INDYCAR: Lights champ Jones works to land ride

Newly-crowned Indy Lights champion Ed Jones believes that he needs to be in IndyCar full-time next year if he is to make the most of the opportunity he earned for winning the title.

Rookies have generally found it difficult to establish a long-term foothold in IndyCar in recent years, and Jones points to the progress that 2015 Lights champion Spencer Pigot made this year when he was able to turn his three-race prize drive with RLL into a seat with Ed Carpenter Racing.

"Looking at it in the past, it is very difficult for a driver to really get up to speed and be consistent unless they are doing a full season," said Jones.

"It looked very tough for Spencer at the beginning of the season, but towards the end of the year with Carpenter, when he was doing pretty much all of the races, he seemed to be making a lot more progress. So it's really critical to be able to do a full season. That's the aim."

Dubai-based Jones said that he is talking to several teams about a potential deal, but admits that his situation is complicated there being far more drivers available than empty seats.

"We're talking to a few teams," he said. "It's very tough. Obviously the support from the scholarship helps, but there is still a lot that we have to find in terms of sponsorship and budget. I'm confident we can work something out. There are quite a few drivers out there that can bring a budget, unfortunately.

"Hopefully we can find support from somewhere. There are a lot of people who get annoyed when teams put rookies in instead of more experienced guys, but how do you expect the new guys to come in if you don't give them the chance to do the whole season, and learn, and progress so that they can challenge the more experienced guys?

"Hopefully we can convince a team to take that chance on me, and I can deliver for them."