05-04-2025
Brandon Jones Holds Off NASCAR Cup Regulars to Win Xfinity Series Race at Darlington
Brandon Jones broke his 98-race winless streak dating back to 2022 on Saturday evening at Darlington Raceway after reuniting with Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2025 season. Jones spent the last two seasons at Jr Motorsports, where he went winless. This win marks Jones' sixth career win and second at Darlington Raceway.
After starting on the outside pole, Jones spent the majority of the race in the top ten, finishing stage one in sixth and taking the lead for the first time off the stage brake caution's pit stop. The JGR driver improved to fourth in stage two.
Jones was leading the final stage, and the three Cup drivers of Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, and Ross Chastain were all racing behind him in the top five. In an aggressive attempt to make it to the front, Chastain rubbed Bell, leading to a wrinkled fender for Chastain and a tire rub for Bell. Jones' JGR teammate was a heavy favorite to take the win at Darlington before his contact with Chastain.
Elliott, in his one Xfinity start of the 2025 season, was unable to chase down Jones on the final 13-lap sprint to the checkered flag. Both Jones and Elliott restarted on the bottom, and Jones got out to an early lead, but Elliott didn't start cutting into the lead in the final few laps. The Hendrick Motorsports regular settles for second ahead of Xfinity Series Championship points leader Justin Allgaier.
"I got to where I wanted to and I was just tight there," Elliott told The CW Sports. "I couldn't turn and finally started to turn a little better and started making some time on him with two or three to go, at that point, we were just out of time. It was a crazy day, a lot going on."
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