Erik Jones Bio
Erik Benjamin Jones (born 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 by the nicknames EJ and That Jones Boy, the latter given to him by announcer Ken Squier, Jones has built a reputation as one of the most accomplished young drivers of his generation. He is the first driver in NASCAR history to win Rookie of the Year in all three national series.
Jones began his career in short-track racing as a child and rose quickly through the ranks, winning championships and marquee events before his 18th birthday. After a successful run with Joe Gibbs Racing, he now anchors the No. 43 entry at Legacy Motor Club, where he continues to chase race wins and playoff appearances in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Early Life and Background
Erik Benjamin Jones was born on May 30, 1996, in Byron, Michigan, to parents Dave and Carol Jones. He grew up in the small Michigan community with a younger sister, Lindsey, and developed an early fascination with cars and competition. Like many drivers from the region, Jones started young, sitting behind the wheel of a quarter-midget at the age of seven.
By 13, Jones had moved into stock cars, and he began competing in the ASA Late Model Series in 2010. That same year, he became the youngest-ever winner of the prestigious Oktoberfest race at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, signaling that a bright future in motorsports was ahead. Jones completed his high school education through Swartz Creek Academy and, in a memorable moment in June 2014, received his diploma at Texas Motor Speedway before a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.
Path to NASCAR
Jones advanced through the short-track ladder with remarkable speed. In 2011, he captured the Champion Racing Association’s CRA All-Star Tour championship as a rookie and won the Florida Governor’s Cup at New Smyrna Speedway, leading every lap and becoming the first non-Florida-born driver to do so in more than 30 years. He added the prestigious Snowball Derby in 2012 and again in 2013, building a reputation as one of America’s top young late model talents.
His transition to NASCAR began in 2012 in the ARCA Racing Series, where he became the first 15-year-old to compete in the series. By 2013, he had joined Kyle Busch Motorsports’ Truck Series program, and in November of that year he became the youngest driver ever to win a NASCAR national series event, capturing the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway. His rapid climb placed him firmly on the radar of top teams and set the stage for a full-time national series career.
Erik Jones Career
Early Career (2012-2014)
Jones’ first NASCAR national series starts came in 2013 with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he ran age-eligible events in the No. 51 Toyota Tundra. He picked up his first Truck Series victory at Phoenix and added additional wins in 2014, including a hard-fought victory at Iowa Speedway where he held off Ryan Blaney. He finished his early Truck Series campaign with four career wins and a strong reputation for short-track and intermediate-track prowess.
Jones also began sampling the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2014 with Joe Gibbs Racing, finishing in the top ten in each of his three starts. That same year, he made an unofficial NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut, relieving Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 at Bristol due to neck spasms and later filling in for an injured Kyle Busch at Kansas. These early experiences cemented his place within the Toyota driver development program.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Breakthrough (2013-2015)
The 2015 season marked Jones’ first full-time run for a championship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, again with Kyle Busch Motorsports. He opened the year with a runner-up finish at Daytona, captured his first pole at Kansas Speedway, and reeled off wins at Iowa Speedway, Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, and Texas Motor Speedway. His consistency paid off as he outdueled defending champion Matt Crafton and Tyler Reddick to claim the 2015 Truck Series championship.
Jones was named the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year, adding the first piece of a historic award sweep. Across his Truck Series career, he recorded seven wins, 35 top-ten finishes, and seven poles, with his last Truck victory coming at Texas in November 2015.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2014-2017)
Jones moved into the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2015, splitting time between the No. 20 and No. 54 Toyotas for Joe Gibbs Racing. He scored his first Xfinity win at Texas Motor Speedway in April 2015 and later completed a memorable weekend sweep, winning in the Truck Series at Iowa and the Xfinity Series at Chicagoland the same weekend.
In 2016, Jones ran full-time in the Xfinity Series for JGR in the No. 20 and emerged as a championship contender. He captured wins at Bristol, Dover, Iowa, and Chicagoland, entered the Chase as the No. 1 seed, and finished fourth in the final standings. He added the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year award, completing Rookie of the Year honors in two national series. Jones wrapped his full-time Xfinity run with nine career wins, 50 top-ten finishes, and 15 poles.
NASCAR Cup Series Breakthrough (2017-2020)
Jones made the leap to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017 with Furniture Row Racing in the No. 77 Toyota, becoming the first driver ever to win Rookie of the Year in all three national series with the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year award. In 2018, he moved full-time to the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20, and on July 7, 2018, he captured his first Cup victory in dramatic fashion at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, locking himself into the Playoffs.
In 2019, Jones scored his second Cup win at Darlington Raceway. He opened 2020 by winning the Busch Clash at Daytona and continued to post strong runs, but a late-season wreck at Daytona kept him out of the Playoffs. After the 2020 season, Joe Gibbs Racing parted ways with Jones, ending a Toyota relationship that dated back to 2012. Across his first Cup stint, he earned three career wins, 99 top-ten finishes, and two poles.
Richard Petty Motorsports and Legacy Motor Club Era (2021-Present)
Jones joined Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021 to drive the iconic No. 43, replacing Bubba Wallace. He finished 24th in points that year but bounced back in 2022 with a signature victory, winning the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway over Denny Hamlin. That win was historic: it gave the No. 43 its first victory since 2014 and its 200th all-time Cup Series win.
Following RPM’s merger with GMS Racing to form Petty GMS, the team rebranded as Legacy Motor Club in 2023. Jones endured a tough 2023 campaign marked by mid-pack finishes and a 27th-place points result, but he remained with the organization and signed a multi-year extension. In 2024, he started the Daytona 500 with a top-ten finish, missed time after a back compression fracture at Talladega, and posted a single top-five run at the fall Talladega race, ending the year 28th in points. In 2025, Jones finished 24th in the standings after a disqualification at Martinsville for failing minimum weight and back-to-back top-five finishes late in the year.
Driving Style and Strengths
Jones is known for a smooth, calculating driving style that thrives on intermediate tracks and fast ovals. His strengths include strong race-craft in traffic, smart tire management, and the ability to execute on late-race restarts. He has historically produced strong results at tracks like Darlington, Texas, and Daytona, where track position and clean air are at a premium. His partnership with longtime crew chief Dave Elenz, later succeeded by Ben Benshore, has been central to his competitive approach at Legacy Motor Club.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among Jones’ signature moments are his 2022 Southern 500 victory at Darlington, his 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 win at Daytona, his 2020 Busch Clash victory, and his record-setting 2013 Lucas Oil 150 triumph at Phoenix that made him the youngest winner in NASCAR national series history. He also won three consecutive Snowball Derbys and the prestigious Winchester 400 multiple times, cementing his legacy as one of America’s premier short-track talents before reaching NASCAR’s top level.
Erik Jones Career Wins
Erik Jones has compiled an impressive resume across NASCAR’s three national series, with at least 19 verified victories between the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series. He is the only driver in NASCAR history to win Rookie of the Year in all three national series, a feat he accomplished in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
Jones has recorded three NASCAR Cup Series victories. His first came in the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, his second came at Darlington in September 2019, and his third came in the 2022 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington. The 2022 Southern 500 win was particularly meaningful, as it delivered the No. 43 its first victory since 2014 and its 200th all-time Cup Series win.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Highlights
Jones won nine NASCAR Xfinity Series races during his time with Joe Gibbs Racing, with his first coming at Texas Motor Speedway in April 2015 and his most recent at Texas in 2017. His 2016 season featured four wins and a run to the championship round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he finished fourth in the final standings. Across his Xfinity career he added 50 top-ten finishes and 15 poles.
Other Wins and Performances
Jones captured seven NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins between 2013 and 2015, including the 2015 series championship with Kyle Busch Motorsports. He also recorded one ARCA Racing Series win at Berlin Raceway in 2013, and he claimed major late model events including the Snowball Derby in 2012 and 2013, the Winchester 400 multiple times, and the 2011 CRA All-Star Tour championship.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 3 | 99 | 2 |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | 9 | 50 | 15 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 7 | 35 | 7 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 1 | 8 | 0 |
Erik Jones Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Erik Jones was raised in Byron, Michigan, by his parents Dave and Carol Jones, alongside a younger sister named Lindsey. His family’s support was instrumental in his early racing career, allowing him to travel the short-track circuit as a child and teenager. While the Jones family is not a multi-generational racing dynasty, Erik’s rapid rise through quarter-midgets and late models was nurtured by parents who backed his passion from a young age.
Personal Life
Jones resides in Cornelius, North Carolina. He is an avid reader and started a popular series on Facebook in April 2020 called Erik’s Reading Circle, where he reads children’s books and takes suggestions from fans. He also hosts a related book club on his official website. Jones began dating fellow race car driver Holly Shelton in 2018, and the two were married on August 2, 2023. They have a son, David Wayne Jones.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season was a challenging one for Erik Jones and Legacy Motor Club. He opened the year with a 12th-place finish in the Daytona 500, but the team struggled to consistently produce top-tier results through the spring and summer months. Following the spring Martinsville race, Jones was disqualified after his No. 43 Toyota failed to meet minimum weight requirements in post-race inspection, a setback that hampered his points position heading into the summer.
Despite the difficulties, Jones and Legacy Motor Club found late-season momentum. After failing to qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, he delivered back-to-back top-five finishes at Daytona and Darlington Raceway, two of his strongest tracks. He closed the year with a 24th-place finish in the championship standings, recording two top-five results and a handful of top-ten finishes across the season. With his multi-year extension in place, Jones and the No. 43 team look to build on that late-season form and return to playoff contention in the seasons ahead.
