Grant Quinlan Gives Rette Jones Racing Second Top-Three Daytona Finish in Three Years

In two of the past three runnings of the Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire, the Rette Jones Racing team has placed a driver in the top three at the checkered flag.

In 2017, team co-owner Terry Jones – himself a former Toledo Speedway ARCA Late Model Sportsman and Late Model driver – led more laps than anyone else and finished second behind winner Austin Theriault. Jones was in charge over the final third of the race, leading much of the way from lap 50 onwards, only losing out on the lead when Theriault slipped past with three laps remaining.

Last year, Grant Quinlan took the controls of the No. 30 RJR Ford. Quinlan was the champion of the ARCA/CRA Super Series in 2015 as a rookie. From there he had made the move into the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and the 2018 ARCA event at Daytona was his first on a restrictor plate track.

Engine problems sidelined Quinlan after 41 laps, relegating him to 37th at the finish. He also  started six K&N Pro Series East races later in the season, with two top-five and four top-ten finishes.

But there was unfinished business at Daytona.

The combination returned in 2019. And like 2018, Quinlan started deep in the field. But he patiently worked his way through the field, along with second-place finisher Todd Gilliland, and when the checkered flag flew Quinlan was in his tire tracks as they came across the line and in position to collect his best career ARCA Menards Series finish in third place.

“We were tagging along behind Todd, and we got some debris on the grille so we had to pit to get rid of that and that set us back in the pack,” Quinlan said. “On the restarts we just picked away at it and tried not to give up anything. When the final restart came we were in position and finished third.”

Rette Jones Racing will field a team in the K&N Pro Series East throughout 2019. Driver Spencer Davis finished seventh in the NKNPSE season opener at New Smyrna Speedway.