MOORESVILLE, N.C. The pursuit of excellence, a hallmark of NASCAR, TRICON Garage, the University of Arkansas and the College of Engineering will all come together Friday, April 11, when TRICON driver Brandon Jones races under the University of Arkansas colors and iconic Razorback logo in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

Brandon Jones, 28, son of College of Engineering alumnus J.R. Jones, a 1982 graduate in mechanical engineering will pilot TRICONs No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro in the famous Bristol night race. Jones sponsorship donation to the University of Arkansas continues his support of the College of Engineerings pursuit of excellence and the Universitys strategic plan: Vision 2035.

JR Jones was inducted into the colleges Hall of Fame in 2019, is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Mechanical Engineering and the colleges Founders Circle. He is an emeritus member of the colleges Deans Advisory Council.

Were all thrilled that Brandon will be representing the College of Engineering and the University of Arkansas, and well be cheering for him to take the checkered flag and come home safe, said Kim Needy, dean of the College of Engineering. JR is a longtime friend of the college, and we appreciate this high-profile way of sharing the message that Brandon, NASCAR, the college and university share the characteristics of champions.

The full-time Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Xfinity Series driver is competing in the Truck Series for seven events with TRICON Garage after his trophy winning truck race performance at Pocono in 2020. Jones captured a 12th-place finish at Homestead-Miami (FL) Speedway on March 21 and is slated to return to the No. 1 entry for Rockingham (NC) Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Pocono (PA) Raceway.

Jones returned to JGR this season for the second time in his career quickly capturing his sixth Xfinity Series win at Darlington (SC) Raceway last Saturday. The Georgia native is now well positioned to secure a seventh career Xfinity Series playoff appearance in his 10th full-time season in the series.

Im excited to get back behind the wheel with TRICON and Toyota at Bristol, said Brandon Jones. Its one of my favorite tracks, and Im grateful for this opportunity. What makes this race even more meaningful is having the University of Arkansas College of Engineering on board as my sponsor. My dad is an alum, and we have deep family roots in Arkansas. I was lucky enough to grow up in the area, so representing U of A this weekend is something Im really proud of.