BUSCH: Phoenix: Eric Jones Thursday notes

Competitive Field Leaves Red Cactus Salsa Racing & Eric Jones on Sidelines in Phoenix Avondale, Arizona - - They gave it their all, but it just wasn't quite enough. After securing a 23rd place finishing position in their NASCAR Busch Series ...

Competitive Field Leaves Red Cactus Salsa Racing & Eric Jones on Sidelines in Phoenix

Avondale, Arizona - - They gave it their all, but it just wasn't quite enough. After securing a 23rd place finishing position in their NASCAR Busch Series debut at Kansas Speedway last month, Red Cactus Salsa Racing will be forced to watch Saturday's NBS event on the sidelines as the team just missed the starting grid.

In the first practice session, Jones paced the 47th quickest lap. In his No. 73 Red Cactus Salsa Racing Chevrolet, he maneuvered the one-mile track in 28.698 seconds at 125.444 MPH. "We're going to make some changes to our car," said driver Eric Jones. "We're off the pace, but we're not that far off the pace, hopefully the changes we make will work."

In qualifying, Jones posted the 39th fastest time leaving him position one off from making the main event. Posting a time of 28.115 seconds equaling a speed of 128.115 MPH, the team picked up the pace considerably, but it just wasn't quick enough.

"This is really disappointing," continued Jones following time trials. "We just missed the field, I mean just missed it. We picked up from practice, and that's great, but we're not in the main show. Sometimes in racing, that happens, we'll just head to Homestead and look to go at it again."

Eric, a part-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series stated, "I really would like to thank the crew. They worked all day, and even though we missed the show, we are making improvements. We'll have a little more time before we get to Florida; I think we'll be ready. A huge thanks goes out to our sponsor Red Cactus Salsa for supporting us this weekend, and new sponsor Primetime Cigars, we'll make it up to you guys, I promise."

The Red Cactus Salsa Racing team will look to make their second start of the 2004 NASCAR Busch Series season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the season finale for the series on November 20th, 2004.

The Bashas' Supermarkets 200 is the 32nd of 34 events on the 2004 NASCAR Busch Series schedule. The race set to take the green flag Saturday afternoon, November 6th. NBC will air the event live beginning at 3:30pm EST, with MRN handling the airwaves starting at 3:15pm EST. The race will also be available via XM satellite radio channel 144 launching at 2:30pm EST.

About Red Cactus Salsa: Red Cactus "County Sweet" Salsa is a delicious blend of select garden vegetables, jalapenos, spices, and a wonderful lightly sweet tasted. Inspired by Sweet Aunt Gracie years ago, Red Cactus has now captured that classic salsa for all to experience. Unlike regular salsa, Red Cactus is sweetened with a tough of sweet sorghum syrup. This gives the salsa an unforgettable, lightly sweet, tangy sensation you're sure to love. No bitter after taste like other salsas, simply a sweet, homemade flavor. Best of all, Red Cactus Salsa is all natural, low sodium, and fat free, completing this zesty treat.

Red Cactus offers three types of Salsa. Mild, a lightly sweet, and tangy flavor with absolutely no heat. Medium, a lightly sweet, and tangy flavor with a touch of heat to create a wonderful sweet, hot sensation. Hot, combines an extra dose of heat with the lightly sweet, and tangy flavor that intensifies the sweet, hot sensation.