Birmingham: Dubai-born Ed Jones was on course for a third top-10 Indy Car Series finish in four starts this season before mechanical issues saw him finish 20th in Birmingham, Alabama, on Monday.
Last season’s Rookie of the Year, who moved from Dale Coyne to Chip Ganassi over the winter, is now 11th in the overall driver’s standings, following eighth, 20th and third-place finishes from the first three events.
Starting from 12th on the grid on Sunday, Jones made his way into the top 10 by lap 14 before the race was postponed until the next day due to torrential rain and dangerous conditions. In Monday’s restart Jones got as high as sixth before mechanical problems set him back to 20th.
“After such a great result at Long Beach, I was really excited to get back in the car,” he said. “I tried to attack in the early stages of the race, but it was very difficult. I just couldn’t see a thing. It was probably the worst visibility I’ve ever known. I was going into corners blind trusting my feeling to judge when to brake. Maybe I could have been more aggressive, but I didn’t think it was worth the risk in such tough conditions.
“We were making progress the next day, but we had mechanical issues. It was really unfortunate for our race to end that way, but on the other hand the crew did an amazing job once again. Our pit stops and strategy were great, and we were on-course for another very strong finish.”
Jones is now turning his attention to Indianapolis on May 12 and May 27 for round five and six of the 17-stage season. This is where he finished third — his best result last season and his first Indy Car career podium — in the iconic Indy 500 race.
“We’re heading in the right direction as a team and continuing to improve and try different tactics to get results. I understand these things take time and sometimes I get frustrated, but I know we have the tools to win and that’s the goal each weekend. Now we get ready for the biggest month of our season — Indy Car’s ‘Month of May’.
