NASCAR: Erik Jones working toward contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing

Erik Jones is currently working toward a contract extension to continue driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Toward the middle of the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series, Joe Gibbs Racing confirmed that Erik Jones would replace 2003 Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth behind the wheel of the #20 Toyota beginning in the 2018 season. At the time, Jones was in his rookie season driving the #77 Furniture Row Racing Toyota.

The 22-year-old Byron, Michigan native is now in his second season driving for the four-car powerhouse Toyota team, and he is reportedly working toward a contract extension to continue driving the #20 Toyota.

Here is what Jones had to say about the matter, according to NBC Sports.

"“I don’t think there’s any plans to change anything. It’s just a matter of both sides agreeing to an agreement, which takes time. I imagine here soon we’ll have something ironed out. I think both sides are pretty set on staying on the path we got.“We’ve been pretty happy with the growth over the last couple of years, from my side and from the team’s side and what we’ve done and where we’re heading. I think we’re so close to breaking that little wall down of winning many races. We’re just right there, it seems, of making that big step to be consistent race winners. I feel like we’re right there. We’re close. Hopefully, here pretty soon it will be set in stone.”"

More from NASCAR Cup Series

This statement comes amid rumors that Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series driver Christopher Bell, who has widely been considered the best driver not competing in the Cup Series for quite some time, may replace Jones behind the wheel of the #20 Toyota if Jones does not start to improve.

In 82 career Cup Series starts, Jones has recorded 35 top 10 finishes, including 16 top five finishes and one victory. He earned this victory in the July race at Daytona International Speedway last season. He has also taken two pole positions and led 440 of the 22,296 laps that he has completed. His average career starting position is 12.8 and his average career finishing position is 15.8.

In his 43 starts as a full-time driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, Jones has recorded 21 top 10 finishes, including 11 top five finishes and his lone victory. He has taken one of his two career pole positions driving for the team as well, and he has led 129 of the 11,964 of the laps that he has completed. His average starting position and average finishing position are 11.6 and 14.2, respectively, during this time.

Aside of the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons, Jones also competed in the Cup Series in the 2015 season. He drove the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in one race as the substitute for the injured Kyle Busch, who missed the first 11 races of the season, and he drove the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in two races as the substitute for the suspended Kenseth, who missed two playoff races.

dark. Next. Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time

Will Erik Jones end up returning to Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season? If so, for how many years will he drive for the team, and if not, who will replace him behind the wheel of the #20 Toyota next year?

Home/NASCAR Cup Series