Brandon Jones overcame involvement in a major accident to finish ninth in Saturday's The Progress Group 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver started 16th and managed to salvage a top-10 result despite encountering trouble during the final stage.
Jones initially remained competitive as the field worked through the opening stages, although JR Motorsports controlled much of the racing near the front. His No. 20 Toyota gained valuable track position following the second stage when his team elected to change two tires. However, Jones' afternoon became more complicated on Lap 57 when contact between Harrison Burton and Taylor Gray triggered a multi-car accident.
Jones was among the championship contenders involved, spinning during
the incident but avoiding race-ending damage. His team kept the Toyota competitive, allowing Jones to remain in contention during the closing laps. Jones ultimately finished ninth, completing all 94 laps and earning 28 points.
Although the result represented a solid recovery, it was not enough to preserve his championship eligibility. Jones remains 10th in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase standings with 2,212 points. He trails leader Jesse Love by 189 points, mathematically eliminating him from title contention.
Jones will focus on improving his final championship position at Martinsville and Homestead-Miami.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Brandon Jones eliminated from O'Reilly championship contention in 2026
