Jones settling in at Coyne

For about 30 minutes on Friday afternoon, it was a beautiful sight for Dale Coyne's team. At the top of the scoreboard at Phoenix International Raceway it read P1: Sebastien Bourdais,  and P2: Ed Jones.

"I know it doesn't mean anything, but it was pretty cool to be up there for a while," said Jones, the 2016 Indy Lights champion who wound up ninth overall in the three-hour session.

"It's an amazing feeling in the corner in an IndyCar, and it's all about commitment and building trust."

The 21-year-old Dubai-based driver, who grew up in England, has a full-time opportunity thanks to his Lights' prize of $1 million, and he's got veteran engineer Mike Cannon and former champion Bourdais to lean on and learn from.

"They've made me feel pretty comfortable, and we got to run the rookie day here Wednesday and that really helped," he continued. "A lot of people told me it's much more difficult driving an IndyCar compared to a Lights car, but I think the Lights car moves around so much more and the IndyCar seems more settled.

"I know I've got a long way to go, but I feel pretty confident and I'm getting more and more trust in the car."

Last summer Jones got to drive a sprint car at Perris Speedway in L.A. and loved the experience, and the kid with the road racing background has taken to turning left.

"I like the ovals a lot, in fact I prefer them to the road courses," said Jones. "They require a lot of commitment, especially Turn 1 here because of how it falls away, but it's quite a sensation to get it right."

Cannon knows exactly how to handle a rookie, because he's schooled his share.

"Ed is finding his feet and it's comforting to have Seb to confirm the car," said Cannon. "I told him when we come back here to race with all these maniacs that it's very important for him to finish the race. I don't care where he runs or where he finishes, but he can't learn anything if he's out on the third lap and I think he understands.

"He seems like a sharp kid, and this is his learning year."