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Conner Jones returns to Niece Motorsports for 2026 NASCAR Truck Series schedule

JHby: Jonathan Howard12/01/25Jondean25

Returning to Niece Motorsports and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Conner Jones has big plans in 2026. Jones raced a handful of times with Niece in 2025 after a rather controversial season the year before that at ThorSport.

Jones is still racing part-time. He has not landed his first full-time ride in the series yet. But he has shown flashes of speed at times in the Truck Series and has had success in late models. However, there have been concerns with attitude and extracurricular activities on the track at times.

In 2024, his actions on the track led to Matt Mills being hospitalized after suffering from smoke inhalation as his truck caught fire at Homestead-Miami Speedway. That led to punishment from NASCAR. Jones has been involved in at least two fights during late model races since that incident at Homestead.

Conner Jones has been looking for his first top-10. He will have a good chance to achieve that milestone in 2026. Jones will share the 42 truck with Tyler Reif. Two talented young drivers who are looking to make a name for themselves in NASCAR.

For Conner Jones, it is a chance not only to get great results on the track but to develop. Both as a driver and as a professional driver. It is remarkable at times how young these kids are when they start driving full-bodied stock cars. Few people have the temperament to be put on display as a semi-professional athlete at 17, 18, or 19 years old.

Niece is a solid program that has helped develop several drivers in the last few years. If Jones keeps his head on his shoulders and keeps the truck clean, he should get the results hat he’s looking for.

Conner Jones excited to be back at Niece Motorsports

The program at Niece Motorsports is a really solid one. They have drivers like Carson Hocevar and Ross Chastain from the Cup Series come down to race their trucks. That only elevates the program as a whole and is a great opportunity to learn from two of the best in the sport.

Conner Jones is excited to get back to Niece in 2026. Sharing the truck with Reif will be interesting. Reif will get the bulk of the starts, but Jones will have his turns behind the wheel.

“I’m thrilled to continue this journey with Niece Motorsports,” Jones said in a team release. “I’ve been able to learn so much already this year getting to work with the crew chiefs on both the Nos. 44 and 41 teams, and I’m looking forward to continuing that behind the wheel of the No. 42. We had a lot of speed each time we unloaded this year, but just didn’t have a whole lot go our way. I’m confident that we’ll be able to put everything together next year and make the most of it.”

I’m not sure what the expectations should be for Conner Jones. As long as he stays out of trouble, I think his talents can shine through. He avoided issues in his NASCAR starts this year, but was penalized by the CARS Tour for fighting in the summer. Stay clean, get results, and the next big opportunity could be around the corner for Jones.