Erik Jones Sets High Expectations for Bristol Amid Unresolved Issues With Tony Stewart’s Mentee

Despite Toyota having a successful weekend with JGR, Erik Jones from Legacy Motors Club disappointed the Japanese manufacturer by finishing the race in 31st place after unintentional contact with Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe during last weekend’s race at Phoenix. The accident left Jones frustrated, and he mostly blamed Briscoe for it, though the SHR didn’t really pay any heed to the dispute.

Even though the problem is still going on, the #43 driver has high expectations for Bristol since it’s one of his favorite road courses. On top of that, he’s also confident enough to throw down any challenges and prove his worth on the track.

Erik Jones reveals Bristol Motor Speedway is his favorite track

Following Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500, a serious level of tension escalated between Erik Jones and Chase Briscoe. In the last stage of the race, they were both caught up in a crash that caused Jones’s position to be severely disrupted and pushed him to the back of the grid. However, despite this setback, the #43 Toyota driver seems to be determined as he prepares for the Food City Dirt event.

Reflecting on his past campaigns at the track, Jones shared why he needs to win the race while speaking to Sirius XM. He said, “You know, we all like a challenge and, for me, you know, Bristol has just been a place where I, I looked through my cup career and, and should have won a few races there really in the cup series…. It’s one of my favorite tracks and a place where we really, really need to win at as well. So, yeah, that’s always kinda, kinda what I’m thinking about and just trying to stay focused too for 500.”

He mentioned how he had previously missed out on possible wins on the track but is looking forward to perform better this time around. “I kind of threw them both away. So, you know, that’s, that’s always what’s in my head going there,” Jones added.

The driver also mentioned how Bristol’s long track and its physical demands could tire drivers during the race. However, he did confess that the challenge is Bristol’s best fun factor.Meanwhile, things between Jones and SHR’s Chase Briscoe are far from friendly. Briscoe will be looking to prove a point in Bristol and secure a win at Eric Jones’ favorite track.

Tony Stewart’s protege is equally determined to bestow good fortune upon Food City Dirt

As NASCAR Cup Series is heading back to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City Dirt event, Tony Stewart’s SHR team is banking heavily on Chase Briscoe’s skills, given he was their top performer in the last desert race. With four top-10 finishes in the previous six races, Briscoe has proven his consistency with the highest position for SHR in the standings, currently at 19th.

While speaking with NBC Sports’ Dustin Long, Briscoe used the term “bittersweet” to describe his mixed views over the concrete surface in Bristol. Despite this, he is still aiming for a good performance this weekend and expressed his belief by noting, “Hopefully, we can have speed next week. You know, versus one of those weird tracks for us. We’ve always been pretty quick but we just don’t run very good in the race so hopefully we can kind of find what we’ve been missing there over the last couple of years and  put a good day together.”

Read More: Chase Briscoe Slaps Back at Erik Jones’ Accusations as Their Feud Reaches a Ridiculous Junction

As both LMC and SHR stars will hit Bristol’s concrete aiming for victory, let’s hope for a healthy and exciting race despite the ongoing tension between the two.