No Prep racing is peppered with some colorful characters and racers from all areas of drag racing, so each event is always interesting. David Bird Jones is one of the die-hard racers that has made the No Prep world part of his racing resume and is ready to pick up his first big win. This second generation bracket racer isn’t afraid of hard work and has put in his time racing just about anything he can buckle into.
Jones is a certified track rat and comes from a solid pedigree of bracket racing. His father has won titles bracket racing and that desire to be a champion has been passed on to him.
“Wanting to be the best is what pushes me to drive 12 hours to go bracket racing for $100,000 by myself. When I get to the track I feel at home with close friends that have the same passion for racing that I do,” Jones says.
Getting into No Prep racing wasn’t on the roadmap for Jones, it just kind of happened. Even with his success bracket racing, he is always looking for something to compete in behind the wheel and in 2015 he found himself at the TX2K15 airport event. After 10 hours of racing, he lost to the eventual event winner, Daniel Burks, but that led to him becoming an internet sensation.
“After I lost to Burks, I called him out as the first pair at another event and that went viral. We both about crashed in that race and I went on to win the event beating Doc in the final,” Jones explains.
That win and internet fame that came with it got Jones some attention…that, and a call-out from Kye Kelley for a big $10,000 street race that his parents didn’t know about, or would approve of.
“Kye and I found a neutral location about four hours from both of us and locked-in a date. Luck was on my side and I beat him. I was actually the first person to beat him on the street in two years so it blew up on Facebook,” Jones says.
When it comes to No Prep, Jones loves the challenge it presents to him and the opportunity to learn more about how to make a racecar go really fast.
“I have done it all but win a $20,000 or larger No Prep and I think that’s why I love it: the challenge. I’m so competitive that it drives me to keep trying to win one of these and when I win, I’m just going to be chasing the next one,” Jones explains.
The Redemption series for Jones has been a bit of a struggle this year for Jones as he tries to figure out his Firebird more after the changes he’s made, but that’s what makes it fun for him. For Jones, the Redemption No Prep series feels like a family reunion with a payout, but don’t think for one second he’s not trying to beat everybody he lines up against.
“I have been struggling until recently, but now that I’m finding more and more out each pass, it’s making this car fun. With everything fresh and ready to get beat on, I’m ready to finish this year with some huge upsets to get that respect on my name in the Redemption series,” Jones says.
You can see Jones try to pick up his first win at Redemption 10.0 this October 27-28 live RIGHT HERE on SpeedVideo from the Texas Motorplex. This broadcast is brought to you by presenting sponsor zMax, along with Strange Engineering, Moser Engineering, ProCharger, Competition Products, Royal Purple, Scoggin Dickey Parts Center, Texas Speed & Performance, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Race Part Solutions, Champion Cooling, and Callies.