Erik Jones has voiced his preference for intermediate ovals, urging NASCAR officials to reconsider the current focus on road course events in the Cup Series. Speaking just before the Sonoma race, Jones highlighted his belief that the Next Gen car excels on intermediate NASCAR tracks, which remains a key debate as the schedule includes more road courses than ever before.
Erik Jones Advocates for a Shift in NASCAR Scheduling
The growing number of road course events in the NASCAR Cup Series has sparked a division among drivers. While competitors like Christopher Bell have welcomed a diverse calendar, Jones stands firm in his preference for ovals, referencing his upbringing in traditional stock car racing. As he explained,
“I would love to do a couple a year. I was totally happy running here and at Watkins Glen. I don’t know. I’m probably not the right guy to ask. I grew up as an oval racer. I didn’t race a road course till 10 years ago for the first time.”
—Erik Jones, NASCAR Driver
Jones made it clear he is not opposed to all road course races but sees limited value in their current volume. He emphasized his satisfaction with a few select venues and questioned whether the sport needs more.
Pushing for More Traditional Ovals and Analyzing the Next Gen Car’s Performance
The Legacy Motor Club driver continues to critique the Next Gen car’s adaptability to different circuits, centering his argument on the car’s underwhelming showings on road layouts. Jones did not hesitate to share,
“My opinion is this car is not, just hasn’t put on as good of a show on road courses that the old car did, to be frank.”
—Erik Jones, NASCAR Driver
He reinforced his vision for a balanced schedule, suggesting a combination limited to well-established road and street courses.
“I think it is fun to go to different places, but I could see us doing here, Watkins Glen, and one street course. I think you would be hard-pressed to find many that wouldn’t agree with that.”
—Erik Jones, NASCAR Driver
Most notably, Jones underlined intermediate ovals as the ideal environment for the current generation of stock cars. He stated,
“We know where this car puts on good races, the mile-and-a-half stuff is great, there is plenty of those tracks that we can go back to that are sitting there and primed to race, so I would love to go back to some of those,”
—Erik Jones, NASCAR Driver
His competitive record supports this viewpoint—at intermediate ovals, Jones averages a finish of 13.9, representing his strongest performances, while on road courses, this slips to 19.8, reinforcing his hesitance about the expanded road schedule.
Legacy Motor Club and Season Standings Context
Jones has rebounded this season after difficulties last year, with two top-five finishes and another top-10, all earned on intermediate or superspeedway tracks. His teammate John Hunter Nemechek has contributed to a revitalization effort at Legacy Motor Club, tallying six top-10s, including a top-five, this year.
In championship standings, Erik Jones currently lies in 17th place, narrowly trailing Kyle Busch, who holds 16th by a slim four-point margin. Nemechek is positioned 20th in the points, showing that both drivers are competitive and that the team’s future prospects may depend on the race formats featured in upcoming seasons.
What This Means for NASCAR’s Future Events
The ongoing discussion ignited by Erik Jones suggests NASCAR may need to reconsider the balance of its schedule, especially regarding the Next Gen car’s performance across different venues. As the driver standings develop and race outcomes continue to reflect the strengths of intermediate ovals, series organizers could face increasing pressure to return to more traditional tracks, aligning the schedule more closely with the talents and preferences of drivers like Jones.
