By Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports activities NASCAR Author
FORT WORTH, Texas — Richard Petty is coming to the observe extra usually as of late, and he has good purpose to observe his well-known No. 43 automotive on the observe.
Erik Jones has proven indicators of the potential many have waited to see out of him all through his six-year Cup profession.
Jones sits seventeenth within the Cup standings on the midway level of the common season, the identical spot he completed within the factors in his ultimate yr at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2020.
He was twenty fourth within the standings final yr at Petty Enterprises, the place he had six top-10s and no top-5s in 36 races. He already has 4 top-10s and one top-5 this yr.
The distinction? A brand new crew: GMS Racing purchased out Petty Enterprises majority proprietor Andy Murstein and rebranded the group as Petty GMS Racing. A brand new crew chief: Engineer Dave Elenz is now guiding the group.
Erik Jones on 2022 season
Forward of the Goodyear 400 earlier this month, Erik Jones mentioned he hoped to trip the wave of momentum transferring ahead.
And with all that, Jones has slightly little bit of a brand new perspective together with the brand new NASCAR Subsequent Gen automotive that has reset the taking part in subject no less than for the second as groups work on discovering methods to realize pace.
“I’ve realized quite a bit in 5 years on the racetrack and gotten higher as a driver, there isn’t any doubt about that,” Jones mentioned. “However the consolation stage is the best it is ever been. I really feel like I can go to anyone on the store and ask them questions, give strategies.
“I really feel like these are taken into consideration. I’m simply comfy with the group and proud of the group simply within the sense that I really feel comfy asking any query I have to make myself get higher and make the crew get higher.”
It hasn’t been all roses for Jones this yr, and just lately he has had just a few tough weeks, however he feels his crew is positioned higher to climate such frustrations.
“I have a look at final yr right now, and we might had, one, perhaps two good runs by this level,” Jones mentioned. “Nevertheless it was sort of sporadic. It wasn’t like we have been persistently operating properly.
“Whereas this yr, I really feel like we most likely ran higher than a few of our finishes [have shown].”
Jones had a irritating day Sunday on the All-Star Race however no less than was capable of compete in the primary occasion after profitable the fan vote.
Erik Jones on the All-Star Race
Erik Jones is grateful for the fan vote to get to compete within the All-Star Race.
It doesn’t harm to be Petty’s driver in relation to fan voting, nevertheless it additionally confirmed that Jones has some reputation. Followers like his story of perseverance. Jones was a extremely touted prospect who received the Tenting World Truck Collection title in 2015 and received 4 Xfinity races in 2016 earlier than being moved into Cup.
He spent one yr at Furnishings Row Racing after which three years at JGR, the place he managed two wins earlier than being out of a trip.
“I am in one of the best spot that I have been in over the past 5 years and what I am doing, so it feels good,” Jones mentioned. “I am undoubtedly the happiest and most comfy I have been shortly.”
That ought to make the executives at Petty GMS pleased to listen to. If Jones continues to submit good finishes, he will probably be a candidate for open rides, and his title is usually talked about as a risk to fill the emptiness at Stewart-Haas Racing that will probably be open when Aric Almirola retires on the finish of the season.
That’s most likely why Jones has already had preliminary talks about staying at Petty GMS. There’s one thing to be mentioned for being a focus of a corporation that has two vehicles — the Petty legacy automotive of Jones after which Ty Dillon within the No. 42.
Actually time will inform if Jones stays, however he is aware of that environment and luxury stage is vital when selecting a race crew.
“There hasn’t been a single weekend I wasn’t excited to come back to the racetrack,” Jones mentioned about this season. “And that is an excellent feeling. That is what it is all about.
“And even the weekends that we struggled … I used to be nonetheless having enjoyable simply because we have been making it higher.”
It’s been some time since Jones has had that sort of outlook.
“I might be mendacity if I mentioned I wasn’t final yr … annoyed earlier than the weekend. I knew it was going to be a troublesome weekend, simply with what we had struggled with,” Jones mentioned.
“At occasions within the 20 automotive [at JGR], I felt annoyed and felt slightly locked in and like I could not do what I wanted.”
The distinction is that Jones has confidence within the engineering background of Elenz, who received Xfinity championships as a crew chief at JR Motorpsorts.
“I do not really feel like I’ve modified my suggestions in any respect,” Jones mentioned. “I believe Dave and I actually click on properly. I believe he has an excellent instinct so far as what a automotive wants to start with.
“And I really feel like him and I are most likely fairly comparable in quite a lot of methods, and I believe that makes issues simple.”
He’s additionally seeing his “boss” slightly extra usually. Due to the pandemic, a lot of the race weekends final yr weren’t weekends — groups simply confirmed up, went by way of tech and raced all in at some point.
Richard Petty and Erik Jones at Darlington
NASCAR legend Richard Petty and present driver of the No. 43 automotive, Erik Jones, joined Chris Myers and Clint Bowyer earlier than the throwback race at Darlington.
Now the Cup groups apply and qualify the day previous to the race. And that format has elevated the variety of races that Petty, a NASCAR icon with a document 200 Cup victories and a record-tying seven titles, attends.
“It is simply all the time enjoyable to have him on the observe,” Jones mentioned. “He is been coming a bit extra now that we’re practising. He did not actually take pleasure in simply coming for the race solely.
“He did not actually get to hang around with the blokes, and I believe that’s half he actually enjoys, simply spending time with everyone within the crew and being concerned in it. I like seeing him on the racetrack — particularly after we run properly.”
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Considering out loud
It was a loopy end to the All-Star Race on Sunday when Ryan Blaney thought he had received the race, realized the race would have one other time beyond regulation restart and needed to attempt to relatch his window internet that he had lowered when he thought he had received.
NASCAR noticed the window internet up and Blaney together with his arms on the wheel, which made NASCAR assume it presumably was latched coming to the inexperienced of the following restart.
Denny Hamlin, who completed second to Blaney, mentioned it’s unattainable to latch the window internet from the within (it’s latched by one other crew member previous to the race) and it was an unsafe state of affairs.
Denny Hamlin on window internet incident
An irate Denny Hamlin says NASCAR ought to have black-flagged Ryan Blaney for the window internet.
Blaney mentioned he didn’t really feel unsafe.
Contemplating this was a security difficulty and the foundations have been completely different within the All-Star Race (usually, the race would have been over when Blaney thought it was over), NASCAR might have let Blaney come down pit highway to ensure the window internet was latched.
If it was latched, give him his spot again. If not, then decide whether or not he has to go to the rear of the sector.
However to let it go together with two laps to go and understanding an enormous wreck might occur, NASCAR ought to have erred on the aspect of constructing certain it was latched relatively than going inexperienced as a result of it didn’t know whether or not it was latched or not latched.
Social highlight
Stat of the day
Ryan Blaney ranks fourth in All-Star Race laps led with 171 in his profession (all prior to now three races).
They mentioned it
“I’d be upset, too, if I used to be in his place. You are operating second and the man makes a mistake and places the window internet down, and also you count on it to be handed to you and the chief get black-flagged.” — Ryan Blaney on Denny Hamlin’s feedback after the All-Star Race
Bob Pockrass has spent many years masking motorsports, together with the previous 30 Daytona 500s. He joined FOX Sports activities in 2019 following stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seashore) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter and Instagram @bobpockrass. Looking for more NASCAR content? Sign up for the FOX Sports NASCAR Newsletter with Bob Pockrass!
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