Erik Jones scored a competitive top 10 at Darlington. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
DARLINGTON, S.C. – Although the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs racers garnered the headlines, Erik Jones and his No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet entry are steadily on the rise.
After a difficult first half, Jones has showcased potential and promise with his LEGACY Motor Club team’s efforts, tallying two top 10s and five top 15s in the past 10 races. Although the 26-year-old Byron, Michigan native missed this year’s postseason cut, he was ready to defend his Cook Out Southern 500 victory.
Starting 20th, Jones marched his way up the leaderboard with a 13th place result in Stage 1. Pit strategy propelled Jones to a strong third place finish in Stage 2, netting eight stage points.
Clearly, crew chief Dave Elenz was working toward extracting more out of Jones’ distinct ride. However, once Stage 3 ensued, it was a matter of trying to find a tolerable balance for a respectable result.
As Jones and his No. 43 team kept pressing on, a dramatic moment in Turn 1 nearly ended their evening. On Lap 320, Alex Bowman and Daniel Suárez tangled, triggering a hard crash involving Suárez and Harrison Burton.
Erik Jones made the most of a promising evening at Darlington. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
Driving to the chaotic scene, Jones kept his car on the high line, narrowly avoiding Suárez’s damaged car and emerging from the smoke. Escaping from the melee, Jones kept his Chevy clean and in prime position to tally a top 10 result.
When all was said and done, Jones gathered his sixth top 10 finish of the season. While it may have not been as prominent as his exciting victory from a year ago, the Michigander considered the highlights and gains from the crown jewel race.
“It was an up-and-down day, but a top-10 finish is obviously solid for us,” Jones said. “It’s been awhile since we’ve done that. I feel like we had a better car at points there running in the top-three, top-five, and I was hoping we could hit it right on the adjustment to make it work there to challenge upfront.”
Moving from 28th to 27th in the driver’s standings, Jones finds himself 17 points from the top 25 and 121 points from the top 20. Consistency and more solid results may salvage a trying season for the LEGACY Motor Club’s veteran racer.
For now, Jones mused over what could have been at “The Track Too Tough to Tame” considering the great pace and track position toward the end of Stage 2.
“We just got a little off and couldn’t really get it reigned back in there for the end,” he said. “Our No. 43 Allegiant Chevy was good. We just needed a little bit more.”
