Erik Jones, the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver, shared a motivated outlook on the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series event at Darlington Raceway, expressing a strong sense of preparation and belief in his team’s progress. Speaking before Saturday’s practice, Jones detailed why the Darlington race consistently brings out his best, tying his confidence to recent improvements in car performance as he eyes the event with high hopes.
Anticipating Another Memorable Race at Darlington
Erik Jones addressed the media at Darlington Raceway, where he returns as a driver for the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE. The weekend holds particular significance for Jones, given his consistent enjoyment of the Southern 500 and the historical demands of the race. His recent experiences and the advancements his team has made over the past year contribute to his anticipation and readiness for this edition of the event.
“Yeah, I always enjoy this race. I look forward to it every year, but I feel like we have a good car – been getting our stuff better on the mile-and-a-halves. We will see how it goes, but I look forward to this race every year and enjoy the weekend and enjoy the race tomorrow. It has been a fun one for me, so I’m excited to get it going.”
—Erik Jones, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Driver
Fresh on his mind is the steady progress Jones and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB have made, which has rebuilt his faith in their competitiveness. Drawing comparisons to other high-performing weekends, particularly the outing in Indianapolis, he indicated hopes that the gains made on similar tracks will translate to strong results at Darlington. The event continues to foster a sense of challenge and ambition, making each return feel meaningful for the team and the driver alike.
The Role of Weather in Darlington’s Night Race
Weather is expected to play a decisive role in how the race unfolds, with cooler conditions forecast for this year’s Southern 500—a rarity for the late summer event in South Carolina. Jones explained the technical adjustments and mental preparation required for variable temperatures, emphasizing both the effect on tire wear and the necessity of adaptive driving strategy as temperatures dip into the night.
“Yeah, it will definitely – the track I feel like always goes free here as the night goes on. I don’t know if it will change it a whole lot. The tires – when it is colder like that – they don’t get as worn out and as slick, so the line changes quite a bit, I feel like, every year. With it being colder, it might make it go a little freer, especially as it gets cooler and cooler throughout the night. But definitely one of the colder late summer Southern 500’s I can remember in the last few years, so it will be a bit different, especially with lines and where you run with the tires just wearing a little bit less.”
—Erik Jones, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Driver
This detailed consideration of tire management and race strategy reflects the nuanced demands that Darlington Raceway places on drivers and teams. As night falls and grip levels shift, a calculated, flexible approach will be critical for those seeking to contend for victory, including Jones and his Toyota-backed crew.
Confidence Born from Experience and Recent Gains
Jones openly discussed his evolving sense of confidence at Darlington, underlining how recent improvements within LEGACY MOTOR CLUB have revitalized his belief that a win is within reach this year. He acknowledged that earlier seasons lacked the competitive edge necessary to truly contend, but an upgraded car and a growing notebook of data have made a significant difference as the team enters the 2024 race.
“I feel like we have a shot to win when we come here. I feel like this is our best chance in a few years – our cars are getting better. The last couple of years, I don’t feel like we’ve had the cars that we’ve needed to contend, but this year, I feel like we will be a bit closer. This is a similar car to what we had in Indy, where we had a lot of speed, so I think that will transfer over a bit. I know it is a different track, but it will transfer some speed over. Definitely feel good about it. It is a hard one to win. Everything has to go really well. A lot of green flag stops. You can’t get caught in a yellow or a weird situation. A lot of things have to work out throughout the night to have opportunities but definitely have the confidence coming here knowing that I feel like I know how to run the race and knowing what I need from my car and know that if it is doing certain things that we will be able to contend. You don’t have that feeling every week. There are not always tracks that you are comfortable at or had a car that was good enough to contend, but here I definitely have that feeling.”
—Erik Jones, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Driver
This hard-earned optimism centers on a refined understanding of the demands at Darlington, as well as staying adaptable to the race’s unpredictable elements. The critical importance of flawless pit stops, clean runs, and minimizing mistakes is not lost on Jones as each opportunity must be maximized to have a shot at the checkered flag.
Strategic Adjustments During Practice Sessions
With practice and qualifying sessions held in conditions not entirely reflective of the race itself, Jones outlined his team’s approach to getting the setup right, especially with the cooler weather presenting a fresh set of variables. He described his intent to use the available practice time for experimental long runs, assessing tire wear and car behavior to fine-tune for the unique challenges of Darlington.
“Yeah, thankful that we are at least in group two, so there is a few more minutes to get some heat here and some rubber laid down. It is tough. I feel like practice for this race, specifically, is tough because it goes to night the way it does. There are a few things I look for my car to do. It will be tough with how cool it is today. It is going to drive good compared to what the race will be like. Hope, I can kind of search those things out. There is a couple of things that I like to look for in each end, that if it is doing well, I think it will have it race pretty well, so hopefully, we can kind of feel that out and get it close to that. Probably will just try to make one long run, see what our fall off is like. Even as cool as it is, you would be able to get a sense of how your car falls off after 10 or 20 laps, that will probably be the most important to us.”
—Erik Jones, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Driver
The approach signals a methodical preparation—testing the car across a range of conditions to build a reliable baseline for the demanding track, where tire degradation, line selection, and adaptability are key. This focus highlights how even the brief practice window is vital to any chance of race-day success.
Building Momentum through Internal Changes
Much of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s recent progress can be traced back to a major shift in personnel and procedural strategy toward the end of last year. Jones provided insight into the period of adjustment that followed, explaining how a lack of institutional knowledge and practical data had handicapped their early-season campaigns, especially on short tracks and road courses.
“Well, I mean, there were a lot of new people that came into LEGACY MOTOR CLUB in September, October of last year. It takes time to build out a new process, a new way of doing things. I feel like it just took that stretch to get everyone comfortable the way that we were building cars, probably get our cars mapped out to even know what cars are our best, and it is still kind of that work in progress, but you know, for us, we didn’t have any notebook. In ‘22, ’23, even ’24 – we were so far off, we really had no notes to go off of and really get better, so we’ve kind of really spent all of this year building that notebook and trying to work from it, and I would say that is where our short track and road course stuff has struggled because we don’t have good notes on it and we need to build that out. I think just the new process in place at the end of last year, we needed six months to get to that point to where it showed performance.”
—Erik Jones, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Driver
This candid account of organizational growth underscores just how challenging it has been for the team to reach a competitive level. Building a useable setup notebook, calibrating to evolving car models, and integrating new personnel has demanded patience and resilience from everyone involved, but Jones sees the results paying off, especially as the season unfolds.
Community Initiatives Off the Track
Beyond racing performance, Jones took a moment to highlight a charitable initiative close to his heart involving merchandise sales at the track. This effort, centered on a plush toy modeled after his dog Oscar, generates support for animal welfare causes through his personal foundation, showing a personal commitment to giving back during race weekends.
“Oscar, my dog, this is his plushie. We sell them at the merch trailer. We got them back in stock. We sold a few more than we thought right off the bat. It supports my foundation as part of the animal welfare side of things. All of the profits and proceeds go back to the foundation for the animal welfare portion, so back in stock this weekend, so if you get a chance to go to the merch trailer, we’ve got them back for you.”
—Erik Jones, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Driver
This initiative complements the on-track focus, offering fans a tangible way to connect with their favorite driver while contributing to charitable efforts. The return of the plushies for Darlington weekend serves as a reminder of Jones’s engagement with his community of supporters and his efforts to extend his influence beyond racing results.
Looking Ahead: High Hopes for Southern 500
As the NASCAR Cup Series converges on Darlington Raceway for one of the marquee events of the schedule, Erik Jones approaches the Southern 500 with a combination of renewed confidence, tactical preparation, and a deeper understanding of what it takes to win. The impact of internal improvements at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, together with the lessons learned from previous campaigns, positions Jones as a serious contender eager to capitalize on what he describes as his team’s
“best chance in a few years.”
With weather conditions adding another unpredictable element and the importance of each strategic decision magnified, each moment from qualifying to the final lap becomes critical in shaping the outcome for Jones, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, and the broader Toyota effort. As fans and competitors look on, the Erik Jones Darlington race outlook signals a determination forged through experience and ready to confront the unique demands of the historic raceway.
