The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season hasn’t turned out to be the best one so far for Erik Jones and the No. 43 team. Without race-winning speed and consistent results, Jones hasn’t been able to put his best foot forward to compete for a playoff spot. Adding to his misery was a back injury that he suffered during the spring Talladega race.

He suffered a compression fracture of a lower vertebra in a violent crash that involved a group of Toyota race cars. Although he was able to quickly overcome his injury setback and get back to racing after a two-week absence, things weren’t the same for him.

Erik Jones had to adjust to new changes after recovering from his back injury

In the aftermath of the devastating crash, the Legacy Motor Club team got to work and made changes to increase Jones’ safety inside the No. 43 Toyota. Corey Heim replaced the LMC driver during the Cup races at Dover and Kansas. The 28-year-old made a comeback to racing at Darlington Raceway, and he couldn’t have chosen a better place to mark his return as he had already won two Cup races at the iconic oval track.

However, he did struggle a bit during the initial stages of his return. “Obviously your body is going through a lot to heal up through an injury like that. So that took something out of me. It was harder being out of cars for two weeks on a performance level than I thought. With hoping back in Darlington wouldn’t be a big deal at all but it was weird sitting out for a couple of weeks then getting back in.” Despite a good track record, Jones could only manage a P19 finish.

He also went on to share that the new seat adjustments, which were made to aid and comfort him, added to his challenges. “Mainly my seating position was bad; I was a pretty big sloucher in the car. It makes sense now if you think about it. It leaves a lot of space in there through your discs and your vertebra. It was good in a way; as much as I learned about it, I think I helped definitely myself and hopefully some other guys in the garage too.”

As far as speed and performance are concerned, it’s not just Erik Jones but the entire LMC team that is trying to overcome this obstacle. A switch to Toyota last year has led to seismic changes, and the team is still trying to find the formula that works well for them. But despite the struggles this season, the team has put their trust in Jones, handing him a contract extension.

Legacy Motor Club was the right fit for Jones to continue his Cup Series journey

The 2024 silly season has been off the roof. Multiple drivers have already jumped ships, and Erik Jones could well be one of those drivers making a switch. While others were forced to look for new jobs, Jones was offered a multi-year extension deal. And given the extensive buildup and influx of resources at the team, it was indeed the best option for the driver to continue his Cup Series journey.

“I’ve been in the 43 car for a number of years now, and I’ve gotten pretty comfortable with my group. It all went pretty smooth, but it’s nice to have it done and just look back in on the racing side and what we’ve got to do better,” Jones said via Frontstretch.

He did assess other options available to him, but LMC stood out as the sensible one. “I went through that list of options and looked what’s available, who’s moving around. I thought at the end of the day, Legacy was going to be the best option for me to continue to grow and eventually be in a situation that I was really content with.”

Although the playoff spot looks out of reach for the #43 team and LMC. They can still work on their racing program with Toyota and finish the 2024 season on high.