INDIANAPOLIS – It’s been quite a week for young Erik Jones.
Just five days after winning the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway for his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, the 23-year-old from Michigan has been rewarded with a contract extension from Joe Gibbs Racing.
Jones will continue to drive the No. 20 Toyota Camry in 2020, JGR announced before Friday’s practice session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
“I’m so happy to finally have my plans for 2020 confirmed and to talk about it,” Jones said. “I’m excited to be staying with Joe Gibbs Racing and the 20 team and to continue the success that we have built over the last two years in the Cup Series. I put my heart and soul into this and this race team. This is my living and how I want to make a career and what I want to do. I’ve been racing with JGR since 2014 and it’s really cool to be able to continue with the foundation we’ve built over the years and hopefully win more races and contend for championships together.”
Jones scored his first victory in the 2018 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona Int’l Raceway on July 7, 2018.
“Erik has accomplished so much in our sport already and yet, he really is just at the start of a long career,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “He’s been a part of Joe Gibbs Racing for almost his entire professional career and we’re excited to see what the future holds for him.”
In his third full-time season in the Cup Series, Jones has two wins, 23 top-five finishes and 45 top-10 finishes in 100-career starts in the series.
Fresh off his Southern 500 win, Jones is hoping to add to that momentum in Sunday’s final race of the NASCAR regular season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“Indianapolis has been a good track for me,” Jones said. “We ran second there last year and had a chance to win. Hopefully we can take the momentum from Darlington and seal the deal this year. It’s going to be a fun weekend. No pressure at all going to Indy, nothing for us to really gain other than another win which would be really nice at Indianapolis.
“It’s nice to have that momentum on your side. Momentum racing is as big as it is in any sport and it’s going to carry us into the playoffs and hopefully into the playoffs with a solid run.”
Crew chief Chris Gayle believes the flat, Indianapolis Motor Speedway offers its own set of unique challenges, but with NASCAR’s 2019 package, it should give the Joe Gibbs Racing cars a competitive edge.
“I think it’s going to be a very interesting race at Indianapolis with the 2019 aero package,” Gayle said. “Indy is a track that was already a one groove track in the past with a low downforce package, it’s just one of those tracks that has a huge history, but unfortunately only one ideal racing groove. I think this will make strategy and maintaining track position very important for winning and finishing well in this event. We ran really well in 2018 with no practice, and I feel like given some time on the track this 20 team can go run well again and challenge for that one additional position we needed in 2018. We’ll go and do everything we can to “Kiss the Bricks” at the end of this event.”
A win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway would be a tremendous achievement for both driver and crew chief because of their reverence for the facility.
“The Brickyard is one of my favorite events of the season due to its long, storied racing history,” Gayle said. “It’s also nice to be going without the worry of having to race for points, or any concern about playoff implications. Even questions about us being so close to a win, when do you guys think it’ll happen, can be put to rest following Darlington.”
From Toyota’s perspective, keeping a young talent like Jones is very important to the overall program.
“All of us at Toyota and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) are thrilled to have Erik extend his relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing and the No. 20 Camry,” said David Wilson, president of TRD, U.S.A. “Erik has been a part of the family since 2013 and we’ve been fortunate to see him advance and develop as a race car driver and a person. From a Truck Series champion to a Playoff contender and race winner in the Cup Series, we’re honored to be a part of his journey. Without a doubt, we know his recent Cup Series success is just the beginning of what is sure to be many more wins and championship-contending seasons to come.”