Erik Jones

Erik Jones Bio

Erik Benjamin Jones, born on May 30, 1996, is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club. Known to fans as EJ and by the nickname “That Jones Boy” given to him by announcer Ken Squier, Jones has built a reputation as one of the most consistent young drivers in the sport. He is also recognized as the first driver ever to win Rookie of the Year in all three NASCAR national series.

Over the course of his career, Jones has captured major victories across NASCAR’s top three national series, including a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship and a prestigious Southern 500 win. He has spent most of his career aligned with Toyota, working his way up through the manufacturer’s driver development program before returning to the brand in 2024 with Legacy Motor Club.

Early Life and Background

Erik Benjamin Jones was born on May 30, 1996, in Byron, Michigan, where he was raised alongside his younger sister, Lindsey. His parents, Dave and Carol Jones, supported his early interest in motorsports, and the family encouraged his passion for racing from a young age. Jones began his racing career at the age of seven, competing in quarter-midget events before transitioning to stock cars at age 13.

Jones attended Swartz Creek Academy, where he completed his high school education in a non-traditional setting. In June 2014, he received his high school diploma at Texas Motor Speedway before the WinStar World Casino 400K Camping World Truck Series race, a memorable moment that reflected how deeply racing was woven into his teenage years. He later relocated to Cornelius, North Carolina, to be closer to NASCAR’s heartland in the Charlotte region.

Path to NASCAR

Jones advanced quickly through the short-track racing ranks. He began competing in the ASA Late Model Series in 2010, becoming the youngest-ever winner of the Oktoberfest race at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway. The following year, he won the Champion Racing Association’s CRA All-Star Tour championship as a rookie and captured the Governor’s Cup 200 at New Smyrna Speedway, leading every lap and becoming the first non-Florida-born driver to win that event in more than three decades.

In December 2012, Jones held off NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch to win the prestigious Snowball Derby, signaling his arrival on the national stage. The next year, he was named the winner of the 2013 Snowball Derby after the original winner was disqualified in post-race inspection. These early short-track triumphs helped him earn a place in Toyota’s driver development program and a ride with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Erik Jones Career

Early Career (2012-2014)

Jones made his ARCA Racing Series debut in 2012 at age fifteen, becoming the first driver to compete in the series at that age. In 2013, he picked up his first ARCA Racing Series win at Berlin Raceway after dominating the event. That same year, Kyle Busch Motorsports signed him to drive in five age-eligible Camping World Truck Series races in the No. 51 Toyota Tundra, after NASCAR relaxed the minimum age rule for shorter ovals and road courses.

On November 8, 2013, Jones became the youngest driver ever to win in NASCAR’s top-level national competition at that time, capturing the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway at age seventeen years, five months, and eight days. He added another prestigious late model trophy by winning the Winchester 400 in October 2013 and returned to Kyle Busch Motorsports for a fuller Truck Series schedule in 2014.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Breakthrough (2013-2015)

Jones scored additional Truck Series wins in 2014 at Iowa Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway. On November 6, 2014, it was announced that he would run the full 2015 Truck Series season for Kyle Busch Motorsports, his first age-eligible championship campaign, along with an increased slate of Xfinity Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing. In 2015, he captured his first win of the season at Iowa Speedway, took a second win at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park to claim the points lead, and added a third win at Texas Motor Speedway to clinch the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship over Matt Crafton and Tyler Reddick.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2014-2016)

Jones made his Nationwide Series debut in July 2014 at Chicagoland Speedway, finishing in the top ten in all three of his scheduled races. In 2015, he ran 25 Xfinity Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing, splitting time between the No. 20 and No. 54 Toyotas, and won his first Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in April. He later completed a weekend sweep by winning at Iowa in the Truck Series and at Chicagoland in the Xfinity Series.

Jones raced full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2016, driving the No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing. He won at Bristol, Dover, Iowa, and Chicagoland, advancing through the Chase to the championship round at Homestead, where he finished fourth in points. His strong run earned him the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year award, making him the first driver to earn Rookie of the Year in both the Truck and Xfinity Series.

NASCAR Cup Series (2015-2020)

Jones unofficially debuted in the Sprint Cup Series in 2015 at Bristol, relieving Denny Hamlin, and made his official debut later that year at Kansas. In 2017, he signed with Furniture Row Racing to drive the No. 77 car, and that summer it was announced he would move to Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 car full-time in 2018, replacing Matt Kenseth. On July 7, 2018, Jones captured his first career Cup Series win at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, securing a playoff berth before being eliminated in the Round of 16.

On September 2, 2019, Jones scored his second career Cup Series win at Darlington Raceway, locking himself into the 2019 Playoffs. He opened 2020 by winning the Busch Clash at Daytona, but went winless the rest of the year and missed the playoffs. In August 2020, Joe Gibbs Racing announced it would part ways with Jones at the end of the season, ending a long relationship that dated back to 2012.

Richard Petty Motorsports and Petty GMS Era (2021-2022)

On October 21, 2020, Jones was confirmed as the driver of the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021, replacing Bubba Wallace. He finished 24th in the 2021 standings. In 2022, he was joined by Ty Dillon as a teammate when Richard Petty Motorsports merged with GMS Racing to form Petty GMS, and he was sponsored by FocusFactor in 26 races.

Despite not making the 2022 playoffs, Jones delivered one of the season’s biggest moments by winning the 2022 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, defeating Denny Hamlin. The victory gave Petty GMS its first win, the No. 43 its first win since 2014, and the iconic car its 200th career win. Jones ended the 2022 season eighteenth in the points standings.

Legacy Motor Club Era (2023-Present)

Jones moved into the Legacy Motor Club era in 2023 as the organization transitioned its manufacturer allegiance to Toyota. He opened 2024 with an eighth-place finish in the Daytona 500 and battled through a compression fracture in a lower vertebra sustained at Talladega, missing the Dover race before being cleared to return. With Legacy Motor Club struggling for consistent results, Jones recorded just one top-five finish in 2024, a fifth at the fall Talladega race, and finished 28th in points. Despite the challenges, he signed a multi-year extension to remain with the team.

Driving Style and Strengths

Jones has built a reputation as a smooth, calculated driver with particular strength on intermediate tracks and on the high-banked intermediates where Toyota power plays a role. His race craft shines in fuel-mileage battles and late-race restarts, where his patience often allows him to capitalize on mistakes from more aggressive competitors. He is widely respected for his professionalism and his detailed feedback to crew chiefs, a quality that has served him well through partnerships with multiple top-tier teams.

Notable Races and Milestones

Jones’s most celebrated moments include his 2022 Southern 500 victory at Darlington, his first Cup Series win at the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, and his historic 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. He is also remembered for his record-setting 2013 Phoenix win that made him the youngest winner in NASCAR national series history at the time, and for his three consecutive Rookie of the Year awards across the Truck, Xfinity, and Cup Series.

Erik Jones Career Wins

Erik Jones has accumulated victories across NASCAR’s top three national series, beginning with his first Truck Series win in 2013 and continuing through his Southern 500 triumph in 2022. He is a former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and has won races in all three of NASCAR’s national series.

NASCAR Cup Series Highlights

Jones has recorded three NASCAR Cup Series wins. His first came at the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, a last-lap pass that secured his place in the Playoffs. His second victory came on September 2, 2019, at Darlington Raceway. His third and most recent Cup Series win came in the 2022 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington, where he held off Denny Hamlin to give the No. 43 its 200th career victory and Petty GMS its first win as a merged organization.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Highlights

Jones has earned nine NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, including his first at Texas Motor Speedway in 2015. During his 2016 full-time campaign with Joe Gibbs Racing, he won at Bristol, Dover, Iowa, and Chicagoland, finishing fourth in the championship standings. In 2017, he added back-to-back victories at Texas and Bristol in part-time competition.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Highlights

Jones captured seven NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins, highlighted by his 2015 series championship with Kyle Busch Motorsports. His Truck Series career began with a historic win at Phoenix in 2013, when he became the youngest driver ever to win in NASCAR’s top three national series at that time.

Other Wins and Performances

Outside of the national series, Jones earned the 2011 CRA JEGS All-Star Tour championship, the 2011 Florida Governor’s Cup, the 2012 and 2013 Snowball Derby, and the 2013, 2014, and 2015 Winchester 400. He also won the 2014 Howie Lettow Memorial, the 2015 Redbud 400, the 2020 Busch Clash, and the 2023 Money in the Bank 150.

Erik Jones Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Erik Jones was raised in Byron, Michigan, by his parents, Dave and Carol Jones, alongside his younger sister, Lindsey. The family’s encouragement played a key role in launching his racing career, and Jones has often credited his parents for supporting his early ambitions in motorsports.

Personal Life

Jones is married to race car driver Holly Shelton, whom he began dating in 2018. The couple married on August 2, 2023, and they have a son, David Wayne Jones. Outside of racing, Jones is an avid reader and hosts a book club called Erik’s Reading Circle, where he shares children’s books and takes suggestions from fans. He currently resides in Cornelius, North Carolina.

2025 Season Performance

Jones opened the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with a twelfth-place finish at the Daytona 500. Following the spring Martinsville race, his car failed to meet minimum weight requirements in post-race inspection, resulting in a disqualification. The setback kept him on the outside of the playoff picture as the season moved into the summer months, but he responded by scoring two consecutive top-five finishes at Daytona and Darlington to salvage momentum.

Behind the wheel of the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club, Jones finished the 2025 campaign twenty-fourth in the points standings, outside the playoff field. His midseason form at Daytona and Darlington showed flashes of the speed that made him a three-time Cup winner, and his relationship with the team remained a focal point as Legacy Motor Club continued its development under the Toyota umbrella.

Looking ahead, Jones carries momentum from a multi-year contract extension signed in 2024, and his veteran experience continues to be a key asset for Legacy Motor Club as the organization works to climb the standings. With proven wins at Darlington and Daytona already on his resume, he remains a threat to make noise at any of the high-speed ovals on the 2026 schedule.