Erik Jones, representing LEGACY MOTOR CLUB in the No. 43 TriState Vacuum & Rental, LLC Toyota Camry XSE, is spearheading his foundation’s efforts for breast cancer awareness during the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. The Erik Jones breast cancer awareness initiative returns for its third year, bringing pink window nets and additional fundraising tactics to the forefront in support of cancer charities.
Window Nets and Creative Fundraising Expand Awareness Efforts
Building on a tradition that has become a highlight of race weekends, Jones’s program once again features pink window nets—a visual symbol seen on Cup cars every October. This season, nearly every team purchased a pink window net, collectively raising $11,000 before the charity auction began. In addition, auctions for these nets kicked off early, inviting fans to participate and contribute to the cause. New to the campaign are $20 pull tabs, also installed inside each race car and available on the foundation’s website, broadening fundraising opportunities. All proceeds from these efforts are destined for three selected charities committed to breast cancer awareness and research.
“Yeah, I’m sure you guys have seen over the last handful of years – the pink window nets have been kind of a thing that has happened every year annually with the window nets on the cars on Sunday, and we’ve been grateful take this program over for the third year now with the Erik Jones Foundation, and obviously raising money for breast cancer awareness. We have three charities that we’re going to donate to this year with the proceeds from this program. A couple of just cool things real quick. Almost every team this year purchased their window nets – that’s already raised $11,000 for the program before the auction even began. The auction opened on Wednesday. And we’re bidding these window nets up, so excited about that. We also added these pull tabs this year, which are on the inside the race cars as well, to help open the window nets, and we’re selling those for $20 apiece on the website to also help raise money, that’ll go towards the funds as well. So pretty fun and been fun to expand it.”
– Erik Jones, Driver, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Technical Improvement: Collaboration with Jack Hawksworth
While rallying for charitable causes off the track, Jones and his team are working to bolster their performance on road courses, which has historically been an area of weakness for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. Jack Hawksworth, a Lexus Factory Driver with extensive road course experience, has provided key support to the team through simulation work and strategy sessions. Jones detailed how Hawksworth’s guidance, particularly during preparation for events like Watkins Glen, helped him develop a stronger technical grasp of road course driving and adjust his own approach, drawing on Hawksworth’s expertise and unique techniques.
“Yeah, I just ask him a lot of questions on, honestly, I get a lot out of watching him drive and the way he approaches the course on the sim and kind of what he focuses on. So, a lot of my questions are kind of centered around why he’s doing certain things, because I’m just not a road course guy by nature. So, he does things a little bit different sometimes, and I’m curious as to why and figuring those parts and pieces out. I felt like this year, Watkins Glen was when things kind of finally started to click for me in the Next Gen car a little bit on the road courses and what it wanted and needed. And a lot of that was from Jack (Hawksworth, Lexus Factory Driver) and what we’ve kind of went through this year. So, yeah, most of my questions are just centered, you know, I’ve been to all of these road courses, so kind of know how to get around them, but the technique and the little things are where I’m trying to get better and watching him and figuring out why and asking him why has been the biggest part.”
– Erik Jones, Driver, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Navigating Playoffs: A Non-Playoff Driver’s Perspective
Although Jones is not competing in the Playoffs this season, he spoke candidly about how he approaches the on-track battles with Playoff contenders. His approach shifts depending on whether he is in the hunt for victory or running deeper in the pack, emphasizing a mutual respect for those fighting for the championship. He believes in affording Playoff drivers the racing room they have earned through their season-long efforts, with hopes of receiving the same in future seasons should roles reverse.
“I’ve always, obviously there’s a couple of ways I look at it, I guess. You know, number one, if it’s a day where we’re in contention to win and running really well, I’m going to do everything I can to win. If it’s a day, you know, we’re running 18th, and you got a guy battling through the field and he’s trying to make his way above the cut line. It’s going to be a bit different. You know, I think they’ve earned that respect, right? They raced all year to be in the playoffs, and they’ve worked hard and now be in the Round of 12 and having an opportunity to go to the Round of 8. So, in my opinion, I think it’s fairly disrespectful if you didn’t give them that service a little bit, I would hope to have that returned, in the future, hopefully, when we’re a playoff team and in that spot. I think it’s pretty reciprocal. I think, you know, like I said, they’ve earned that right, so it’s just what you really should be doing.”
– Erik Jones, Driver, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Fatherhood Changes: Balancing Family with NASCAR Demands
Jones has faced a season of highs and lows, intensified by the arrival of his son David. Becoming a parent has shifted his emotional approach to racing, enabling him to compartmentalize difficult days more rapidly and find a sense of purpose outside the sport. Jones finds his motivation affected by family, striving to set a positive example for his son and emphasizing the need to emotionally reset after tough races—a process made easier thanks to his child’s joyful presence at the track.
“Yeah, I think you are forced to get over things quicker. I feel like I’ve always done pretty good of kind of separating, racing and home and I’ve always been a guy that I loved to race, but racing isn’t my life. It’s what I do, right? That’s how I make the living, and it’s what I do. I’ve always been able to kind of separate that from home. But I think it’s made that easier, you know, a day, that’s not gone well. If David’s (Jones’ son) at the track, you get back to the motorhome and as frustrated as maybe you are, he’s smiling and laughing just because you’re back and reaching for you and wanting to hang out, so it’s kind of hard to be mad at that point or even be thinking about the race anymore. I think it’s probably made my approach better, my focus better. I think, you know, for me, I want to be able to one day sit with him and look back and just tell him how I did things and why I did things this way and show him that. So just leading, I guess, by example a little bit has probably been more encouraged just by having him around. But I think it’s made the bad days easier. I think just quicker to get over. It’s made the good days more fun in some ways. So, it’s definitely kind of a balance from before.”
– Erik Jones, Driver, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
A Season of Growth and Challenges for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
The 2023 NASCAR season has unfolded largely as Jones anticipated, with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB showing glimpses of potential, especially at venues like Indianapolis and Darlington, but struggling to maintain consistent front-running speed. Building a stronger car and team infrastructure remains a focus, particularly on road courses and short tracks where results have lagged. Jones sees this as a foundational year, given the improvements in funding, personnel, and data, aiming to create a robust knowledge base to power future success. This approach aligns with his vision to be in regular contention for race wins in future seasons.
Looking Toward the Future and Building on Lessons Learned
Strategic decision-making now straddles the line between competing for wins in the current season and preparing for the challenges of 2026, particularly on road courses where LEGACY MOTOR CLUB seeks significant progress. Recent tests, including one conducted by the 42 team at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, have influenced setup changes and paved the way for data-driven improvements. While Jones remains hopeful for a breakthrough at Talladega, he acknowledges that Martinsville and Phoenix pose steeper challenges given their current competitive standing, placing additional importance on continuous learning and development for the team moving forward.
“I guess it’s a bit track dependent. This weekend, tomorrow, , you know, working on definitely improving for ‘26, just with our road course stuff hasn’t been where we’ve wanted. The 42 team had a test at Kershaw (Carolina Motorsports Park), a little while back, hopefully we learned some stuff that we’re trying. It’s a way different package we have here this weekend than what we’ve had on the other road courses, so we’re hoping to learn from that. Looking forward to Talladega, obviously going for the win. Hope we can grab one there. Martinsville, Phoenix, I would say, probably tougher to contend. Phoenix would be really tough to contend with the championship guys. Martinsville will be tough, just with where our program is at. So, you know, Talladega would be a good shot to win, and the rest, I would say, will be continuing to build that notebook now for us.”
– Erik Jones, Driver, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Why These Efforts Matter for Jones, His Team, and NASCAR
Erik Jones’s prominent role in the breast cancer awareness campaign not only strengthens ties between NASCAR and charitable causes, but it provides meaningful contributions to research and support services through his foundation’s evolving initiatives. His professional journey this season, marked by technical collaborations, personal development, and relentless adaptation, underscores the turbulent yet determined spirit prevalent within motorsports. Jones’s continued efforts on and off the track, particularly in amplifying Erik Jones breast cancer awareness, illustrate the significant impact a committed driver can make in both the racing community and broader society, as LEGACY MOTOR CLUB sets its sights on a more competitive future.
