By Field Level Media
Sep 28 (Field Level Media) - Erik Jones has signed a multi-year contract extension to keep driving the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE, Legacy Motor Club announced on Sunday.
Jones, 30, is in his sixth season with the No. 43 team in the NASCAR Cup Series, starting in 2021 when it was known as Richard Petty Motorsports. The rebranded Legacy Motor Club is co-owned by Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.
"I'm excited to continue to be a part of what Legacy Motor Club is
building," Jones said in a news release from the team, which did not disclose contract terms. "I took over the No. 43 in 2021, and it's become a big part of my career. Through every change, we continue to get better and I'm happy to be a part of that. Especially this season, I feel like we've hit on something and been consistent. I'm thankful to get the chance to continue building on that in the years to come."
Jones is currently 21st in the driver standings with two top-five and five top-10 finishes in 30 starts this season. He did not qualify for the Chase.
The former Truck Series champion has three Cup Series wins to his credit in 2018, 2019 and 2022 -- the latter at Darlington Raceway for his current racing team's first victory. The native of Byron, Mich., finished second to Denny Hamlin in the FireKeepers Casino 400 on June 7 at the Michigan International Speedway.
"Erik Jones is the cornerstone of what we are building at Legacy, and he has earned that," Johnson said. "He has been a part of this organization through every stage of its evolution, and his consistency, professionalism and knowledge of what it takes to compete at this level are exactly what we need as we bring in new drivers and build toward 2027. Keeping Erik in the No. 43 for the long term was a priority for us, and we are glad to have it done."
Jones is the most experienced driver at Legacy, which is moving on from John Hunter Nemechek to Josh Berry in the No. 42 car and bringing in Riley Herbst to drive a third chartered entry for the team in No. 84.
"Adding a third car in is huge for us," Jones said. "We, as a company, only have our two data points right now, and having one more is a help, and it's going to continue to help us get better. So finding all the right matches for everybody is never easy, and I hope next year we can get the ball rolling, and everybody's happy with where they're at, and this can be a lineup that we have for a while."
(--Field Level Media)
