Brandon Jones Snaps 98-Race Winless Streak at Darlington

By Colin Ward

Darlington has always been a hit-or-miss track for Brandon Jones—and today, it was a hit.

In a field packed with Cup Series superstars, it was Jones who rose to the occasion, winning the SportsClips 200 at Darlington Raceway. And if you ask him, there was never a doubt.

“It just felt right today,” Jones said in his post-race press conference, a big smile across his face.

The past year or so hasn’t been easy for Jones. He has battled through tough stretches and missed the playoffs last season with JR Motorsports. Darlington, a track known for being “Too Tough to Tame,” wasn’t exactly the place anyone expected him to turn it around. 

But Jones, who has already won at this track back in 2020, never lost faith.

“You gotta walk out of the hauler and think, okay, I’m the best here,” he said.

Now, with today's win, Jones is officially locked into the Xfinity Series playoffs—a huge step forward after the recent frustrations and not being part of the postseason last year. He’s hoping this is just the beginning.

Even with the win, though, Jones made it clear: the job isn't finished. He may celebrate tonight, but he's back to work tomorrow. 

“I don’t think having this win is like, okay, we can relax now,” he said. “We need to flip gears quickly.”

The more Jones spoke, the more his confidence seemed to build—and rightfully so. Today’s victory snapped a 98-race winless streak. That’s not just a feel-good moment; it’s a statement.

And if his competitors think this was a one-off, Jones had a warning message  for them.

“Bristol is another one—they’re going to need to deal with me.”

As Jones attempts to carry the momentum of his victory today into the rest of the regular season, it will be interesting to see if he can actually compete next weekend at Bristol.