Erik Jones has had a season to forget this year, marred by injury and poor form. With over 200 Cup Series races to his name, he is undoubtedly expected to fight for a place in the top 20 if not the playoffs. However, currently, he sits 26th in the standings, but it could all change on the weekend for him. It is not just Jones who needs a change in form, but Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club heavily relies on him to turn things around.

Since Johnson joined as co-owner of the team, there have been several changes. One of the most significant changes was LMC’s transition from Chevrolet to Toyota as their OEM. While the move looked promising early in the 2024 campaign, it hasn’t worked out well. Over time, things have looked worrying for Johnson’s team as their on-track struggles continue.

Jimmie Johnson will be hoping Erik Jones steps up at Darlington Raceway

Coming through the ranks at Joe Gibbs Racing, Erik Jones was once touted to become the next big thing in NASCAR. His time at JGR helped him earn a place in the Cup Series in 2017 with Furniture Row Racing. When he returned to Joe Gibbs’ team from 2018 to 2020, he won two races in the time spent then before joining Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021.

Despite the team names changing, Jones continued performing well, registering a win in 2022 and an 18th-place finish that year. However, the form never helped him reach his peak, and it all hasn’t gone as per plan this year as well. With just a single top-10 finish in 23 races, Erik Jones has struggled to live up to the expectations.

However, he signed a multiyear deal with Legacy Motor Club this week for two more seasons. While he confirmed interest from elsewhere, continuing with Jimmie Johnson’s team felt the right decision. As reported by Forbes, JJ believes immensely in Jones’ talent and is expecting a productive future with him.

He said, “Erik is one of the most talented drivers in NASCAR, I’ve had the chance to race against him and have had a chance to watch him drive for other teams and the club. I admire his talent and am glad we will have him race for us for the upcoming years. Erik will be a key to helping us turn our program around and we look forward to giving him the tools he needs to go out on Sundays and race for wins and eventually a championship someday.” 

Now, the best way for Erik Jones to prove his capabilities will be to shine at Darlington Raceway this weekend. In 13 races at the track, the 28-year-old has registered two wins, five top-fives, and eight top-ten finishes. Undoubtedly, this makes him one of the favorites for the 2024 Cook Out Southern 500. With a win on Sunday, Erik Jones can not only book a place in the playoffs but also provide LMS with much-needed relief.

It is worth noting that the team’s other full-time driver, John Hunter Nemechek, has struggled immensely as well this season. With only three top-ten finishes in 25 races, he sits 31st in the standings. Neither has Jimmie Johnson’s part-time venture this year helped the team. While a win for Erik Jones could bring success on the track, it could also help them achieve a financial boost and hopefully fewer sponsorship issues.

While Jones missed out on competing in two races this season because of a broken back suffered at Talladega, he remains in contention to qualify for the playoffs should he win on Sunday. In his words, the #43 driver looks pretty confident for the race at Darlington.

Erik Jones counts on Darlington Raceway to overcome his struggles

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Before the race on Sunday, Erik Jones sat down with Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass to speak about his season and chances of a playoff berth. When asked about having it to win at Darlington rather than any other track to qualify for the final 16, Jones looked confident about his chances. He said, “You take the superspeedways out of the question, if I had to pick one track, Darlington is probably high on that list.”

Jones continued, “I enjoy it a lot, obviously have had success there in the Cup Series, and I’ve always run well there regardless. It’s a great opportunity to try to go and win our way in. The 500 has been a good race for me. It’s very different from the [400-mile] spring race with the way the track changes through the night, the way the race kind of plays out, that extra distance adds a little bit in as well. I love racing at Darlington, and it’s definitely always been one of my favorite tracks.”

While his record speaks for itself, Erik Jones is certainly a favorite on Sunday. In the same conversation, he also stressed how this year hasn’t gone the way he imagined. He said, “Tough year in a lot of ways, right? Obviously, the start of the year, things were OK. And then we had the injury at Talladega and had to sit out a couple of weeks, and that was frustrating. As a driver, it’s just not fun to sit out and have to sit and watch.”

Luckily, Jones only missed two races, but his form post-return hasn’t been encouraging. He said, “The last four months after that have been challenging, probably some of the more challenging of my career. We’re working hard trying to get things better. Nobody involved wants to run bad.” The #43 driver added how Toyota is also helping him turn around things. He said, “Toyota is working hard to help us get there as much as they can.”

Hopefully, all of these help Erik Jones put in a stunning performance on Sunday at Talladega. Given his impressive record, what do you make of his chances? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.