Jagger Jones
Jagger Jones (born July 29, 2002) is an American professional racing driver from Scottsdale, Arizona. He is the grandson of 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones and the son of former NASCAR and IndyCar driver P.J. Jones.[1] He competes primarily in sports car racing, including the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge in the LMP3 class and the Mazda MX-5 Cup, while having previously raced in open-wheel series such as INDY NXT by Firestone and the USF2000 Championship.[2][3][4] Jones began his motorsport career in go-karting around the age of six, amassing multiple national championships in the United States and Europe before transitioning to professional racing.[5] At age 14, he entered late model stock car racing, earning Rookie of the Year in the 2017 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (California Division 1) and winning the 2018 Kern County Raceway championship. He debuted in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in 2019, finishing as vice-champion with one victory and earning Rookie of the Year.[6][7][8] In 2022, Jones shifted to open-wheel racing, finishing fourth overall in the USF2000 Championship with Cape Motorsports, highlighted by multiple podiums including a win at the Streets of St. Petersburg.[9][2] He progressed to INDY NXT by Firestone in 2023, placing 13th in the standings during his rookie season with the same team.[2] In 2024, after a limited INDY NXT appearance, Jones focused on sports cars, driving the No. 87 Duqueine D08 for FastMD Racing with Remstar in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, where he recorded eight victories, secured first in the team championship, and finished second in the drivers' standings.[2][10][11] In 2025, Jones competed in the LMP3 class of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, with appearances including Mid-Ohio and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, alongside a commitment to the Mazda MX-5 Cup with BSI Racing in the No. 86 car, where he finished 37th in the standings highlighted by a podium at Martinsville.[2][4][3][12] Outside of racing, he is a graduate of High Point University, having earned a degree in business administration from 2020 to 2023 while maintaining strong academic performance.[13][14]Background
Early life
Jagger Jones was born on July 29, 2002, in Charlotte, North Carolina.[15] He relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of four, where he was raised.[16] As the son of professional racer P.J. Jones, who co-drove to victory in the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona, and the grandson of 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones, Jones entered motorsports as part of a third-generation racing legacy.[17][18] Jones began competing in karting at age nine, participating in events throughout the United States and Europe.[19] Over the next five years, he amassed multiple national titles in junior categories, highlighted by his win in the 2014 SKUSA ProTour National Championship in the TaG Cadet class.[20][19] He also represented the United States in the Karting Academy Trophy series in Europe during 2015 and 2016.[20] By age 14 in 2016, Jones had established himself as a top junior karter, prompting his transition to higher formulas around 2016–2017, where he began preparing for single-seater and stock car racing.[19][20]Education
Jagger Jones attended Notre Dame Preparatory School in Scottsdale, Arizona, graduating in May 2020.[16] During his high school years, he balanced a rigorous academic schedule with an intensive racing commitment, including competitions in NASCAR's regional stock car series that required travel across Arizona and California.[16][15] After high school, Jones enrolled at High Point University in High Point, North Carolina, where he pursued a bachelor's degree in business administration with minors in finance and economics.[21] He completed the program in 3.5 years, graduating in December 2023, while actively competing in professional racing series.[22] This accelerated timeline highlights his ability to manage the demands of extensive travel and race weekends alongside coursework.[13]NASCAR career
K&N Pro Series
Jones made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West debut in 2019 as a 16-year-old rookie, driving the No. 6 Ford for Sunrise Ford Racing.[6] He competed in all 14 races, securing one victory at All American Speedway, eight top-five finishes, and 11 top-10 results. Jones finished second in the drivers' standings behind champion Derek Kraus and was awarded Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.[8][23]Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted national racing schedules, including a postponement of the ARCA Menards Series West season until July with a reduced schedule of only six events.[24] Jones focused on local short-track racing and competed in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series at Irwindale Speedway, participating in the LKQ Pick Your Part Late Model division during the season-opening event on June 13, 2020, which marked the track's return to action after a pandemic-induced hiatus.[25][26] Driving the No. 26 Chevrolet, Jones adapted quickly to the demanding short-track oval environment at the 0.5-mile facility, finishing fourth in the first 35-lap feature race after starting mid-pack and battling through competitive traffic.[25] In the second 35-lap feature of the night, he placed eighth, gaining valuable experience in close-quarters racing and tire management on the banked asphalt. These starts represented his only appearances in the series that year, as subsequent national opportunities remained limited by ongoing health protocols and logistical challenges. The outing served as a bridge from his prior national touring success in the K&N Pro Series West, further developing his oval-track proficiency ahead of his later transition to open-wheel disciplines.[25]Open-wheel career
USF2000 Championship
Jagger Jones entered open-wheel racing in the 2022 USF2000 Championship, competing as a rookie for Cape Motorsports in the No. 3 Tatuus USF-22 chassis powered by a Mazda MZR engine.[19] Over 18 starts across the season's tripleheader weekends, primarily on road courses with one oval event, Jones achieved one victory, five podium finishes, and three pole positions, culminating in a fourth-place finish in the drivers' championship with 294 points.[27][28] His breakthrough win came on his fourth start at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, where he started third and led the final 10 laps to hold off a late charge from teammate Michael d'Orlando.[29] Representative podiums included a third-place finish in the season-opening race on the Streets of St. Petersburg and another third at Barber, highlighting his rapid adaptation from stock car ovals to the agile handling of formula cars on technical road layouts.[30][10] These results earned Jones the USF2000 Rookie of the Year honors, recognizing his consistent top-five pace and potential in the series.[28][31] The strong debut paved the way for his promotion to Indy NXT with Cape Motorsports in 2023, marking a direct progression through the Road to Indy ladder.[31]Indy NXT
Jagger Jones made his debut in the Indy NXT series during the 2023 season, joining Cape Motorsports as a rookie driver in the No. 98 entry. The series utilizes the Dallara IL-15 chassis powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged AER engine producing 450 horsepower, fitted with Firestone Firehawk tires.[32][33] Competing in 13 of the 14 races, Jones recorded multiple top-10 finishes, highlighted by a career-best second place in the first race of the doubleheader at the Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear.[10][34] Despite these results, the season was marked by consistency challenges, including mechanical issues at events like the Indianapolis Grand Prix, leading to a 13th-place finish in the drivers' championship with 241 points.[35][36] In 2024, Jones returned to Indy NXT for a one-off appearance with HMD Motorsports, substituting for Niels Koolen in the No. 33 car at the Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. Starting 19th after qualifying, he gained six positions to finish 13th in the 35-lap race.[10][37][38] The team switch and limited schedule reflected Jones's broader racing commitments, while his Indy NXT tenure, following success in the USF2000 Championship, advanced his development as a prospect for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.[39]Sports car career
IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge
Jagger Jones made his debut in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge during the 2023 season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, competing in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class with Remstar Racing in the No. 87 Duqueine D08 Nissan.[40] In his first race on October 11, Jones secured the LMP3 pole position with a lap time of 1:25.041 but encountered a bobble at Turn 10 on the first lap, allowing the lead to be taken, followed by late-race contact with lapped traffic resulting in a penalty and a seventh-place finish.[40] The following day, October 12, he again claimed pole with a time of 1:17.184 and led much of the 45-minute sprint until a mechanical issue caused a stop at the start/finish line with two laps remaining, finishing seventh.[41] These two outings marked Jones's introduction to prototype racing, where his prior open-wheel experience helped with quick adaptation to the Duqueine D08's handling despite no podium finishes.[42] In 2024, Jones joined FastMD Racing with Remstar for a full-season campaign in the same No. 87 Duqueine D08, contesting 10 races across five doubleheader weekends while missing the season-opening Daytona event. He demonstrated immediate dominance, sweeping both races at St. Petersburg in March with victories by margins of over five seconds each, setting the tone for his championship challenge.[43] Jones continued this form with another sweep at Mid-Ohio in June, leading wire-to-wire in the second race by 7.405 seconds despite building a lead as large as 13 seconds.[44] At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in July, he won the second race after an eighth-place finish in the opener, rebounding with a strong drive in the wet nightcap despite a stomach illness.[45] Jones's season highlights included sweeps at Virginia International Raceway in August, where he claimed his sixth and seventh wins in commanding fashion, extending his streak to five consecutive victories entering the VIR rounds.[46] At VIR, he navigated a mid-race incident unscathed to win the opener by a significant margin over runner-up Steven Aghakhani.[47] The campaign concluded at Road Atlanta in October, where a fourth in the first race was followed by a flag-to-flag victory in the finale, clinching the LMP3 team championship for FastMD Racing despite Jones finishing second in the driver standings with 3310 points.[48] Overall, Jones amassed eight wins in 10 starts, showcasing adaptability to the series' 45-minute sprint format integrated into larger IMSA endurance weekends, often leveraging the Duqueine D08's reliability and his precise qualifying pace for seven pole positions.[49] In 2025, Jones continued with FastMD Racing with Remstar in the No. 87 Duqueine D08 in the LMP3 class, with entries including Mid-Ohio in June and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in October.[4][3][50]Other sports car series
In 2025, Jagger Jones expanded his sports car racing portfolio beyond IMSA's VP Racing SportsCar Challenge by competing in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin, driving the No. 86 Mazda MX-5 for BSI Racing.[2] He made three starts in the spec-series, beginning with the season-opening weekend at Daytona International Speedway in January, where he finished nineteenth in Race 1 and fifth in Race 2.[1] Jones paused his MX-5 campaign mid-season to focus on other commitments but returned for the finale at Martinsville Speedway on October 23, securing a third-place podium finish in a photo-finish battle for the win.[12] These results contributed to a 29th-place finish in the drivers' standings with 480 points, highlighting his adaptability in the competitive one-make series despite limited appearances.[51] Jones also ventured into the Pirelli GT4 America Series in the Pro-Am class, partnering with Farhan Siddiqi in the No. 20 Audi R8 LMS GT4 for FASTMD Racing with Remstar Racing.[52] The duo was entered for early-season events including Circuit of the Americas in April but did not start, making their debut at Sebring International Raceway in May for rounds four and five, where they faced challenges and finished outside the podium positions with limited points.[53][54] This move into GT4 racing provided Jones with valuable experience in grand touring machinery and multi-driver formats, complementing his prior TC-class success.[55]Personal life
Family
Jagger Jones is the son of former professional racer P.J. Jones and Jolaina Jones. His father, P.J. Jones, enjoyed a diverse career across multiple motorsport disciplines, including a victory in the 1993 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, co-driven with Rocky Moran and Mark Dismore in a Toyota Eagle prototype. P.J. Jones also competed in NASCAR's Cup Series over 33 races from 1990 to 2011 and in IndyCar, with notable starts in the Indianapolis 500 in 2004 and 2006, finishing 19th in the latter.[17][56][57][58] Jones is the grandson of motorsport icon Parnelli Jones and his wife, Judy Jones, who were married for nearly 57 years until Parnelli's death in 2024. Parnelli Jones won the 1963 Indianapolis 500 and established himself as an off-road racing pioneer, securing victories in the Baja 1000 in 1971 and 1972 while also competing successfully in IndyCar, NASCAR, and Trans-Am series. The family's multigenerational involvement in racing—spanning three generations at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway—has profoundly shaped Jagger's path, offering inspirational guidance and historical context for his ambitions, including aspirations to compete in the Indy 500.[59][60][58] Jagger has a younger brother, Jace Jones, who follows the family tradition through karting and junior off-road racing, including participation in the NORRA Mexican 1000 alongside his brother. The Jones family's legacy provides essential support for Jagger's career, facilitating introductions to sponsors and teams through established racing networks and shared facilities for training and development. Jagger's early karting experiences were directly influenced by this familial environment, fostering his initial passion for the sport.[61][62][58]Interests and sponsorships
Jagger Jones holds a business degree with a minor in finance and economics from High Point University, where he maintained Dean's List status as part of the Business Fellowship program. He applies this education to racing entrepreneurship through Jagger Jones Racing LLC, which manages his professional endeavors, including branding and sponsorship negotiations. The company's website serves as a central platform for promoting his career, sharing updates, and engaging with fans, reflecting his strategic approach to building a personal brand in motorsports.[22][63] Beyond racing, Jones maintains an active social media presence, particularly on Instagram where he has over 66,000 followers, using the platform to share behind-the-scenes content, race highlights, and personal insights to foster fan engagement and expand his reach. He also pursues public speaking opportunities to discuss his career and the racing industry. While specific fitness routines are not publicly detailed, his commitment to physical preparation supports his demanding racing schedule. Jones's sponsorship portfolio has evolved from early family-supported deals to independently secured partnerships via his LLC. Initial backers included Sunrise Ford Racing during his 2019 K&N Pro Series West rookie season. Subsequent collaborators feature TotalSim US for simulation technology support in his 2022 USF2000 campaign and Fast MD Racing as a primary sponsor across multiple series, including the Mazda MX-5 Cup. In 2024, he partnered with Adriel Foster Care for select Indy NXT events, highlighting his involvement in philanthropy focused on supporting foster children through awareness and fundraising efforts.[16][64][2][65]Racing record
Career highlights
Jagger Jones earned NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Rookie of the Year honors in 2019 after a strong debut season that included his first career victory at All American Speedway and a runner-up finish in the championship standings.[8][66] In 2022, he claimed USF2000 Rookie of the Year with a win at Barber Motorsports Park, five podiums, and a fourth-place points finish.[67] Jones demonstrated dominance in the 2024 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, securing eight victories, eight pole positions, and a second-place drivers' championship result while helping his team clinch the title.[2] His overall career statistics as of November 2025 include 10 wins, 19 podiums, and 11 pole positions across 67 race entries.[1]Complete race results
Jagger Jones has competed in 67 races (65 starts) across various series as of November 18, 2025, accumulating 10 wins, 19 podium finishes, 11 pole positions, and 8 fastest laps, with 2 DNFs recorded and an average finishing position of approximately 7.2.[1][53]Overall Career Summary
| Metric | Total |
|---|---|
| Starts | 67 |
| Wins | 10 |
| Podiums | 19 |
| Poles | 11 |
| Fastest Laps | 8 |
| DNFs | 2 |
| Average Finish | 7.2 |
NASCAR Series Summary
Jones's NASCAR experience is primarily in the K&N Pro Series West, with additional earlier stock car racing in 2017-2018 including rookie honors and vice-champion status. His 2019 season marked his K&N Pro Series debut.| Series | Years | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | DNFs | Avg. Finish | Championship Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K&N Pro Series West | 2017-2019 | 20 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 | 2nd (2018-2019) |
Open-Wheel Series Summary
Jones progressed through the Road to Indy ladder, competing in USF2000 and Indy NXT with consistent top finishes but limited wins.| Series | Years | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | DNFs | Avg. Finish | Championship Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USF2000 | 2022 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6.5 | 4th |
| Indy NXT | 2023 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.1 | 13th |
Sports Car Series Summary
Jones's sports car career emphasizes prototype and GT racing, with dominant results in IMSA's VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and limited but active participation in 2025 endurance series.| Series | Years | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | DNFs | Avg. Finish | Championship Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge (LMP3) | 2024 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1.8 | 2nd (Driver), 1st (Team) |
| Mazda MX-5 Cup | 2024-2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15.3 | 37th (2025 partial) |
| Pirelli GT4 America (Pro-Am) | 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 28.0 | Unclassified |