``I've got two kids, and they drain you a little bit,'' Jones said. ``I had to start bringing home a paycheck.''
After he was fired early last season by Petty Enterprises, Jones struggled to find another ride. He got a one-race deal with buddy Michael Waltrip last October, but rain washed away qualifying at Atlanta Motor Speedway and kept him out of the starting lineup.
Jones, who grew up in the Atlanta suburb of Tucker, couldn't find another opportunity, so he started a land development deal with a friend while hoping for a chance. That comes this weekend, when he'll drive a Dodge for car owner James Finch in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Finch runs only a partial schedule in the Winston Cup series, but his car finished ninth in the season-opening Daytona 500 with Mike Wallace at the wheel. With Wallace now subbing for the injured Jerry Nadeau, Finch's team needed a driver, and Jones certainly was available.
``We didn't want to commit to anybody, since we only run a handful of races,'' team manager Mark Reno said. ``You're not going to find any better people than Buckshot and his family. So we decided to give him a shot.''
A two-time winner in the Busch series, Jones never found much success in Winston Cup. He tried driving for a team owned by his father, Billy, before joining the Pettys for the 2001 season.
That partnership didn't work, though. Jones failed to qualify six times in the first year, then lost his job after only eight races in 2002.
``We watched last year after they took him out of the Petty car, and their performance didn't improve, probably got worse, in fact,'' Reno said. ``So that showed he probably had some abilities, he just hadn't been in the right circumstance.''
Jones still hasn't gotten over the disappointment of being fired. He points to several changes made by that team including the dismissal earlier this season of longtime driver John Andretti as a sign of continuing problems.
Kyle Petty runs the team founded by his grandfather, and drives one of its two cars. Christian Fittipaldi replaced Andretti in the other.
After more than a year away from racing, Jones expects to be a bit rusty. His return is made a bit easier by the venue, because performance at Daytona, especially in qualifying, is all about the aerodynamics of the car and the horsepower of the engine.
And Finch's team has proved in the past two years that it can prepare a car for the superspeedways. Geoffrey Bodine finished third and ninth in two races with the team last year at Daytona.
``If I said I wasn't worried about being rusty, I'd be lying,'' Jones said. ``I'm kind of glad it's a superspeedway, since I've been out of the car for a long time. It's a lot easier than a track like Atlanta.
``Looking at the performance of James and them, I'd definitely say the car's going to be there. It's proven that it's capable of running in the top 10. Now it's up to me.''
If he makes the field, Jones will have a new worry finding a drafting partner. He won't have a teammate, and because he hasn't been on the track this season other drivers might be hesitant to run with him.
``He won't get any help, not because of who he is, but just because he hasn't been around,'' said NBC analyst Wally Dallenbach, who will call the race Saturday night. ``Guys won't be that comfortable with him.
``But if he has a good car, at some point, the other drivers won't have a choice. They'll have to draft with him if they want to go to the front.''
http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/7/176788