On Wednesday, Richard Petty Motorsports announced that they have signed Erik Jones to a multi-year deal to race the iconic No. 43 Chevrolet. The ride currently belongs to Bubba Wallace, who is leaving after the season to join the newly formed team of Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. It was announced earlier this year that Jones, who currently competes at Joe Gibbs Racing, would lose his ride to Christopher Bell at the end of the season. Jones’s Crew Chief will be Jerry Baxter; while they never worked together, they are familiar with each other during their time with Kyle Busch Motorsports.
A NEW ERA BEGINS…@Erik_Jones Joins @RPMotorsports to Drive the Iconic No. 43! Details: https://t.co/8SqjTb63ps pic.twitter.com/RqT9gKtwm0 — Richard Petty Motorsports (@RPMotorsports) October 21, 2020
In his fourth year of competing full-time in the Cup Series, Jones has won two races at Daytona and Darlington along with 33 top-five finishes, 62 top-ten finishes, and two poles. He also was named the Cup Series Rookie of the Year in 2017. Jones has a long list of accomplishments under his belt, including the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, a two-time winner of the Snowball Derby winner, a three-time winner of the Winchester 400, and the CRA All-Star Tour champion in 2011.
In a statement released by Erik Jones on driving for Richard Petty saying, “It is an incredible honor to have Richard Petty want you to drive for his race team and with the car number he made famous. Richard Petty Motorsports has a rich history in the sport, but they are not resting on that history. They still have something to prove, and I have something to prove. We are both motivated to write a new chapter. I am proud to be a part of Richard Petty Motorsports.”
Brian Moffitt, the Chief Executive Officer of Richard Petty Motorsports on the addition of Jones, saying, “Erik is an exceptionally talented driver, and we are excited to have him join our team. At only 24 years old, Erik is part of NASCAR’s next generation of stars. He has won races at every level in NASCAR he has competed in — including in the NASCAR Cup Series. Erik is a proven winner, and we look forward to providing him with the opportunity to add more wins to his already impressive resume.”
Erik Jones will start seventeenth at this Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway that will air live on Sunday, October 25th, at 3:30 pm on NBCSN.
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