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Erik Jones
Erik Jones Driver Introductions Las Vegas 2024.jpg
Jones at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024
Born Erik Benjamin Jones
(1996-05-30) May 30, 1996 (age 29)
Byron, Michigan, U.S.
Achievements First driver ever to win Rookie of the Year in all three NASCAR national series
2019, 2022 Southern 500 Winner
2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion
2011 CRA JEGS All-Star Tour Champion
2011 Florida Governor's Cup Winner
2012, 2013 Snowball Derby Winner
2013, 2014, 2015 Winchester 400 Winner
2014 Howie Lettow Memorial Winner
2015 Redbud 400 Winner
2020 Busch Clash Winner
2023 Money in the Bank 150 Winner
Awards 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year
2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year
2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Cup Series career
289 races run over 9 years
Car no., team No. 43 (Legacy Motor Club)
2024 position 28th
Best finish 15th (2018)
First race 2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400 (Kansas)
Last race 2020 FanShield 500 (Phoenix)
First win 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Daytona)
Last win 2022 Cook Out Southern 500 (Darlington)
Wins Top tens Poles
3 90 2
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
79 races run over 6 years
2021 position 105th
Best finish 4th (2016)
First race 2014 EnjoyIllinois.com 300 (Chicagoland)
Last race 2021 Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 at The Glen (Watkins Glen)
First win 2015 O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 (Texas)
Last win 2017 O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 (Texas)
Wins Top tens Poles
9 50 15
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
42 races run over 5 years
2018 position 93rd
Best finish 1st (2015)
First race 2013 Kroger 250 (Martinsville)
Last race 2018 Gander Outdoors 150 (Pocono)
First win 2013 Lucas Oil 150 (Phoenix)
Last win 2015 WinStar World Casino & Resort 350 (Texas)
Wins Top tens Poles
7 35 7
Statistics current as of November 10, 2024.

Erik Benjamin Jones (born May 30, 1996) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club. People call him EJ (his initials) or That Jones Boy, a nickname given by announcer Ken Squier. Erik spent most of his early NASCAR career with Toyota. He even won the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship while in their special driver program.

Erik's Racing Journey

Starting Young: Early Races

Erik Jones ASA North Late Model winner Oktoberfest race at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway
Jones' 2010 ASA North Late Model car at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway
Erik Jones celebrates winning 2010 Oktoberfest ASA North Late Model race
Jones celebrating his 2010 win

Erik started racing when he was just seven years old, driving small "quarter-midget" cars. By age 13, he moved to stock cars. In 2010, he joined the ASA Late Model Series and became the youngest person to win the Oktoberfest race at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway.

In 2011, Erik joined the Champion Racing Association's CRA All-Star Tour. He won the championship in his very first year! That same year, he won the Governor's Cup 200 race at New Smyrna Speedway, leading every single lap. He was the first driver in over 30 years not from Florida to win that race.

In December 2012, Erik won the famous Snowball Derby race, beating out NASCAR star Kyle Busch. He won the Snowball Derby again in December 2013 after the original winner was disqualified.

Racing in the ARCA Series

Erik joined the ARCA Racing Series in 2012. He was the first driver ever to race in this series at only 15 years old! He raced in 10 of the 19 events that year. His best finishes were third place at Winchester Speedway and Berlin Raceway. In 2013, Erik got his first ARCA Racing Series win at Berlin Raceway, leading most of the race.

Truck Series Success

First Wins and Championship

Erik Jones Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Rockingham 2013
Jones' 2013 truck at Rockingham Speedway

In March 2013, Kyle Busch Motorsports signed Erik to race in five Camping World Truck Series events. NASCAR changed a rule, allowing drivers as young as 16 to race on shorter tracks. Erik finished second in his third race in the series at Iowa. In October, he won another big race, the Winchester 400.

On November 8, 2013, Erik made history! He became the youngest driver ever to win a NASCAR top-level race. He won the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway at 17 years, five months, and eight days old.

In 2014, Erik continued to race for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He won at Iowa Speedway in July and at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September. He also won at Phoenix again in November.

In 2015, Erik raced full-time in the Truck Series for the first time, competing for the championship. He started strong with a second-place finish at Daytona International Speedway. He won poles (starting first) at Texas Motor Speedway, Gateway Motorsports Park, and Iowa Speedway. He got his first win of 2015 at Iowa.

Later in 2015, Erik won his second race of the season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. This win put him in the lead for the championship points. He then won his third race of the season at Texas Motor Speedway. Erik battled Matt Crafton and Tyler Reddick all season and finally won the 2015 Truck Series Championship!

Later Truck Series Races

Erik returned to the Truck Series for single races in 2016 and 2018. In 2016, he finished fifth at Gateway. In 2018, he finished second at Pocono Raceway, right behind his team owner, Kyle Busch.

Xfinity Series Highlights

Early Races and First Wins

20 Erik Jones 2016 Road America 180
Jones' 2016 Xfinity Series car at Road America

In June 2014, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Erik would race in three Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series) races. He made his debut at Chicagoland Speedway and finished in the top ten in all three races.

In 2015, Erik raced in 25 Xfinity Series events for Joe Gibbs Racing. On April 10, 2015, he won his first Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Later that year, he won at Chicagoland, completing a "weekend sweep" after winning a Truck Series race at Iowa.

Full-Time Racing and More Wins

Erik raced full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2016. He won his first race of the season at Bristol in April. He also won a special $100,000 bonus! He won again at Dover in May, earning another $100,000 bonus. Erik set the fastest qualifying time for the Hisense 4K TV 300, giving Joe Gibbs Racing its ninth pole position in a row.

In July, Erik won his third race of the season at Iowa. He led the most laps and passed Ty Dillon for the lead near the end. He won his fourth race at Chicagoland in September. This win made him the top seed going into the playoffs. Erik made it to the championship round at Homestead, finishing fourth in points.

Part-Time Appearances

In 2017, Erik raced part-time in the Xfinity Series while also racing full-time in the Cup Series. He won back-to-back races at Texas and Bristol in April. In June, he even worked as a pit reporter for Fox NASCAR during an Xfinity race! He also raced in the series in 2019 and 2021.

NASCAR Cup Series Journey

First Appearances and Rookie Year

Erik Jones at Thunder Valley (cropped)
Jones made his unofficial Sprint Cup Series debut filling in for Denny Hamlin.

Erik first raced in the Sprint Cup Series in 2015. He filled in for Denny Hamlin at the 2015 Food City 500 because Hamlin had neck problems. Erik officially debuted at Kansas, starting 12th. He even led some laps before a crash ended his race early. He also drove for Matt Kenseth in two races later that year.

For 2016, Erik's full-time Cup Series plans were put on hold due to new rules about how many cars a team could have.

In 2017, Erik signed with Furniture Row Racing to drive their new No. 77 car. On August 19, 2017, he started from pole position at Bristol, leading many laps. He finished second to Kyle Busch. Erik led 260 laps in that race, which was a huge jump from the 50 laps he had led in all his previous Cup starts combined!

First Cup Wins and Playoffs

Erik Jones Indianapolis 2018
Jones at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2018

In July 2017, it was announced that Erik would move to the No. 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2018, replacing Matt Kenseth.

On July 7, 2018, Erik won his first career Cup Series race at the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. He got a big push from Chris Buescher and held off Martin Truex Jr. on the last lap. This win secured his spot in the playoffs. However, he was eliminated early after tough races at Las Vegas and the Charlotte Roval. He finished the season 15th in points.

Erik Jones 20 Sonoma 2019
Jones at Sonoma Raceway in 2019

On September 2, 2019, Erik won his second Cup Series race at Darlington, which also put him in the 2019 playoffs. He signed a new contract with Joe Gibbs Racing for 2020. During the playoffs, he had some bad luck, including a stuck throttle at Las Vegas and a disqualification at Richmond. He was eliminated in the first round after a crash at the Charlotte Roval.

Moving to Richard Petty Motorsports

Erik started 2020 by winning the 2020 Busch Clash, even after being in three crashes! In August 2020, Joe Gibbs Racing announced they would part ways with Erik at the end of the season. He missed the playoffs that year and finished 17th in points.

Erik Jones Indianapolis 2021
Jones in the No. 43 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2021

On October 21, 2020, Erik was confirmed to drive the No. 43 car for Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021, taking over from Bubba Wallace. He finished the season 24th in points.

Petty GMS and Legacy Motor Club

2022 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (51967575935) (cropped)
Jones in the No. 43 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2022

In 2022, Erik stayed with the No. 43 car. Richard Petty Motorsports was bought by GMS Racing, forming Petty GMS. Erik had a strong third-place finish at Fontana, his best since 2020. Even though he didn't make the playoffs, Erik won at Darlington. This was the first win for Petty GMS and the 200th win for the famous No. 43 car! He finished the season 18th in points.

Erik Jones 43 Sonoma 2023
Jones in the No. 43 at Sonoma Raceway in 2023

Erik started the 2023 season with the band Guns N' Roses sponsoring his No. 43 car for the 2023 Daytona 500. He had several top-10 finishes, including an eighth place at Atlanta and a third place at Kansas. This third-place finish was the first top-5 for his team, now called Legacy Motor Club. He ended the season 27th in points.

In 2024, Erik started with an eighth-place finish in the 2024 Daytona 500. At Talladega, he had a hard crash and suffered a back injury, a compression fracture in a lower vertebra. He missed two races while recovering. He returned to racing at Darlington. Despite a challenging year for Legacy Motor Club, Erik signed a new multi-year contract with the team.

About Erik's Life

Erik Jones was born on May 30, 1996, in Byron, Michigan. He graduated from Swartz Creek Academy. He even received his high school diploma at Texas Motor Speedway in 2014!

He lives in Cornelius, North Carolina, and has a younger sister named Lindsey. Erik loves to read! In April 2020, he started "Erik's Reading Circle" on Facebook, where he reads children's books and takes suggestions for new books. He also has a book club on his website.

Erik started dating fellow race car driver Holly Shelton in 2018. They got married on August 2, 2023.

Erik's Racing Stats

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 NCSC Pts Ref
2015 Joe Gibbs Racing 11 Toyota DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL MAR TEX BRI
RL
RCH TAL 54th 01
18 KAN
40
CLT DOV POC MCH SON DAY KEN NHA IND POC GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH CHI NHA DOV CLT KAN TAL MAR
20 TEX
12
PHO
19
HOM
2017 Furniture Row Racing 77 Toyota DAY
39
ATL
14
LVS
15
PHO
8
CAL
12
MAR
12
TEX
22
BRI
17
RCH
38
TAL
33
KAN
22
CLT
7
DOV
15
POC
3
MCH
13
SON
25
DAY
9
KEN
6
NHA
39
IND
31
POC
8
GLN
10
MCH
3
BRI
2*
DAR
5
RCH
6
CHI
33
NHA
6
DOV
12
CLT
17
TAL
36
KAN
35
MAR
26
TEX
10
PHO
4
HOM
21
19th 863
2018 Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota DAY
36
ATL
11
LVS
8
PHO
9
CAL
7
MAR
17
TEX
4
BRI
26
RCH
13
TAL
39
DOV
18
KAN
7
CLT
19
POC
29
MCH
15
SON
7
CHI
6
DAY
1
KEN
7
NHA
16
POC
5
GLN
5
MCH
13
BRI
5
DAR
8
IND
2
LVS
40
RCH
11
ROV
30
DOV
4
TAL
8
KAN
4
MAR
26
TEX
4
PHO
17
HOM
30
15th 2220
2019 DAY
3
ATL
7
LVS
13
PHO
29
CAL
19
MAR
30
TEX
4
BRI
24
RCH
14
TAL
19
DOV
6
KAN
3
CLT
40
POC
3
MCH
31
SON
8
CHI
7
DAY
23
KEN
3
NHA
3
POC
2
GLN
4
MCH
18
BRI
22
DAR
1
IND
39
LVS
36
RCH
38
ROV
40
DOV
15
TAL
34
KAN
7
MAR
20
TEX
10
PHO
7
HOM
3
16th 2194
2020 DAY
18
LVS
23
CAL
10
PHO
28
DAR
8
DAR
5
CLT
11
CLT
26
BRI
5
ATL
28
MAR
20
HOM
21
TAL
5
POC
38
POC
3
IND
33
KEN
22
TEX
6
KAN
5
NHA
24
MCH
11
MCH
27
DRC
11
DOV
12
DOV
22
DAY
35
DAR
4
RCH
22
BRI
3
LVS
8
TAL
2
ROV
3
KAN
20
TEX
21
MAR
12
PHO
22
17th 873
2021 Richard Petty Motorsports 43 Chevy DAY
39
DRC
14
HOM
27
LVS
10
PHO
20
ATL
24
BRD
9
MAR
30
RCH
19
TAL
27
KAN
25
DAR
18
DOV
22
COA
16
CLT
16
SON
11
NSH
19
POC
22
POC
31
ROA
19
ATL
24
NHA
19
GLN
27
IRC
7
MCH
18
DAY
11
DAR
32
RCH
21
BRI
8
LVS
26
TAL
9
ROV
17
TEX
12
KAN
29
MAR
8
PHO
22
24th 641
2022 Petty GMS DAY
29
CAL
3
LVS
31
PHO
25
ATL
14
COA
9
RCH
23
MAR
13
BRD
24
TAL
6
DOV
10
DAR
25
KAN
32
CLT
14
GTW
7
SON
22
NSH
11
ROA
26
ATL
4
NHA
19
POC
9
IRC
15
MCH
8
RCH
35
GLN
10
DAY
17
DAR
1
KAN
29
BRI
21
TEX
6
TAL
6
ROV
11
LVS
8
HOM
30
MAR
18
PHO
14
18th 831
2023 Legacy Motor Club DAY
37
CAL
19
LVS
19
PHO
21
ATL
8
COA
23
RCH
31
BRD
14
MAR
31
TAL
6
DOV
16
KAN
21
DAR
25
CLT
32
GTW
18
SON
32
NSH
8
CSC
16
ATL
11
NHA
11
POC
9
RCH
23
MCH
10
IRC
36
GLN
29
DAY
18
DAR
10
KAN
3
BRI
24
TEX
30
TAL
26
ROV
36
LVS
28
HOM
14
MAR
21
PHO
20
27th 578
2024 Toyota DAY
8
ATL
25
LVS
14
PHO
31
BRI
20
COA
32
RCH
14
MAR
12
TEX
19
TAL
35
DOV KAN DAR
19
CLT
19
GTW
26
SON
19
IOW
32
NHA
13
NSH
34
CSC
29
POC
14
IND
28
RCH
29
MCH
16
DAY
17
DAR
24
ATL
26
GLN
33
BRI
30
KAN
35
TAL
5
ROV
33
LVS
25
HOM
22
MAR
19
PHO
22
28th 516
2025 DAY ATL COA PHO LVS HOM MAR DAR BRI TAL TEX KAN CLT NSH MCH MXC POC ATL CSC SON DOV IND IOW GLN RCH DAY DAR GTW BRI NHA KAN ROV LVS TAL MAR PHO -* -*
– Relieved Denny Hamlin
Daytona 500
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
2017 Furniture Row Racing Toyota 34 39
2018 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 8 36
2019 28 3
2020 14 18
2021 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 31 39
2022 Petty GMS 13 29
2023 Legacy Motor Club 25 37
2024 Toyota 11 8
2025

Xfinity Series

NASCAR Xfinity Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 NXSC Pts Ref
2014 Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX DAR RCH TAL IOW CLT DOV MCH ROA KEN DAY NHA CHI
7
IND IOW GLN MOH BRI
8
ATL RCH CHI KEN DOV KAN CLT TEX PHO
6
HOM 91st 01
2015 DAY
18
LVS
29
CAL
3
TEX
1*
BRI
4
TAL
30
IOW
3
CLT
15
KEN
2
NHA IND
34
RCH
5
CHI CLT
2
KAN TEX
4
PHO
3
HOM
3
85th 01
54 ATL
13
PHO
5
RCH
4
DOV
9*
MCH CHI
1*
DAY
8
IOW
7
GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR KEN
8
DOV
2016 20 DAY
31
ATL
3
LVS
3
PHO
2
CAL
15
TEX
2
BRI
1
RCH
34
TAL
21
DOV
1*
CLT
31
POC
2
MCH
4
IOW
27
DAY
10
KEN
4
NHA
2
IND
22
IOW
1*
GLN
12
MOH
6
BRI
33
ROA
21
DAR
6
RCH
2
CHI
1
KEN
28*
DOV
16
CLT
5
KAN
15
TEX
4
PHO
10
HOM
9
4th 4032
2017 DAY
32
ATL LVS PHO
3
CAL
4
TEX
1*
BRI
1
RCH TAL
5
CLT DOV
35
POC MCH IOW DAY
25
KEN
3*
NHA IND
23
IOW GLN
8
MOH BRI ROA DAR
4
RCH CHI
18*
KEN DOV
20
CLT
30
KAN
15*
TEX
1*
PHO
3
HOM 87th 01
2019 XCI Racing 81 Toyota DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV CLT POC MCH IOW CHI DAY KEN NHA IOW GLN MOH BRI
37
ROA DAR IND LVS RCH ROV DOV KAN TEX PHO HOM 106th 01
2021 Jordan Anderson Racing 31 Chevy DAY DRC HOM LVS PHO ATL MAR TAL DAR DOV COA CLT MOH TEX NSH POC ROA ATL NHA GLN
36
IRC MCH DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL ROV TEX KAN MAR PHO 105th 01

Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series

NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 NGTC Pts Ref
2013 Kyle Busch Motorsports 51 Toyota DAY MAR
9
CAR
9
KAN CLT DOV TEX KEN IOW
2
ELD POC MCH BRI MSP IOW
9
CHI LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO
1*
HOM 29th 195
2014 DAY MAR
18
KAN CLT DOV TEX
11
GTW
23
KEN IOW
1*
ELD
29
POC
6
MCH BRI MSP
3
CHI NHA
7
LVS
1
TAL
6
MAR
4
TEX PHO
1*
HOM 18th 426
2015 4 DAY
2
ATL
7
MAR
3
KAN
11*
CLT
2*
DOV
3
TEX
15
GTW
23*
IOW
1*
KEN
2*
ELD
4
POC
10
MCH
3
BRI
6
MSP
1
CHI
6
NHA
7
LVS
9
TAL
4
MAR
10
TEX
1*
PHO
9*
HOM
6
1st 899
2016 51 DAY ATL MAR KAN DOV CLT TEX IOW GTW
5
KEN ELD POC BRI MCH MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 85th 01
2018 18 DAY ATL LVS MAR DOV KAN CLT TEX IOW GTW CHI KEN ELD POC
2
MCH BRI MSP LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 93rd 01
2020 Wauters Motorsports 5 Toyota DAY LVS CLT
DNQ
ATL HOM POC KEN TEX KAN KAN MCH DRC DOV GTW DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL KAN TEX MAR PHO 01

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

ARCA Racing Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Racing Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ARSC Pts Ref
2012 Venturini Motorsports 55 Chevy DAY MOB
29
SLM
5
TAL ELK
8
POC MCH WIN
3
NJE IOW
11
CHI IRP
33
POC BLN
3
ISF MAD
4
SLM
27
DSF KAN 21st 1565
Toyota TOL
26
2013 15 DAY MOB SLM TAL TOL ELK POC
2
MCH ROA WIN CHI NJE POC
12*
BLN
1*
ISF MAD DSF IOW SLM KEN
6
KAN 33rd 855

K&N Pro Series East

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 NKNPSEC Pts Ref
2018 DGR-Crosley 20 Toyota NSM BRI LGY SBO SBO MEM NJM TMP NHA IOW GLN
19
GTW NHA DOV 57th 26

K&N Pro Series West

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 NKNPSWC Pts Ref
2018 DGR-Crosley 20 Toyota KCR TUS TUS OSS CNS SON
6
DCS IOW EVG GTW LVS MER AAS KCR 37th 38

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Erik Jones para niños

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