NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — NASCAR Cup Series driver Erik Jones has entered the ASA STARS National Tour ECMD 150 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 16.
The Legacy Motor Club driver is poised to make his first super late model start of the season when the tour heads to the historic facility for the third race of the ASA STARS season.
The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year is in his third season with Legacy M.C., driving the famed No. 43 Chevrolet. He has three career NASCAR Cup Series wins, including the Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway last September. Additionally, he has nine career NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship to his credit.
Hailing from Byron, Mich., his home state is steeped in rich American Speed Association history. Jones himself also has experience under the ASA name, having scored two wins with the former ASA Late Model Series Northern Division in 2010 as a 14-year-old.
“It’s really cool to see the ASA banner back. Looking through my history racing with them initially in late models, but more importantly looking back at the history of the ASA series of Mark Martin, Bob Senneker, all these guys that raced in ASA, guys that I looked up to and still look up to as heroes of mine at the short track level,” said Jones. “Getting to race under that banner is going to be pretty neat. I hope to add a couple wins there.”
Jones’s super late model career is one of the strongest in recent memory. He has two Snowball Derby victories and three Winchester 400 wins. He’s also scored wins in the Redbud 400, Florida Governor’s Cup, and the Howie Lettow Memorial at the Milwaukee Mile
He has competed in 12 super late model races since 2021, scoring a win with the ASA/CRA Super Series at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July 2022. For Jones, it’s been a learning experience getting re-acclimated to a super late model after several years away.
“Getting back into Supers for the past couple of years has been fun. I had really been out of it for a few years, so coming back was actually a bit of a challenge re-learning and trying to get better at it and learning how much the cars have changed. It was cool just to get a win in one of the five or six races. I hope to do about the same this year and add to the win total, but definitely fun getting back in them. It’s as competitive as ever.”
He was one day shy of four months old when the NASCAR Cup Series ran its last race to date at North Wilkesboro. Now 27 years after that final race, Jones will get an opportunity to compete against super late model racing’s best before taking the track for the NASCAR All-Star Race.
“Racing at North Wilkesboro is going to be fun. I’ve never been there but getting there in a Super should be neat. It looks like a good track and one that fits my driving style. It’s neat to have the opportunity to race there against good guys in Supers. There’s going to be a lot of talented guys, a lot of fast guys in that race. I hope to have a chance to compete for a win with them.”