Erik Jones experienced significant challenges during the latest NASCAR event at Dover International Speedway, starting his race from the 27th position after rain canceled qualification. Driving for Legacy Motor Club (LMC), Jones finished the race where he began, in 27th place and three laps behind the leaders, reflecting a disappointing day marked by frustration and controversy.
Flat Tire at the End of Stage One Leads to Jones’ Frustration with NASCAR’s Decision
Jones showed promise early in the race, improving his position to as high as 20th during the first stage. However, on lap 119, he suffered a flat tire and scraped the wall between turns three and four. NASCAR chose not to call a caution flag for this, keeping the race under green despite the damaged car. As a result, Chase Elliott secured the stage victory at lap 120 while Jones struggled to maintain pace.
Because the yellow flag was withheld, Jones had to complete an entire lap with a flat tire, which severely slowed his car and caused him to lose multiple positions and a lap to the leaders. His frustration boiled over in a radio outburst directed at race officials:
F***ing NASCAR, dude! We’ve got a wrecked ass car and we’re f***ing riding around at 180 MPH!
—Erik Jones, NASCAR Driver
Media Coverage Highlights Jones’ Displeasure Following the Incident
Motorsports journalist Steven Taranto shared video footage of the incident on X, commenting on Jones’ reaction to the decision to wait to throw a yellow flag. Taranto noted that Jones was clearly unhappy that NASCAR allowed the race to continue despite the serious tire issue:
Erik Jones had a tire go down and hit the wall at the end of Stage 1. Evidently he’s not happy that NASCAR held the yellow until stage end.
He further added:
Full/uncensored onboard with Erik Jones as he had his right front unwind at the end of Stage 1. Jones knew he wasn’t gonna make it but his team was trying to hold a lead lap spot if they could. Jones wasn’t happy NASCAR held the yellow. Went on to finish 27th.
—Steven Taranto, NASCAR Journalist
Jones’ Difficult Season and Dover Performance Compared to Past Years
This outcome added to an already troubling season for Jones, who, in 21 races this year, has only achieved two top-five finishes and three top-tens, with an average finish position of 19.667 after Dover. A native of Michigan, Jones had hoped for a better result, considering his past success at Dover where he holds an average finish of 14.9 over 12 races, with eight finishes inside the top 16.
His 27th place at Dover is the worst performance of his career at this track, which will likely impact his points standing negatively. With only five races remaining before the playoffs and Jones currently 89 points behind the cutline, his chances of advancing appear slim unless he secures a race victory.
Playoff Outlook and Jones’ Career Highlights
Jones’ career in the NASCAR Cup Series includes three wins, two of which came at Darlington Raceway. Despite the regular season finale moving from Darlington’s Cook Out Southern 500 to a race at Daytona International Speedway this year, Jones has past success at Daytona, having won the prestigious Daytona 500 in 2020. This history offers some hope that he might capture another victory this season and qualify for the playoffs.
As the NASCAR calendar advances toward the Brickyard and subsequent races, observers will be watching Jones closely to see if he can overcome his recent setbacks and regain momentum for a strong finish to the season.