OG Jeff Jones Steps Up his Formula Drift Series Potential with AEM Performance
- Oct 14, 2013
"As a smaller team we are considered underdogs. It is true," confirms Jones. "I think it puts us really close to most of our fans. There is not much of a gap between the bridge. I think that's why our fans really support what we are doing when they are cheering us on. A lot of my energy comes from talking to the fans during the breaks. Passing down my knowledge to them gives me a positive feeling." Jones first caught scent of drifting at a RSR drift event at Irwindale Speedway, before that road racing was the direction he was steering. Then in 2005 he started attending Drift Day and Just Drift events, with the intended goal of becoming a pro. "In late 2008 I was granted a license (Formula Drift Pro License)," Jones says. "I competed as a professional for the first time in April 2009 at Round 1of the Streets of Long Beach and made it into Top-16."
In his notable debut Jones piloted his first Formula Drift competition car, a Nissan S13 powered by a massive 1JZ engine, and he took out the veteran racer Daijiro Yoshihara in Top-32 in the process. Fans immediately connected with the passionate driver's pizzazz. "My driving has been described as hard-charging and 'gangster' style, and that would probably be because of the amount of wall taps and scrapes," admits Jones. "I try to always go as hard as I can - 120%. I don't have an 80%. But at the same time I know I may have more wrecks then others."
"Reaching our way up the ladder to a podium position is always the goal. I know it will take us a bit to get there. With our current setup we are progressing much faster this year. Sinister Design built an amazing car for me to drive. The Hankook tires are a huge step for us. I really feel that they are the best tires in the field. I'm hoping to make a huge leap forward next year. CX Racing plans on putting in some more power next year to match the rest of the field." AEM saw the potential for Jones to make a number of huge leaps forward as well, and at the beginning of the season they signed him on to represent AEM in the Formula Drift series. "AEM came in as a sponsor in a big way for us this year," adds Jones. "We all know they make a great product. I actually had AEM's products on the car before they started helping us out. I'm grateful they helped us out a lot on the backend of racing. AEM has really made us look good this year. They really care who they work with. The Jeff Jones Racing team is stoked to work with an awesome company like AEM." Jones runs AEM tube bends, as well as an AEM Dryflow air filter. Use the AEM Product Search to find AEM performance products for your vehicle. To find an AEM dealer near you, use Search for AEM Dealer or simply visit AEMintakes.com. |
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