P J  J O N E S

B i o g r a p h y

When PJ Jones, oldest son of 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones, was a toddler, he slept in a bed shaped like a race car. As a baby, his parents took him to Indianapolis in the month of May and that's where he could be found for the next 25 years. It is not confirmed whether PJ had gasoline in his milk bottle, but nobody was surprised when he announced at age 13 that race driving would become his life.

He started in go-karts and quickly progressed to midgets where he won over 20 main events during the years 1986 to 1991. Despite his hectic schedule, he still had time to graduate from high school. He then went on to compete in the Firestone Firehawk and Indy Lights Series. There he caught the eye of Dan Gurney who at the time was looking for a driver for one of his Toyota Eagle GTP cars to be campaigned in the 1992 IMSA GTP Championship. PJ was chosen as a teammate to Juan Manuel Fangio II. He was an instant success scoring two victories and the "Most Improved Driver Award" in 1992

In 1993, PJ captured six pole positions and three race wins, the highlight being the Daytona 24 hour classic. He was runner up in the 1993 Driver's Championship and played a vital role in securing the GTP Manufacturer's Title for Toyota. After 1993, PJ began development work for all American Racers and Toyota on the Cart World Series in '96 and '97. He became the first driver to score points for Toyota with an impressive ninth place finish at the Detroit Grand Prix.

While PJ's lively intelligence and his solid and comprehensive knowledge about car set-up coupled with his natural driving ability make him the ideal race driver, he also has a great fondness for airplanes. He got his pilot's license in 1992 and owns a 609 A Aero Commander, which he flies to most of the races. "All the stuff I own lies around in that plane somewhere" he chuckles, "I use it like an old station wagon going across the country." Golf and boating are other passions and physical fitness along with a strict diet program are a must for the 5'10, 180 lb young athlete. His natural curiosity and ready smile serve him well while traveling in foreign countries. He fell in love with Australia and New Zealand while racing there some years ago. He makes his home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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