Top Dog: Erik Jones
Michigan International Speedway is a special place for Erik Jones. The Byron, Mich. native grew up just over an hour away from the track and dreamed of racing there. Now, Jones has collected not one, but two top-10 finishes in his NASCAR Cup Series career at MIS with an eighth-place showing in the FireKeepers Casino 400 (Aug. 7).
With Michigan having similarities to Auto Club Speedway, it was the perfect opportunity for Jones to have a strong run in his mission to burst the playoff bubble for several others. After all, the Petty GMS Motorsports driver finished third at Auto Club earlier this season.
The No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet showed speed all weekend, starting out with a 10th-place qualifying run. When the race finally began after a weather delay, Jones immediately charged up to sixth by lap 15.
A competition caution split the field strategy-wise, as Jones stayed out to move up to the front row. He held strong in the closing laps of stage one, finishing the stage in third.
Jones’ speed continued to be on display in stage two, as the hometown driver ended that one in sixth to attain 13 stage points on the day, the third most of any driver.
A yellow with about 40 laps remaining was exactly what Jones needed as he struggled with a tight-handling car. He immediately got back to business, driving from 11th to fifth with just over 30 laps to go. Jones then held steady in the top five for several laps before relinquishing a couple of spots to wind up eighth.
The top 10 was Jones’ first in the Irish Hills since a third-place run in his rookie season. While a win is certainly the team’s focus with three regular season races remaining, it was a great result for both Jones and crew chief Dave Elenz, who is a Michigan native himself.
The success of Jones’ season can be put in perspective in multiple ways. Eighth at Michigan would have been considered a win for this team in the past. Now? It’s almost a disappointment. Jones now has racked up eight top 10s on the season, the most a Petty-affiliated car has achieved since Marcos Ambrose had 12 in 2012.
Examining the standings goes to show just how much parity the Next Gen car has brought and how it has affected Jones. He sits 14th in regular season points, which would have him in the playoffs if it were based on points alone. Unfortunately for the No. 43 team, the system rewards wins and 15 different winners leave just one spot open, putting Jones in a must-win situation.
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