What’s Happening?

While Silly Season rolls on with plenty of expected drivers looking for new rides, one driver is lurking in the shadows, analyzing his next move. According to Bob Pockrass, Erik Jones remains unsigned for 2025, even though Legacy Motor Club wants him back as Jones looks at his options for the future. What other teams could Jones be looking at?

From yesterday: 2025 NASCAR lineup projections: Which drivers are on the move and which ones could be? @NASCARONFOX https://t.co/4pwDMaukkz

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 27, 2024

• Erik Jones is in his third season with Legacy Motor Club. He sits 26th in points after missing two races due to a back injury he suffered in a crash at Talladega in April. He joined the team in 2021, when it was still called Richard Petty Motorsports, after three up-and-down seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones has been with the team through the rebranding from Richard Petty Motorsports to Petty-GMS to Legacy Motor Club.
• Legacy Motor Club made some big moves last off-season. They signed John Hunter Nemechek to drive the No. 42 car and switched manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota, becoming Toyota’s third “Tier One” key partner team. However, it has not yet resulted in as much success on the track as they may have wanted, with Jones and Nemechek sitting 26th and 27th in points at the season’s halfway point.
• Fans would be curious to see Jones leave. He’s been one of the few constants at Legacy Motor Club through the team’s big changes.

What Rides Are Open?

For Jones to leave, there has to be an open ride for him in the Cup Series. There are a few available, but just how good are these opportunities?

In the Toyota camp, there’s the potential third 23XI Racing car should the team purchase SHR’s third charter as expected. However, drivers like Corey Heim and, particularly, Riley Herbst continue to be candidates for this ride.

Kaulig Racing and Rick Ware Racing both have All-Star Cars in 2024. However, it would take a lot of funding to go there, and both of these teams sit 30th or worse in the Owner’s Standings across all of their entries at the season’s halfway point.

There’s The Wood Brothers, which would be an interesting choice. They are not a “Tier One” team but aligned with Team Penske. The team also made two Playoff appearances in five seasons before Harrison Burton joined the team in 2022. However, it’s tough to call this a definite upgrade at the moment.

Front Row Motorsports is easily the most attractive team available, given their “Tier One” status with Ford. However, there is a lot of competition for that ride, and Jones has not been in that conversation.

That leaves the Haas Factory Team, set to be a single-car Cup Series operation formed from the ashes of Stewart-Haas Racing. Single-car teams tend to struggle in the Cup Series, with the last single-car team to win a Championship being Dale Earnhardt and Richard Childress Racing in 1994.

Does It Make Sense for Jones to Leave?

Does it even make sense for Jones to move on when considering all that? The only team ahead of LMC in the owner’s standings with available rides are Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing. Both of those rides have plenty of suitors.

The other rides are not definite upgrades for Jones. While LMC has struggled, it is still a “Tier One” Toyota team in its first year. The team discussed in the off-season how much of an adjustment it was going from Chevy to Toyota. We broke that down in the article below.

Keep in mind that current “Tier One” teams have won all Cup Series Championships since 1990 except for three seasons: Alan Kulwcki (owner/driver) in 1992, Dale Jarrett (Robert Yates Racing) in 1999, and Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing) in 2017.

It is tough to imagine making the jump down. While Jones is searching for his best opportunity, the best move may be to stay put.

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