Erik Jones Heads Into 2023 Nascar Cup Series Season With Eyes On The Playoffs

Erik Jones is as relaxed as he can be entering his seventh full Nascar Cup Series season. It’s a new version of Jones, one who he says is “reinvented” after taking over the No. 43 ride in 2021.

Jones joined what was then known as Richard Petty Motorsports after being axed by Joe Gibbs Racing. The small, single-car team turned into a two-entry operation in 2022 with the addition of Allegiant Air CEO Maury Gallagher as co-owner for the renamed Petty GMS.

With a fresh season on the horizon, Jones goes into the 2023 Nascar season as the lead driver for the newly formed Legacy Motor Club, co-owned by seven-time Nascar Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. Pressure? Yes, but it’s nothing Jones isn’t ready to handle after winning his first race with the team at Darlington Raceway last September in one of the sport’s biggest races, the Southern 500.

“It keeps going up and up,” Jones said of his expectations for the No. 43 team. “Last year, after we got the win, your expectations change. Going into this season, our expectations are higher than the start of last year. We need to constantly evolve. When Maury came on last season, that was a big boost for us.”

But with Johnson coming on board, the team’s support from Chevrolet is expected to grow. Additionally, Johnson will be piloting a third part-time entry, starting by attempting to qualify for the Daytona 500.

“I’m excited to see how that’s going to grow and to work with him,” Jones said. “I want to see what his process is like and how he goes about things. I’m going to dive into that with him.”

Besides Jones’ victory last year, he tallied three top fives and 13 top 10s. His 147 laps led is the most for a driver of the No. 43 car since AJ Allmendinger in 2010. Only Kasey Kahne earned more top 10s — 14 in 2009 — in a single season during RPM’s existence.

Adding Johnson, Jones believes, will help him be himself. He wants to pick the seven-time champion’s brain, and he’s already learned lessons from Johnson.

“There’s a lot of stuff for me to learn about the preparations he makes for races and how he went through his seasons working with his team,” Jones said. “I’ve been trying to pick up more and more on that and how he went about that stuff.

“I’m trying to work it in with my approach and how I go about stuff, too. Obviously, he’s been super successful in his Cup career. It’s interesting to hear his methods and how he went about it.”

Jones will be mentoring rookie Noah Gragson in 2023, who takes over the No. 42 car this season. Ty Dillon finished 29th in the driver standings last season in that car, a full 11 positions behind Jones.

“Noah and I – the [Nos.] 42 and 43 – have an opportunity to build our own legacy and the legacy of the race team,” Jones said of Legacy Motor Club. “For myself, I see it as a long-term home. For Jimmie, he sees it as a long-term investment home for him on the team owner side. I want to build a legacy of my own and build our team for the future.”

Right away, Jones, who is an above average superspeedway racer, is laser focused on capturing the Daytona 500 victory. If he can take home the Harley J. Earl Trophy, it will check off two of his goals at once: Winning the Great American Race and qualifying for the 2023 playoffs.

Jones said, “We would love to go deep into the playoffs, but getting in the playoffs would be a good year.”

Of course, the move to the Petty organization in 2021 was not an easy one. Jones, who was Matt Kenseth’s replacement at JGR in 2018, was considered a rising star. He earned two wins in the No. 20 car, but he also failed to make the playoffs in 2020. Christopher Bell took over the ride in 2021, leaving Jones with few solid options.

In 2022, Jones outpaced a pair of Stewart-Haas Racing cars, both RFK Racing cars, Kaulig Racing and more. Jones has shined in an underdog-type role thus far.

“For me, when I originally came over to the [No.] 43 car, I saw it as an opportunity to reinvent myself and help reinvent the team,” Jones said. “We’ve had a lot of great people come in to help with that. It’s been fun growing something. It’s fun for me to be in the trenches with the guys and get stuff better, it’s pretty cool.”

As Jones focuses on 2023, he is ready to prove why Legacy Motor Club will be the place to build his own legacy.