If Jones was interested, Williams could make a few calls. He just needed Jones\u2019 resume, his football highlight tape, and a paragraph explaining why he was interested in NASCAR.<\/p>\n
\u201cI literally just got sent home from Buffalo, I don’t know what I’m about to do with my life,\u201d Jones said. \u201cI got that to him in 15 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimately, he didn\u2019t sign with Hendrick Motorsports. In the recruiting process, Jones just felt more at home with Team Penske, like Clemson.<\/p>\n
Like a football player, Jones is always training, working on his get-off speed to a car, improving his feel for popping a wheel into place, and building the grip strength to better control a wheel gun.<\/p>\n
Racing teams would rather train up athletes, rather than everyday mechanics, because they thrive under pressure. They move fast, shaving tenths of a second to get a car across the finish line first.<\/p>\n
Jones is in Team Penske\u2019s \u201cbullpen,\u201d meaning he can sub for another pit crew member, if needed, but he\u2019s still in training. Unassigned to a car, Jones readily pops into Clemson as a familiar face in a slightly different uniform.<\/p>\n
When it was announced in March that NASCAR reps attended Clemson\u2019s pro day, the attendees were actually Jones and Penske\u2019s development coach, Greg Keziah<\/a>.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s visit from Penske was a long-awaited follow-up to Clemson\u2019s P.A.W. Journey<\/a> trip to a Las Vegas race track. Penske would bring pit road to the Tigers\u2019 fall camp.<\/p>\n Jones had no idea until a week or two ago that Logano would be the driver.<\/p>\n