NASCAR issued a mid-race penalty to Conner Jones after a fiery crash Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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Officials held the ThorSport Racing driver for two laps for reckless driving during the final stage after he sent fellow Truck Series driver Matt Mills hard into the outside wall.
This incident knocked the Niece Motorsports driver out of the race and also led to a large fire under the hood of Mills's truck. The AMS Safety Crew helped Mills from the truck, and he took a moment to gather himself before heading to the infield care center and, ultimately, a local hospital for further evaluation.
Connor Jones receives a 2-lap penalty after the incident with Matt Mills. Here's what happened: https://t.co/YrSAOkVuPW pic.twitter.com/h9dfPU78F2
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) October 26, 2024
"It's been all f****** year, all f****** year," Jones screamed over the radio after sending Mills into the outside wall. "...I'm getting f****** run over, left and f****** right. I'm done. I'm just done."
With the audio and the video serving as evidence, NASCAR chose to penalize Jones by holding him for the two laps. However, Fox Sports analysts Michael Waltrip and Phil Parsons both said that NASCAR should have parked the ThorSport Racing driver for the rest of the day due to his actions on the track and the safety risks.
They were not the only ones who weighed in about the incident. Fellow driver Mason Massey indicated that this was not the first incident involving the 18-year-old.
"I wonder how many times (Conner Jones) is going to run through somebody before something is done about it? I've seen it at least 4 or 5 times from my POV this year," Massey posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Jones did not speak to media members after Saturday's Truck Series race, but he issued a statement on X apologizing for the incident.
— Conner Jones (@connerjones88) October 26, 2024
Unlike other ThorSport Racing drivers such as Ben Rhodes and Ty Majeski, Jones does not compete full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series. He made nine starts last season and he made 11 before Saturday's trip to Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Jones's best finish in the No. 66 Ford F-150 this season is 11th at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
