Meet the Co-Drivers: Andrew Jones, BJR 8

Despite the team having had a test day since the last V8 Supercar event (and co-driver session) Andrew Jones hasn’t had any additional time in the #8 Team BOC Holden Commodore he is set to share with Jason Bright for the Endurance Cup.

“I was one of the lucky co-drivers – Brighty didn’t actually share his car with me!” the 33-year old said of the test.

The team had some delays, so rather than Jones run 10 or 15 laps at the test, they decided the time would be better-spent ticking items off the check list.

Jones will be in the car this weekend during Practice at this weekend’s Coates Hire Ipswich 360.

The first 30 minutes of the first 75-minute practice session is reserved just for co-drivers.

While many have said the Car of the Future feels similar to the old V8 Supercar, Jones didn’t agree after his stint in Townsville.

“I drove out the gate and down pitlane and there were a lot of differences, especially going from the old car in the Dunlop Series,” he said.

“I spoke to Brighty prior and got a heads up on the idiosyncrasies – he said it still felt like a V8 Supercar. But for me – I’d done P1 in the Dunlop Series car 20 minutes or so before jumping in, so it was back-to-back from the old style to new – and there were definitely a lot of differences.”

Jones’ story is an interesting one. Son of Kim Jones, Brad Jones Racing’s team principal, there is clearly a family connection to motor racing.

However, Jones does not believe that meant he was destined to be a driver. It was something he loved on his own, without being pushed.

“The connection is there and has always been there, I’m very fortunate to have that – it’s opened up opportunities a lot of people don’t get, and also closed a lot of opportunities,” Jones said.

“My motorsport life is 100 percent driven by me.

“I love going car racing and love being away racing – the thought that goes into it, the back end stuff, running a team – and it’s all driven by me.

“There’s a lot of love that goes on, also some things I don’t like about the sport – but I’m learning to deal with those.”

Jones felt at times he had been portrayed differently.

“Being completely honest, if I go back as far as karting, it was a bit of an outlet.

“I grew up with a terminally ill older brother and my dad and uncle (Brad Jones) focused on Audi Sport, growing what was a part-time job for both of them to a full-time opportunity.

“I’d go karting and it was my chance to go away, do my thing, go racing and get some life skills.

“I went into Formula Ford and there were some highlights along the way – my second year I raced really competitive guys and had success there.

“When you’re 17 or 18 (years old) and travelling around and having fun weekends, that’s the pure part of motorsport – that can get lost as you go further up the tree.”

Jones immediately recalled his third-place finish with the late Jason Richards at the L&H 500 at Phillip Island in 2010 as a career highlight, for many reasons.

“I sit here now and that has a different slant, but at the time I didn’t know he was unwell – and he went about car racing in the most admirable way. To share the car and stand on the podium and spray champagne after a really tough day – we were a lap down early, had genuine pace and got back into a podium position.”

Winning the 2004 development series trophy was another highlight. “I didn’t realise how easy it came at the time,” Jones said. He put it down to good equipment and the people he worked with. “You have to have good people around you in this sport.”

And while the results have been highs, Jones believes you don’t need to be on the podium to claim ‘highlights’.

“Week in and week out, guys in the main and Dunlop Series are hitting their own personal highlights – they’re not necessarily being seen,” he said.

That being said – Jones agrees this year BJR is in a real position to bring home big results at The Mountain.

The team has always had strong results there, but given the start to the year they’ve had – Fabian Coulthard and Jason Bright sitting seventh and eighth in the Championship, and claimed five race wins of the 21 between them – Jones was quietly confident about their chances for the Endurance Cup.

“This year BJR is by far having the strongest year it’s ever had… The feeling at the last two Bathursts especially, we’ve gone there thinking we’re a reasonable chance if it’s a good day – if everything goes right, we have a chance to win this thing.

“This year, I feel like even if it’s not the most perfect day, we could still be a chance of winning because of the team’s strength.”

Jones is competing in the Dunlop Series this year and sits sixth in the Championship points, 244 shy of leader Dale Wood.

BJR has expanded to run two DVS cars this year, with Chris Pither alongside Jones. It’s a huge improvement – Jones said last year just four people were travelling to the events, including himself.

This year Jones has also been behind the wheel of a Peugeot RCZ for the Bathurst 12-Hour, having won his class alongside David Wall and French driver Bruce Jouanny, which he described as a “cool event and ripper little car”.

He competed at the Porsche RennSport event and is trying to do as much racing as possible. A run in a New Zealand V8 SuperTourers is high on his list of things to try.

Day to day Jones is in the BJR workshop, filling the gaps, such as merchandising and working with Holden Design on liveries. He participates in driver training at HSV drive days and with Peugeot.

“And then I try and spend as much time as I can with my family – I have two terrific little boys, five and three years old, and my wife.”