Doug Barnes Jr. addressed the contact with Conner Jones during the CARS Tour race at Ace Speedway on Saturday night.

With 77 laps left to go in the 125-lap feature, Barnes had closed in on the rear of Jones and was looking for an opportunity to get around him and claim the fourth position. As the two went into turn 1, Barnes got into the back of Jones and Jones went spinning. The caution would come out and CARS Tour officials would send Doug Barnes Jr. to the rear of the field.

Barnes addressed the spin in multiple post-race interviews. He told Matt Weaver, “I was just making all my time on corner entry. I honestly think my lack of experience here got me. I think we needed to run a lower chip. I knew people in the same gear that I was driving a car length deeper than. If I had been running the same chip I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

Speaking specifically to the incident with Jones, he said, “That was the closest I was to him and I just ran him over. That’s all it was. I hate it. I wanted to park it. With my head after that I felt so bad because, honestly, he’s really turned his [crap] around. I told him that like last week. He’s really turned his [crap] around and just been running solid races, and he’s running for points, and running for the Flodium. And just, honestly, stuff that I’m not right now. I needed a good night and that night wasn’t going to come with 80 laps to go in the race. It was just a stupid mistake by me. I hate that I did it.”

A very remorseful Doug Barnes Jr. and a very reserved Conner Jones about the incident in 1 and 2

Doug said he made a mistake that made him just want to park it for the night. Conner wants CARS Tour to adopt the ‘tap rule.’

📺: FloRacing pic.twitter.com/nfwWhXV3Fe

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) May 10, 2026

Barnes also spoke to Deez Lug Nutz, “We had a solid run going. I think we were probably a top 5 car. I think we were a little bit better than Conner and I had some corners where I got to him, but the problem was I was making all time on entry and that was just the closest I got to him. In the moment, I felt like he opened his entry up a little bit, but regardless I ran him over. It doesn’t make an excuse for it. It just happened so fast. I’m embarrassed because I’m better than that. It was a stupid mistake. And I don’t want to do it to them. I just told him that. Like Conner has turned around as a race car driver the way he carries himself on and off the track. And I just hate that I ran him over. He’s racing for a championship. He’s racing for a Flodium and stuff that I’m not and I took that away from him. And just that team. I got a lot of respect for them. I almost went to that team. I was almost there. Just the last people I want to run into. I feel terrible about it.”

Barnes then confirmed he was sent to the rear by series officials, “Any time you’re involved in a wreck you’ve got to go to the rear and I wrecked him. And not intentionally, but I ran him over so I obviously went to the rear.”

Doug Barnes Jr very apologetic about his contact with Conner Jones and how he feels about the team moving forward.@CARSTour | @acespeedway1 | @DougBarnesJr88 pic.twitter.com/yeGqsNXt17

— Deez Lug Nutz Podcast (@deezlugnutz) May 10, 2026

Barnes ended up finishing in 12th while Jones ended up in 15th. Jones was second in the championship chase heading into Ace. He was 15 points behind Caden Kvapil. However, Kvapil finished third and Treyten Lapcevich finished second. That will likely put Jones back to third. He’ll be 27 points behind Kvapil. Lapcevich will move into second, but he’s 23 points.

The CARS Tour will be back in action when it heads to Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia on May 30th.

NEXT: CARS Tour Announces 2026 Schedule And Expands To Tennessee With Two New Tracks