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Best season ever for veteran dragster driver

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Dragster driver Jeff Jones

During the week, you’ll find Jeff Jones behind the wheel of a tractor or pickup truck. But on the weekend, the nine-year maintenance technician for the city of Beloit can be found driving at speeds of more than 155 mph behind the wheel of a 2002 Danny Nelson Race Craft dragster at Midwest drag strips.

“I love that car,” Jones said. “I could sit in the pits, lay back, and go to sleep in that car.”

The 52-year-old Jones, who competes in both NHRA and IHRA sanctioned bracket races, has been driving dragsters for 30 years.

This year has been his best ever.

Jones has reached the finals four times this season and won the $5,000 top prize at the Big Bucks Bracket Bash July 25 in the Super Pro division at the Byron Dragway.

“The car worked, I was on the tree and it all came together,” Jones said.

He began his season in April and leads the track championship point standings in the Super Pro division at Byron. He leads second place Bob Anderson Jr. of Freeport by two points.

At No. 1, Jones has qualified for the IHRA Summit Super Series Race of Champions this weekend (Sept. 18-19) at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich.

“Byron racers are some of the best in the country, so when you can win there — it’s very, very rewarding,” Jones said. “My goal is I want to go to Rockingham.”

That would mean he qualified this weekend for the IHRA World Championships in October in Rockingham, N.C.

Read the full story in the e-edition of The Stateline News, PAGE 12..