hearing Buckshot Jones will be the driver for the #44 Petty Enterprises Dodge in 2001 and is bringing a sponsor along(9-13-2000) UPDATE: Billy Jones, owner of Buckshot Racing, confirmed Wednesday that his son is considering offers from two current Winston Cup teams and could make a decision as early as next week. The latest speculation has Jones driving the #44 car of Petty Enterprises, with Georgia Pacific as the primary sponsor(Atlanta Journal Constitution), not sure who the second team is but I reported back on July 7th: hearing that Buckshot Jones has a sponsor that will allow him to return to Winston Cup. Supposedly they will not run their own team but look to hook up with an existing team. Some rumors have Jones father talking to Yates Racing and Hendrick Motorsports(9-14-2000) UPDATE 2: Buckshot Jones will join Petty Enterprises next season as the driver of the #44 Dodge and the team has landed a primary sponsor, Georgia-Pacific, for next season. An announcement of the driver hire and sponsor addition will be made in the next few weeks(That’s Racin’)(9-15-2000) UPDATE 3: Petty Enterprises is expected to announce this week that Buckshot Jones will drive for the organization’s third Cup team next season(Roanoke Times) AND as rumored here last THURSDAY – Petty Enterprises is expected to announce tomorrow(Thurs) afternoon that Buckshot Jones will be its driver and Georgia Pacific its sponsor for the #44 car next season UPDATE 4: The Georgia-Pacific Corporation will put its family of brands on the fast track next year, entering Winston Cup competition in the 2001 season. This Fortune 100 company with Georgia roots will team with Petty Enterprises as a primary sponsor. Richard and Kyle Petty will join Georgia-Pacific leadership to make the formal announcement, including the introduction of driver Buckshot Jones, this Thursday, September 21st at 1:30pm/et at Georgia-Pacific Center in Atlanta. Georgia-Pacific’s history of motorsports involvement includes a sponsorship role in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1996, also with Petty Enterprises. The company’s Winston Cup sponsorship, a multi-year agreement, again unites the two organizations for NASCAR’s premier series(Williams Co)(9-20-2000) UPDATE 5: Georgia-Pacific Corp. is officially off to the races, announcing plans to enter the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup season as a primary sponsor with Petty Enterprises. Richard and Kyle Petty joined Georgia-Pacific leadership for the announcement, introducing Georgia-native Buckshot Jones as the team driver of the new #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge Intrepid R/T. The Georgia-Pacific name and those of its brands will adorn the new Winston Cup entrant from Dodge Motorsports — the Dodge Intrepid R/T. Buckshot Jones addition to the Petty team is the next step in a career that started as a college hobby and now is clearly on the fast track. Nicknamed as a child for being tough as buckshot, Jones has driven the #00 Pontiac on the NASCAR Busch Series this season. During the past five years in the Busch Series, he has won two Busch races, captured two poles and finished in the top ten 21 times. Brands to be featured on the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge will include Sparkle paper towels and napkins, Angel Soft bath tissue, Unisource, Pacific Garden soap and Georgia-Pacific building products and office papers(Buckshot Jones Site)(9-21-2000)
