The organization, which is moving next year into the Toyota camp as a factory-backed team, has struggled with performance this season and lost driver Noah Gragson for one race due to injury.
Sunday, however, Jones provided LMC one of its most competitive outings of the year, running in the top-10 much of the 300-lap race and finished eighth.
It was just Jones’ third top-10 of the season and first since he was sixth at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April.
“It was a good day. We had a good (car),” Jones said of his No. 43 Chevrolet. “We were able to run up towards the top-10 all day, so just need to build on that. If you can be up there and running competitively, it gives you something to work on.”
Jones had shown speed during Friday’s practice session but ended up starting 23rd following Saturday’s qualifying session.
It didn’t take him long in the race to start moving toward the front and was in the top-10 by the end of Stage 2.
The last stage went caution-free, but Jones was able to stay in the top-10 thanks to a fast pit stop during the final round of green flag stops.
“Today was the first day in a while that I felt like we were in the ballpark and where we need to be, so that’s a good step. I’m proud of the effort, for sure,” Jones said after the race.
“We’re getting the cars better and where we want them to be, and hopefully just get them a little bit more moving forward.”
Gragson finished 26th in his first race back since suffering concussion-like symptoms as a result of a wreck at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway earlier this month.
“It was a smooth day,” Gragson said. “We brought the car home in one piece. A day like this is what we needed to build momentum on.”
