track buildup before the big show.
Jones admits he struggled with the grind last May before realizing that was normal for almost every first-year driver at Indianapolis.
“I kind of didn’t look at my calendar or schedule well before, and I kind of went day to day,” Jones said. “And it just kept going on with practice more and more days, so I was quite surprised.
“Being a rookie, you kind of take things a bit slow. You kind of take them in. At the same time, I think that was a great positive and gave me a benefit in the sense that I really thought about things, looked at them carefully. I think that approach was important.
“Although I’m not a rookie this year, I’m still taking ways that I approached last year the same way. I’m learning from everything as much as I can.”