For the 2021 Cup Series season, the Richard Petty Motorsports team has recruited Erik Jones. In essence, Jones is the successor to Bubba Wallace, who has now joined 23XI Racing.
Jones had to leave the Joe Gibbs Racing team, with Christopher Bell taking his place. Recently, Jones spoke about his recruitment and some other aspects surrounding his new team.
Apparently, there were a number of concerns surrounding the Richard Petty Motorsports team‘s sponsorships.
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About that, Jones said, “Sponsor announcements are going to come here, hopefully soon. I’ve been in the shop a lot, I was actually up there this morning doing some stuff and checking things out.”
He admitted that it is encouraging to see the alliance between RPM and Richard Childress Racing. Jones also mentioned that he had never been to the RCR stable until that day.
However, when he visited the factory, he was truly impressed with what he saw. Jones and the team are working together to cover all their bases.
What else did the new Richard Petty Motorsports driver say?
He acknowledged that there will be plenty of work once the Christmas and New Year period passes. However, he is confident that he can accomplish a lot of things and surprise everyone. Without a doubt, Jones may feel a bit of pressure, as he is stepping into the iconic #43 car.
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Not only is he replacing a driver of Bubba Wallace’s caliber, but he is effectively carrying Richard Petty’s legacy. This is because ‘The King’ was well-known for driving the #43 car in his heyday.
So, Erik Jones will be keen to live up to such a rich legacy. So far, the 24-year old has racked up two race wins in his Cup Series career, and he will want to add more.
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Hopefully, with the RPM car under him, he can reach Victory Lane a few more times.