NASCAR: Erik Jones on the hot seat at Joe Gibbs Racing?

Erik Jones goes into the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season on a one-year deal with Joe Gibbs Racing. With Christopher Bell lurking, is he on the hot seat?

Back in September, Erik Jones finally sealed the deal on his ride for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, as he signed a deal to continue driving the #20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing for the third consecutive season.

The contract appears to be a one-year deal, which means that there will be more decisions to be made at the end of the 2020 season.

Jones has not been as good as many people expected him to be after he came out of the Xfinity Series, although there have been moments in he has stepped up and shown he deserves a top Cup ride.

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His drive at Darlington Raceway this past season, where he held off teammate and eventual champion Kyle Busch, really showed that he is capable of stepping up and winning races.

The only thing that has Jones in the position where his plans for the future are being questioned is his lack of success in the playoffs. He has made the playoffs in both of his first two years at Joe Gibbs Racing, but he has failed to make it out of the round of 16 on both occasions.

A lot of his issues in the playoffs have been because of misfortune. The 2017 Cup Series Rookie of the Year has been placed in effective must-win situations at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval, and he has not been able to win.

In 2018, Jones started the playoffs with a pole position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but he cut a tire and finished in 40th place. Then at Richmond Raceway, he finished in 11th, which put him 21 points behind the round of 12 cut line. He was eliminated the following race with a 30th place finish at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval.

In 2019, Jones started the playoffs with a 36th place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Then at Richmond International Raceway, he crossed the finish line in the fourth position. But after failing post-race inspection, he was disqualified and was credited with a 38th place finish. That left Jones with a 45-point deficit to the round of 12 cut line, and he crashed at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval.

Christopher Bell, meanwhile, is set for his rookie season in the Cup Series this year behind the wheel of the #95 Toyota for Leavine Family Racing. Joe Gibbs Racing will continue their technical alliance with Leavine Family Racing, and it has been enhanced for the 2020 season.

Bell will essentially be driving a fifth Joe Gibbs Racing car in 2020. He is slated to compete on a one-year deal, so he could be with the #95 team for just one year. With him having won 16 races in the Xfinity Series, including 15 in two seasons as a full-time driver, his success has sped up his route to the Cup Series.

If none of the veterans at Joe Gibbs Racing retire after the 2020 season, then the decision for the 2021 season will come down to Jones or Bell, much like it did for the 2020 campaign. 2020 will be a big year for both drivers because there is the chance that the de facto fifth car won’t be available in 2021 due to funding reasons.

Depending on the performance of both drivers, one driver could be behind the wheel of the #20 Toyota for many years while the other one could be looking for another ride with another team.

Jones has had a lot of misfortune in his career, so if that changes, he may be able to get some wins this year and make a deep playoff run. If he does that, it will make the decision for Joe Gibbs even tougher, provided Bell also has a great rookie season.

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This is a make or break season for Erik Jones. If he has a breakout year and competes for a championship, then his NASCAR Cup Series future will be in the #20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. If not, Christopher Bell could take over his ride in 2021.

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