NASCAR suspends Conner Jones for wrecking Matt Mills at Homestead

In Picture: Matt Mills and Conner Jones (L-R). Credit: Imagn Images — In Picture: Matt Mills and Conner Jones (L-R) (Image via Imagn)

NASCAR on Wednesday suspended Conner Jones for making contact with Matt Mills during the Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The sanctioning body imposed one race suspension on Jones, which will prevent him from competing at Martinsville.

Besides punishing Jones with a one-race ban, NASCAR also handed Layne Riggs an L1-level penalty for an improperly mounted ballast. The race at Homestead was the third-last race of the 2024 Camping Truck Series season and was won by Grant Enfinger.

Jones and Mills started their race side by side after qualifying in 23rd and 24th positions, respectively. Both drivers had a decent start to the race, but made contact on Lap 76 of 134. Jones, driving the #66 Truck, hit Mills' #42 Truck from behind, causing a wreck.

As a result, the Niece Motorsport Chevrolet of Matt Mills shot up the track and rammed into the outside wall, immediately ending his race. Mills' race ended on that lap itself, while Jones continued to a 25th-place finish.

NASCAR took note of the wreck, and three days later, they have slapped Conner Jones with a ban in the upcoming Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200 at Martinsville Speedway.

Additionally, NASCAR penalized the #66 driver with a two-lap penalty, reducing his lap from 76 to 74, and then followed the suspension for violating Sections 4.3.A and 4.4.B of the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct.

Conner Jones apologetic to Matt Mills following the wreck

NASCAR Truck Series driver Conner Jones (66) during the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway (Image via Imagn)

Conner Jones has issued an apology to Matt Mills for wrecking and ruining the latter's race at Homestead.

"I have not yet had the chance to personally apologize to Matt for the incident that took place during today's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but I intend to do so," Jones said as per Motorsport.com "Matt and I have encountered several on-track incidents this season, and I let my frustration get the best of me."

"I underestimated the impact my actions would have on Matt, and I deeply regret the consequences that followed. I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to Matt, Niece Motorsports, NASCAR, and my entire ThorSport Racing team for my unsportsmanlike behavior," he added.

Conner Zones currently stands in 30th place in the 2024 Truck Series Championship with a tally of 169 points in 12 appearances.

About the author

Sabyasachi Biswas is a passionate motorsport journalist for Sportskeeda, with a Master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. He has over eight years of experience in the field and has over 10000 published articles on the internet.

As a dedicated follower of motorsport, Sabyasachi watches events closely, ensuring his reports are thorough and supported by reputable sources. He is inspired by Max Verstappen’s fearless attitude and dreams of attending the Indian GP if it returns to the calendar. An ardent F1 fan over the years, he enjoyed watching Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel and is now following Verstappen's dominant journey on the track.

Apart from F1, he is a big-time NASCAR and football (also soccer) fan. Sabyasachi supports Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports and Spanish club, Real Madrid.

He was a sub-junior level footballer and won inter-district quizzes and debate competitions back in school. A travel freak by nature, Sabyasachi likes to try different cuisines and learn about new cultures. When away from his keyboard, he enjoys soccer, geopolitics, and playing with Khushi & Ubbu - his adorable beagles.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma