NASCAR: 5 possible landing spots for Erik Jones in 2021
By Asher Fair
Erik Jones 2021 landing spots: Stewart-Haas Racing
In terms of landing a top-tier ride following his departure from another top-tier team, Stewart-Haas Racing would make the most sense for a few reasons.
First of all, they have changed their driver lineup after each of the last four seasons. They have only made one change after each season, and three of their four drivers are already under contract to return to the team next year.
Not shockingly, that trend is set to continue. Clint Bowyer had been the team’s only driver who wasn’t under contract for next year, and the driver of the #14 Ford is without a win since June of 2018, making him the driver on the longest win drought within the organization. He recently announced that he won’t be back with the team next year.
Secondly, Stewart-Haas Racing gave Daniel Suarez a chance after Joe Gibbs Racing released him. Jones is in a similar situation, and he has shown quite a bit more speed than Suarez did during his tenure with the four-car Joe Gibbs Racing team, even managing to win twice and secure two playoff berths. Suarez never won nor qualified for the playoffs.
Finally, there is the Kyle Larson link. Team co-owner Tony Stewart has said publicly that he would hire Larson over Jones, to no one’s surprise given his long admiration of Larson’s background and, most importantly, his skills. So if Larson ends up with Rick Hendrick’s team like many expect, Jones could be an option.
But it is worth pointing out that Stewart-Haas Racing Xfinity Series driver Chase Briscoe is well-positioned for a promotion, which could completely shut the door on Jones landing a top-tier ride even if Larson doesn’t end up replacing the departing Bowyer. If that happens, where else could Jones end up?