Erik Jones has quietly played himself into a position where he is considered among the top pending free agents in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Not many knew what to expect this year from Erik Jones, who is in his second NASCAR Cup Series season with Richard Petty’s team. Last year, he drove the #43 Chevrolet for Richard Petty Motorsports last year, and he did about as well as expected from a Richard Petty Motorsports driver, finishing in 24th place in the championship standings.
But this year, things changed at Petty’s organization, as they partnered with GMS Racing to form Petty GMS Motorsports. They added a second car for Ty Dillon, giving Jones a teammate.
Suffice it to say that Jones’s 2022 season has been impressive thus far, to the point where he is considered one of the top drivers without a deal for 2023. Where will he end up?
Erik Jones 2023 landing spots: No. 1 – Petty GMS Motorsports
Erik Jones seems to be coming into his own at Petty GMS Motorsports, solidifying himself as a playoff contender with several strong runs to open up his second season behind the wheel of the #43 Chevrolet.
And Petty GMS Motorsports seem to be coming into their own as a solid Cup Series team capable of achieving much more than they were capable of achieving as Richard Petty Motorsports. Prior to Maury Gallagher Jr.’s investment in the team, the organization had become somewhat of a backmarker team at most events.
Sitting in 16th place in the point standings, 55 points below where the playoff cut line is currently positioned, Jones ranks 10 positions and 98 points ahead of Ty Dillon.
There is little reason for him to look elsewhere for a ride, and there is little reason for the team to replace him. But if bigger teams come calling, could a change be made?
Erik Jones 2023 landing spots: No. 2 – Stewart-Haas Racing
There is one team that knows for a fact that they will need to make a driver change this coming offseason, and that is Stewart-Haas Racing. And they may need to make more than one.
Before the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season began, Aric Almirola announced that it would be his fifth and final season behind the wheel of the #10 Ford and his 15th and final season competing at the sport’s top level.
As a result, for the sixth time in seven years, Stewart-Haas Racing are set to make an offseason driver change.
Erik Jones certainly isn’t the first name on anybody’s list of potential Stewart-Haas Racing drivers. Many believe that Ryan Preece, who joined the organization as their official reserve driver before the season started, is the likely replacement for Almirola.
But given his performance this year, and even last year following his post-2020 departure from Joe Gibbs Racing, Jones should certainly be in the discussion.
We also can’t neglect to mention the struggles of Cole Custer. Some believe that he finds himself on the hot seat in his third year behind the wheel of the #41 Ford. If the team opt not to bring him back, that means they will need to fill two seats as opposed to just one.
And let’s not forget the common belief that the 2023 season will be Kevin Harvick’s final year. If Stewart-Haas Racing want to build toward the future, now is a perfect time to start, and a good place to do so is by signing the 26-year-old Byron, Michigan native.
Erik Jones 2023 landing spots: No. 3 – Joe Gibbs Racing
Given the fact that Joe Gibbs Racing and Erik Jones cut ties after several years — three in the NASCAR Cup Series — following the 2020 season, it’s hard to see the two parties reuniting anytime soon. But don’t think for one second that it is impossible.
It’s a well-known fact that Joe Gibbs Racing didn’t exactly want to let Jones go after the 2020 season, and Jones obviously had no intention of leaving. But with three of their four seats occupied by the veterans, the team ran the risk — which was more or less a guarantee — of losing prospect Christopher Bell if they retained Jones.
Bell was competing for Leavine Family Racing, which had a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing. But Bob Leavine’s team shut down at the end of the 2020 season. Had Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota not been able to keep Bell, he surely would have ended up at a rival team and manufacturer.
As a result, that meant Jones had to find a new ride instead.
In 2023, Joe Gibbs Racing could be looking to find two replacements. Kyle Busch is uncertain about what his future holds, and while Martin Truex Jr.’s comments about his uncertain future didn’t get nearly the level of publicity that Busch’s did until recently, he also readily admits that a 2023 return isn’t a sure thing.
Even if only one of those two drivers ends up leaving the team after the 2022 season, Jones should be considered.
While many believe that the replacement would be Ty Gibbs, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs who currently competes in the Xfinity Series, Joe has made clear that the goal for Ty is to run two full Xfinity Series seasons before a Cup Series promotion. He is currently in his first.
Upon the departure of Busch and/or Truex, could Joe Gibbs Racing really justify not giving a much more well-rounded Jones a second look — or in this case, a second chance?