Top Dog: Erik Jones
Happy Easter, race fans! For the 13th time in NASCAR Cup Series history, the circuit raced on Easter Sunday.
It was the third consecutive event on the holiday, though in a different location after NASCAR moved it from the now-defunct Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Race to Richmond Raceway.
There aren’t many guarantees in racing, but Richmond is about the closest you can get to predicting a race’s character. Races will likely feature long green flag runs, different tire strategies, and the usual list of heavy hitters at the front. Once again, that was the case.
Unfortunately for the underdogs, those ingredients are a recipe for disaster for them on one of NASCAR’s toughest short tracks, as the lack of green flag runs prevents teams from working on ill-handling cars.
The only Easter eggs found by most of the underdogs produced empty rewards. Erik Jones used Toyota’s successful history at the track to top his peers with a 14th-place finish.
Weather throughout the afternoon threatened to cause an extended delay, but clearing skies and damp conditions allowed NASCAR to go to the wet tires to begin the race. Several drivers, including Jones, experienced tight-handling cars at the beginning, plummeting many into a hole. By the end of stage one, Jones was mired back in 31st.
A quick stop under the stage break propelled the No. 43 to 20th, and despite falling a lap down in the second stage, Jones caught a break on lap 171 when a caution flew to give him the free pass. By the end of the stage, he cracked the top 15 in 14th.
The final stage nearly went caution-free, testing the long run patience and handling of the cars. In the past, that would have been a blow for Legacy Motor Club. However, this team has provided plenty of improvement from recent years, and that was on display again with Jones holding strong in the top 20 and knocking on the door of the top 10 briefly.
A late caution set up overtime, leading to the Byron, Mich., native securing a top-15 result.
The showing was Jones’ best at the .75-mile track in five years (a 14th in 2019 with Joe Gibbs Racing), and gives the team a much needed boost on the season after three straight finishes of 20th or worse.
How Does It Compare?
Jones was above average with his 14th-place finish compared to recent performances by the top dog at Richmond. It did not top last year’s top performer in the spring race, as Michael McDowell earned a…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at …