Alton Jones in a beautiful Chevy Nova at Nashville Speedway in 1976.
Alton Jones was the Huntsville Speedway track champion in 1970 and 1971.
Jones got his start at BIR, Birmingham International Raceway, and was one of the best drivers to from the area. His nickname was “Burger.”
Jones only made twelve NASCAR starts in his career, all between 1973 and 1975. This was probably due to financial or family considerations. His highest finish in a NASCAR event was an impressive fifth place in the 1974 Nashville 420 at Nashville Speedway.
Jones is from Pleasant Grove, Alabama, and he was making racing news by the time he was just twenty years old. The Crimson Dale Nursery in Winchester, Tennessee stepped up to sponsor Jones in 1965. The nursery and the race car that Jones drove were both owned by Butch Hawkersmith. Alton won a lot of races at Alabama and Tennessee race tracks. In 1970, he won the Alabama State Championship which gave him a shot at a NASCAR ride at Talladega in a Ford owned by Ben Arnold.
Alton Jones Number 3
Alton Jones at Huntsville Speedway
Alton Jones Vigorlube Number 50
Great B&W of Alton Jones Number 50
Alton Jones on the track at Huntsville Speedway
Alton Jones NASCAR
Aton Jones Number 3
Alton Jones 02 at BIR
Alton Jones give the kids a ride at BIR.
Alton Jones Number 50 at Nashville Speedway
In 1973, Alton Jones and Butch Hawkersmith made the decision to try to run a few NASCAR races. They built a 1973 Chevy Malibu stock car. Jones had five NASCAR starts in the Crimson Dale Nursery number three car. His best finishes came at Nashville Speedway. Obviously Jones was best on the short tracks. Over the next two years, Jones had four NASCAR starts at Nashville and one at Bristol Motor Speedway. He too ninth in the 1974 Southeastern 500 at Bristol, and a fourth, a sixth, and a twelfth at Nashville.
Jones was consistent top-ten finisher on the short tracks. Apparently, for Jones, family came first and he remained a local driver until he retired from stock car racing. During his career he was known as a hard-charging driver who you didn’t want to see in your mirror, but most racers and fans will tell you that he was also a clean driver, and only used the chrome horn when absolutely necessary.
If you have any other information about Alton Jones, feel free to leave a comment below.
