Levi Jones Captures Second
USAC National Sprint Series Championship
Chevrolet Powers Tony Stewart Racing to Driver and Owner Titles
PHOENIX (Nov. 10,
2007) – Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) driver Levi Jones clinched his second
USAC National Sprint Car Series championship by virtue of his fourth-place
finish in Friday night’s 25-lap Western World preliminary feature at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix. Jones’
championship via his No. 20 TSR/Chevrolet/Maxim is the first USAC title for
Chevrolet, which entered the longstanding open-wheel series this season as TSR’s primary sponsor and engine provider.
The championship
also marked the seventh USAC title for Tony Stewart the car owner, as well
as his second straight in the Sprint Car division.
J.J. Yeley, Stewart’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, earned a
USAC Sprint Car championship for TSR in 2003. And in a co-owner role
with Bob East, TSR won four straight USAC Silver Crown championships from
2002 to 2005 with a handful of drivers that included Yeley,
Kasey Kahne and Dave
Steele. TSR’s Sprint Car crown in 2006 came
via Josh Wise, who has since moved up the racing ladder, where he’s a
development driver for Michael Waltrip Racing,
competing in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and
the NASCAR Busch Series.
“When I won my
first Sprint Car title in 2005, it was a huge milestone in my career,” said
the 25-year-old Jones, who hails from Olney , Ill. “Winning a second
championship this weekend means just as much as the first title did, maybe
more. I am so glad we were able to finish the season this way.
It’s really exciting to be able to present Chevrolet with its first USAC
championship. The TSR team didn’t give up, and their hard work and
dedication put me in a position to win at every event this season.
“It was also
great to have Tony (Stewart) with us for this weekend. I really
appreciate the opportunity he’s given me in being a part of his team, and
I’m glad I was able to win a championship for him and the guys. My
family has also been behind me all season long, and having them here in Phoenix for this
weekend was pretty special.”
Leading into
Friday night’s event, Jones carried an 89-point advantage over his nearest
challenger, Darren Hagen. After qualifying the No. 20
TSR/Chevrolet/Maxim in the sixth position, Jones transferred from the first
heat race to claim a front row starting position for the feature event.
Jones led the first three laps and took the checkered flag in fourth-place
after lapped traffic slowed his advance on the final restart.
With confirmation
that the title was locked up, Jones was looking forward to Saturday night’s
Western World finale.
“I was really
relieved that the championship didn’t go down to Saturday night,” Jones
said. “I’m glad we’re able to focus on going after the victory and
the money in the finale. When I won in 2005, it came down to the
final night at Manzanita. Knowing that we
have it won heading into tonight’s race is a real confidence booster.
The boss (Stewart) told me Friday night after we won to have fun and to go
for the win, and that’s exactly how we’ll approach this race.”
Stewart, who made
the commute from Phoenix International Raceway to Manzanita
after qualifying for the Checker Auto Parts 500k NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
race, was obviously pleased with his race team’s results.
“With Levi
clinching the championship on Friday night, it really took the stress off
and allowed the team to focus on Saturday night’s finale,” Stewart said.
“I’m extremely proud of the entire TSR operation, and I believe it’s
a testament to our racing teams that we’ve been able to continue our
success into this season. Levi is an outstanding driver and I’m very
happy that he was able to win his second Sprint Car title as a part of
TSR. When we hired him in 2006, we knew we were getting a champion.
“I’m also
extremely proud to have Chevrolet as part of my open-wheel program.
It’s a privilege to present them with their first ever USAC
championship. They’ve put a lot of effort and dedication into helping
TSR move forward with our USAC and World of Outlaws teams, and it’s an
honor to have them, as well as our other sponsors, as part of this
championship.”
For more
information regarding TSR or Chevrolet, visit www.tonystewartracing.com
or www.chevrolet.com.
-TSR-
Levi Jones:
Driver of the No. 20 TSR/Chevrolet/Maxim USAC National Sprint Car
Date of Birth: 6.10.82
Hometown:
Olney, Ill.
Residence:
Brownsburg, Ind.
Marital Status: Single
Children:
None
Crew Chief:
Bubby Jones
Highlights:
2007 USAC National Sprint Car Series Champion…Earned Runner-Up Honors in
the 2006 USAC Sprint Series championship…Won his first USAC Sprint Series
title in 2005…Earned a series-high five USAC Sprint Series feature event
victories in 2005…Named as the inaugural O’Reilly Sprint Bandits Champion
in 2005 after sweeping four of five events en route to the title…Voted as
Driver of the Year by the North American Non-winged Sprint Car Panel…Won
the 2004 USAC Indiana Sprint Week Series Championship…Earned national
attention by winning the inaugural USAC Sprint Series event at The Dirt
Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 2004…Finished third in the USAC Sprint
Series Championship in 2003…Was named as the USAC Sprint Series Most
Improved Driver in 2001…Began racing 410 sprint cars in 1998 at the age of
16.
