Plainfield, IL – (December 10, 2021) – Dale Coyne Racing and Vasser Sullivan Racing have mutually agreed to bring their NTT INDYCAR SERIES partnership to a close.
Dale Coyne Racing: “We’ve had a great and successful time with our partners at Vasser Sullivan Racing and we appreciate everything Jimmy and Sulli have done and brought to the team and our #18 entry. We’re grateful for these last four seasons with them. We understand that they want to focus on their sportscar endeavors, and we wish them continued success with their factory Lexus deal and the best of luck in their future projects.”
Vasser Sullivan Racing: “Vasser Sullivan Racing wants to thank Dale (Coyne) for his partnership over the last four seasons. We reaffirm our desire to compete in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and wish Dale and the Dale Coyne Racing team the best of luck in the future.”
Ed Jones, behind the wheel of the No. 18 SealMaster – Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan Honda, fought his way back from an early race incident to finish 12th in the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES finale, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA.
Jones started ninth, the inside of Row 5, on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit
On the second lap of the 85-lap contest, Jones had contact with another car. Jones was later assessed a drive through penalty for avoidable contact and fell to 25th.
Jones showed his determination and skill by working his way through the field to climb back in the top-10.
He ran in 10th place until the closing laps of the race when he lost two positions fighting a tire issue and finished 12th.
Ed Jones Race Quote: “It was an eventful day for the SealMaster Honda. At the start of the race I was pushing to gain positions, everyone stacked up and unfortunately I caught another car and spun him. So we got penalized for that and went to the back of the field. We had to work our way forward. We did a good job getting back up to 10th. We had a major issue on the last stint with the tires and lost 2 positions. We had a great car today,”
Ed Jones Fast Facts: In four races on the streets of Long Beach, Jones has two top-10 finishes with a best showing of third in 2018 (sixth in 2017).
The 2021 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach was Jones’ 63rd career NTT INDYCAR SERIES start.
Jones is contesting his fourth NTT INDYCAR season and first with Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan.
In 63 career INDYCAR SERIES starts, Jones has earned 17 top-10 finishes including three podium performances, third at Indy in 2017, and third at Long Beach and Detroit Race 2 in 2018. Jones’ best qualifying position is fourth, Detroit Race 1 this year, the Indianapolis 500 in 2019 and the Detroit Race 2 in 2018.
Jones was the 2017 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year and was the top-rookie finisher in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, placing third.
Jones, 26, was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (of British citizenship) and currently resides in Miami, Florida.
Posted by Steve Wittich on Sunday, September 19th 2021
Ed Jones Race Summary:
Ed Jones piloted the No. 18 SealMaster – Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan Honda to a 10th place finish in the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey in Monterey, CA.
Jones qualified 14th on the 2.258-mile, 11-turn, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca permanent road course.
He lost a couple of places on the opening lap, however quickly recovered and as various pit strategies played out he was sitting in third when he made his first pit stop.
When he rejoined the race, Jones was in a tough spot and lost several positions.
However, he continued to drive hard, and again, as the pit strategies played out was in fourth when he made his second stop.
He came back out in 14th place, worked his way up to 10th before making his final stop.
Jones reentered the race in 10th where he remained until the checkered flag..
Ed Jones Race Quote: “I feel that we had a top-six car. We lost a few positions at the start of the race, made them back up and it was looking good. After the first stop we came out in a difficult position and were a bit defenseless. We recovered to get back to 10th, which is good. I’m looking forward to Long Beach
Ed Jones Fast Facts: This was Jones’ third top-10 finish of the season. His best finish is sixth at Nashville. He placed ninth at Detroit Race 1.
This is his best finish in two starts at Laguna Seca. In his Laguna Seca debut he finished 23rrd in 2019.
The 2021 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey was Jones’ 62nd career NTT INDYCAR SERIES start.
Jones is contesting his fourth NTT INDYCAR season and first with Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan.
In 62 career INDYCAR SERIES starts, Jones has earned 17 top-10 finishes including three podium performances, third at Indy in 2017, and third at Long Beach and Detroit Race 2 in 2018. Jones’ best qualifying position is fourth, Detroit Race 1 this year, the Indianapolis 500 in 2019 and the Detroit Race 2 in 2018.
Jones was the 2017 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year and was the top-rookie finisher in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, placing third.
Jones, 26, was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (of British citizenship) and currently resides in Miami, Florida.
Next Race: The final race of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, Round 16, will be the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Sept. 24-26, on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit in Long Beach, CA. The race will be broadcast live, September 26, on NBCSN at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Ed Jones qualified the No. 18 SealMaster – Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan Honda 14th for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on the 2.258-mile, 11-turn, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca permanent road course in Monterey, CA.
Jones went out in Group 2 in Round 1 of qualifying and was solidly in the top-six of the 14 drivers in his group until the last lap of the 10-minute session when three drivers posted their fast lap.
Jones’ fast time of 1:11.4692 put him seventh on the speed charts just missing the top-six and advancing to Round 2 of qualifying by a little over a 10th of a second.
Ed Jones Qualifying Quote: “The SealMaster Honda has a lot more potential. We were expecting the conditions to be similar to yesterday, but it changed quite a bit and we struggled. A lot of the guys who had a fast practice lost some competitiveness in qualifying and we were in that boat. We can still move forward from where we qualified and we have an extra set of red tires for the race.”
Ed Jones Fast Facts: This is Jones’ best starting position in two qualifying attempts at Laguna Seca, his previous high was 18th in 2019. In his Laguna Seca debut he finished 23rd.
The 2021 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will be Jones’ 62nd career NTT INDYCAR SERIES start.
Jones is contesting his fourth NTT INDYCAR season and first with Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan.
In 61 career INDYCAR SERIES starts, Jones has earned 16 top-10 finishes including three podium performances, third at Indy in 2017, and third at Long Beach and Detroit Race 2 in 2018. Jones’ best qualifying position is fourth, Detroit Race 1 this year, the Indianapolis 500 in 2019 and the Detroit Race 2 in 2018.
Jones was the 2017 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year and was the top-rookie finisher in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, placing third.
Jones, 26, was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (of British citizenship) and currently resides in Miami, Florida.
Race Broadcast: Round 15 of the 16-race 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will be the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. The race will be broadcast live, September 19, on NBC Network at 3:00 p.m. ET.
ED JONES NO. 18 TEAM SEALMASTER – DALE COYNE WITH VASSER SULLIVAN HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Sept. 17-19, 2021
Ed Jones Summary: Ed Jones will pilot the No. 18 Team SealMaster-Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan Honda in the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, September 17-19, on the 2.258-mile, 11-turn, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca permanent road course in Monterey, CA. Jones is coming off a strong performance in Portland where he qualified eighth and was in position for a podium finish when a late yellow flag hurt the team’s strategy. He finished 11th.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Career Statistics
Seasons
4th
Top-Five
3
Career Starts
61
Top-10
16
Wins
0
Poles
0
Podium
3
Laps Led
5
2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Statistics
Starts
14
Top-10
2
Wins
0
Poles
0
Podiums
0
Laps Led
4
Top-Five
0
2021 NTT INDYCAR Series Results
Barber S/F
13/15
Detroit 2 S/F
11/17
St. Pete S/F
21/20
Road Am S/F
12/23
Texas 1 S/F
19/12
Mid-Ohio S/F
16/26
Texas 2 S/F
18/22
Nashville S/F
26/6
Indy GP S/F
9/14
IMS GP 2 S/F
16/14
Indy 500 S/F
11/28
Gateway S/F
12/24
Detroit 1 S/F
4/9
Portland S/F
18/23
WeatherTech RacewayLaguna Seca Results
Starts
1
Best Start
18 (2019)
2019 S/F
18/23
Best Finish
23 (2019)
Ed Jones Fast Facts: The 2021 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will be Jones’ 62nd career NTT INDYCAR SERIES start and second at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
In his debut at Laguna Seca in 2019, Jones qualified 18th and finished 23rd.
Jones is contesting his fourth NTT INDYCAR season and first with Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan.
In 61 career INDYCAR SERIES starts, Jones has earned 16 top-10 finishes including three podium performances, third at Indy in 2017, and third at Long Beach and Detroit Race 2 in 2018. Jones’ best qualifying position is fourth, Detroit Race 1 this year, the Indianapolis 500 in 2019 and the Detroit Race 2 in 2018.
Jones was the 2017 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year and was the top-rookie finisher in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, placing third.
Jones, 26, was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (of British citizenship) and currently resides in Miami, Florida.
Next Race: Round 15 of the 16-race 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will be the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. The race will be broadcast live, September 19, on NBC Network at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Ed Jones, behind the wheel of the No. 18 SealMaster – Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan Honda, was working on a podium finish in the Grand Prix of Portland when an untimely yellow flag impacted the team’s strategy.
Jones qualified eighth on the 1.964-mile, 12-turn Portland International Raceway permanent road course. He started on the outside of Row 4.
On the opening lap of the race several cars became involved in an incident in Turn 1. Jones avoided the melee and was in third place when the race resumed.
He ran in the top-three for the majority of the first two stints, mainly in the top-two, including leading two laps, even though he was saving fuel.
Following his second, and final pit stop, a late race yellow flag prevented him from moving through the field. He finished 11th.
Ed Jones Race Quote: “It was a solid day for the SealMaster Honda. The car was fast and we deserved a better finish. We ran up front for most of the race. At the start, we managed to avoid the incidents and made our way through. We had to fuel save a lot and at the same time we maintained great pace. The race was looking really good for us. I think we were headed for a podium finish. Unfortunately, an untimely yellow towards the end really hurt our strategy. The team did a great job and we still have two more races before the end of the season.” . Ed Jones Fast Facts: This is Jones’ best finish in three races at Portland International Raceway. His previous high was 14th in 2019.
The 2021 Grand Prix of Portland was Jones’ 61st career NTT INDYCAR SERIES start.
Jones is contesting his fourth NTT INDYCAR season and first with Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan.
In 61 career INDYCAR SERIES starts, Jones has earned 16 top-10 finishes including three podium performances, third at Indy in 2017, and third at Long Beach and Detroit Race 2 in 2018. Jones’ best qualifying position is fourth, Detroit Race 1 this year, the Indianapolis 500 in 2019 and the Detroit Race 2 in 2018.
Jones was the 2017 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year and was the top-rookie finisher in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, placing third.
Jones, 26, was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (of British citizenship) and currently resides in Miami, Florida.
Ed Jones qualified the No. 18 SealMaster – Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan Honda eighth for the Grand Prix of Portland on the 1.964-mile, 12-turn Portland International Raceway permanent road course in Portland, OR
Jones went out in Group 2 in Round 1 of qualifying and posted a fast lap of 58.9330 putting him fifth on the speed charts of the 14 drivers in his group.
In Round 2 he ran a quick time of 59.0247 placing him eighth.
Ed Jones Qualifying Quote: “It was a strong qualifying run for the SealMaster Honda. The first practice was up and down. We were quick from the get go then had a few issues, so we weren’t sure where we were pace wise. In qualifying, the car felt good. The first round we were strong. In the second round we just missed advancing by a small margin. Overall, a solid place to start and I’m excited for the race tomorrow.”
Ed Jones Fast Facts: This is Jones’ second best qualifying position during the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season behind a fourth place spot at Detroit Race 1.
It is the fifth time Jones will start in the top-12 in 10 road/street races this season.
Today’s eighth place qualifying spot ties Jones’ best at Portland International Raceway in three attempts. He previously qualified eighth in 2018. In two previous races his best finish is 14th in 2019.
The 2021 Grand Prix of Portland will be Jones’ 61st career NTT INDYCAR SERIES start and third at PIR.
Jones is contesting his fourth NTT INDYCAR season and first with Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan.
In 60 career INDYCAR SERIES starts, Jones has earned 16 top-10 finishes including three podium performances, third at Indy in 2017, and third at Long Beach and Detroit Race 2 in 2018. Jones’ best qualifying position is fourth, Detroit Race 1 this year, the Indianapolis 500 in 2019 and the Detroit Race 2 in 2018.
Jones was the 2017 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year and was the top-rookie finisher in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, placing third.
Jones, 26, was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (of British citizenship) and currently resides in Miami, Florida.
Race Broadcast: The Grand Prix of Portland is Round 14 of the 16-race 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The race will be broadcast live, September 12, on NBC Network at 3:00 p.m. ET.
ED JONES NO. 18 TEAM SEALMASTER – DALE COYNE WITH VASSER SULLIVAN HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE Bommarito Automotive Group 500 – World Wide Technology Raceway – August 21, 2021
Ed Jones Summary: Ed Jones will pilot the No. 18 Team SealMaster-Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan Honda in the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, August 21 on the World Wide Technology Raceway 1.25-mile oval in Madison, IL (greater St. Louis Metro area).
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Career Statistics
Seasons
4th
Top-Five
3
Career Starts
59
Top-10
16
Wins
0
Poles
0
Podium
3
Laps Led
3
2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Statistics
Starts
12
Top-10
2
Wins
0
Poles
0
Podiums
0
Laps Led
2
Top-Five
0
2021 NTT INDYCAR Series Results
Barber S/F
13/15
Detroit 1 S/F
4/9
St. Pete S/F
21/20
Detroit 2 S/F
11/17
Texas 1 S/F
19/12
Road Am S/F
12/23
Texas 2 S/F
18/22
Mid-Ohio S/F
16/26
Indy GP S/F
9/14
Nashville S/F
26/6
Indy 500 S/F
11/28
IMS Road 2
16/14
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Results
Starts
2
Best Start
12 (2017/18)
2018 S/F
12/8
Best Finish
8 (2018)
2017 S/F
12/13
Ed Jones Fast Facts: The 2021 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 will be Jones’ 60th career NTT INDYCAR SERIES start and third on the World Wide Technology Raceway oval.
In two previous starts at WWTR Jones has a best qualifying position of 12th in 2017 and 2018. His best finish is eighth in 2018.
Jones is contesting his fourth NTT INDYCAR season and first with Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan.
In 59 career INDYCAR SERIES starts, Jones has earned 16 top-10 finishes including three podium performances, third at Indy in 2017, and third at Long Beach and Detroit Race 2 in 2018. Jones’ best qualifying position is fourth, Detroit Race 1 this year, the Indianapolis 500 in 2019 and the Detroit Race 2 in 2018.
Jones was the 2017 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year and was the top-rookie finisher in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, placing third.
Jones, 26, was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (of British citizenship) and currently resides in Miami, Florida.
Next Race: Round 13 of the 16-race 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will be the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, August 21.The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Ed Jones drove a solid race in the No. 18 SealMaster – Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan Honda to finish 14th out of 28 cars in the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, IN.
Jones started 18th on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn IMS permanent road course.
He had a phenomenal start, picking up six positions in the first seven laps.
Jones ran in the low teens most of the first stint, slipping into the top-10 for a few laps and getting as high as sixth as various pit strategies played out.
He was in the low teens again the entire second stint, however dropped back following his second pit stop.
Jones ran in the low 20’s for the entire third stint. Then had an outstanding final stint picking up nine positions to finish 14th.
Ed Jones Race Quote: “We had some great passing, some great racing today. The start of the race was very good. When we have decent pace we can challenge people, make some good passes and make it entertaining. On the restart of the last stint I was trying to be aggressive and sensible at the same time. I made some good passes and other people made some mistakes, so I took advantage of that. I think we may have gone the wrong way with the tire strategy and unfortunately, the pace wasn’t always there to move forward. I think we finished above where we should have based on ultimate speed.”
Ed Jones Fast Facts: The 2021 Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix was Jones’ 59th career NTT INDYCAR SERIES start and fifth on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
In five starts on the IMS road course Jones has a best finish of sixth in 2019. He finished 14th in both the IMS road course races this year, the GMR Grand Prix in May and today’s Big Machine Spiked Cooler Grand Prix.
Jones is contesting his fourth NTT INDYCAR season and first with Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan.
In 59 career INDYCAR SERIES starts, Jones has earned 16 top-10 finishes including three podium performances, third at Indy in 2017, and third at Long Beach and Detroit Race 2 in 2018. Jones’ best qualifying position is fourth, Detroit Race 1 this year, the Indianapolis 500 in 2019 and the Detroit Race 2 in 2018.
Jones was the 2017 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year and was the top-rookie finisher in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, placing third.
Jones, 26, was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (of British citizenship) and currently resides in Miami, Florida.
Next Race: Round 13 of the 16-race 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will be the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, August 21 on the World Wide Technology Raceway 1.25-mile oval in Madison, IL (greater St. Louis Metro area). The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Ed Jones, behind the wheel of the No. 18 SealMaster – Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan Honda went out in Group 2 in Round one of qualifying and posted the ninth fastest lap in his group of 14 drivers with a time of 1:11.4360.
He will start on outside of Row 9 in tomorrow’s Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in Speedway, IN.
Ed Jones Qualifying Quote: “We are really fast on black (primary) tires. We just didn’t get a run on the red (alternate) tires in practice, so it was a bit of an unknown going into qualifying. It’s frustrating, we just need to learn more about the car in morning warm up.”
Ed Jones Fast Facts: Jones is coming off his best performance of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, a sixth place showing in the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, TN. Jones, who started 26th , improved a spectacular 20 positions, the most of any driver in the field.
The 2021 Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix will be Jones’ 59th career NTT INDYCAR SERIES start and fifth on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
In four previous starts on the IMS road course he has qualified in the top-10 twice with a best starting position of fifth and a best finish of sixth both in 2019. Earlier this season Jones qualified ninth and finished 14th in the GMR Grand Prix.
Jones is contesting his fourth NTT INDYCAR season and first with Dale Coyne w/ Vasser Sullivan.
In 58 career INDYCAR starts, Jones has earned 16 top-10 finishes including three podium performances, third at Indy in 2017, and third at Long Beach and Detroit Race 2 in 2018. Jones has a best starting position of fourth, Detroit Race 1 this year, the Indianapolis 500 in 2019 and the Detroit Race 2 in 2018.
Jones was the 2017 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year and was the top-rookie finisher in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, placing third.
Jones, 26, was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (of British citizenship) and currently resides in Miami, Florida.
Race Broadcast: Round 12 of the 16-race 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will be the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix, August 13-14. The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN at 12:30 p.m. ET.
