Ed Jones Qualifying Summary:
Ed Jones qualified the No. 18 SealMaster – Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan Honda eighth for the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES finale, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit in Long Beach, CA.
Jones went out in Group 2 in Round 1 of qualifying and posted a fast time of 1:08.8772 putting him sixth on the speed charts of the 14 drivers in his group.
In the second round, Jones ran a quick lap of 1:08.8153, the eighth fastest of the 12 drivers.
However, he was later penalized for not reducing his speed by 20% during a local yellow. As a result he lost his fastest time. His second fastest lap, 1:08.8797 puts him ninth on the starting grid for tomorrow’s race.
Ed Jones Qualifying Quote:
“It’s been a solid weekend so far for the SealMaster Honda team. The car was good in practice and we made progress each session. We qualified ninth, which is a good starting position, and we can work to move forward during the race.”
Ed Jones Fast Facts:
The ninth place starting spot ties Jones’ third best of the season. He qualified fourth at Detroit Race 1, eighth at Portland and ninth for the Indy GP.
This is his best starting spot in four attempts at Long Beach surpassing his previous high of 13th in 2017 and 2018. In three previous races he has two top-10 finishes with a best showing of third in 2018 (sixth in 2017).
The 2021 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will be Jones’ 63rd career NTT INDYCAR SERIES start and fourth on the streets of Long Beach.
Jones’ has finished in the top-10 three times this season. His best finish is sixth at Nashville. He placed ninth at Detroit Race 1 and 10th at Laguna Seca.
Jones is contesting his fourth NTT INDYCAR season and first with Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan.
In 62 career INDYCAR SERIES starts, Jones has earned 17 top-10 finishes including three podium performances, third at Indy in 2017, and third at Long Beach and Detroit Race 2 in 2018. Jones’ best qualifying position is fourth, Detroit Race 1 this year, the Indianapolis 500 in 2019 and the Detroit Race 2 in 2018.
Jones was the 2017 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year and was the top-rookie finisher in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, placing third.
Jones, 26, was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (of British citizenship) and currently resides in Miami, Florida.
Race Broadcast:
The 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, will be broadcast live, September 26, on NBCSN at 3:00 p.m. ET.
dalecoyneracing.com 