TOYOTA NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS)
Erik Jones – Notes & Quotes
Richmond International Raceway – April 22, 2016
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Erik Jones was made available to the media at Richmond International Raceway:
ERIK JONES, No. 20 Hisense Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
What is your mindset coming off your XFINITY Series win last weekend at Bristol?
“I think going into Bristol we knew we could have another solid run. We had a good run there at Texas the week before but knew it would be really tough to win at Bristol in general just between the two Kyle’s (Busch and Larson) running that are both obviously very strong at Bristol. But, as the race got going really I thought we had a good enough car to do it. Lost them a little bit in the middle of the race and got behind on some adjustments. But as the race went on we got down to the last restart and I knew were restarting fourth we had a really good opportunity to run at least second I thought we could get to. I didn’t know if we could go up and get the win but as the restart played out and I saw the hole just really opened up perfect and Kyle (Busch) went and ran the middle in three and four we were able to get to the top and get to the outside and make something happen. Just a pretty awesome day in general to get the win and get locked into the Chase. Really, back to the ‘Dash4Cash’ I enjoyed that. I thought getting ourselves locked in through the heat races to be eligible for the ‘Dash4Cash’ was pretty cool. I think it gave us XFINITY regulars an incentive to really go out and race as hard as we could in the heat race and enjoyed the – that was my first ‘Dash4Cash’ event so I thought it was pretty fun. A pretty cool incentive.”
What did you learn strategy-wise from the ‘Dash4Cash’ format that you can apply here at Richmond?
“I think from Bristol learning about the ‘Dash4Cash’ format just in general obviously you need to have a good heat race and get yourself eligible for it to begin with and then make sure you’re in a good position to win it. But, you know, obviously we were chasing down the win throughout most of the race and put ourselves in a position to be one of the top-finishing XFINITY regulars throughout most of the day and I felt like we had a good shot at it. I haven’t got the 100 grand yet so maybe once I get it I’ll start trying to find out what I really want to do with it but I haven’t done anything with it yet.”
Did you like the format and the way it made a shorter race and did it create any more urgency?
“Yeah, that was probably my favorite part of the heat race format was the short main and again here at Richmond we have a really short main with only 140 laps. I think really all of the drivers liked it. It kind of felt more like a – honestly for me it felt more like a Truck race. It was pretty close to a Truck race distance which did create some urgency in general just having to stay upfront. We only had two pit stops and we’ll only have two pit stops here at Richmond again and that’s a pretty narrow window to make yourself better if you’re not where you want to be. I think it’s cool. I think it’s a neat thing to do. I think the shorter races is something we as drivers enjoy. I think fans enjoy it as well. And just that dash to the finish running as hard as you can is pretty neat. Bristol was a part of that – tire wear at Bristol isn’t that great so you can run pretty hard for the majority of the race and not have to worry about fall off and really dash like that for the whole race. But, I think you’ll see a lot of the same here at Richmond with an only 140 lap main as well.”
What do you think this type of format does for XFINITY Series racing?
“Well, I think it gives people just a reason to watch. If you think about something different that a fan sees in a format of the race I think that’s just another reason to tune in and check out and see what they think of it. At least as a fan that’s what I would see from it from the outside is hey, they’re doing something different. Why not tune in and check it out and see how it plays out? I think it’s definitely a step in the right direction. I think trying something – there’s nothing bad about the heat race format in general from Bristol. I enjoyed the fact, like we were talking about a second ago, the short main and having that 50 laps to go out and run, come in and try to make your stuff a little bit better before the race was I think my favorite part. Just getting to run a little bit and coming back in and making an adjustment and going at it for the future.”
Does the heat race format impact how you compete in those events so you don’t wreck prior to the main event?
“It does and I think it affects more of how you race the heat race. Fortunately, I started on the pole of the heat race and ran up there the whole time so I didn’t have to worry about it. I think if you were back in traffic racing, there’s definitely times where you can’t do some of the moves you try to do in the race because you can’t wreck. You’re not trying to wreck for sure. It’s just like any other heat race, Saturday night I can think back to five or six years ago racing at my home track in Michigan running heat races, you can’t tear your stuff up, but you still want to go out and get the best finish you can and start as high as you can in the main event. It changes you racing a little bit, but I think it makes qualifying a little more important in general as well.”
Have you established a time table for moving up through the XFINTIY Series into the Sprint Cup Series?
“Yes and no, I think back a couple years ago and I had a time table and said to myself that I want to be here by this time and I want to be to Cup by this time, but as I kind of moved forward and got into the Truck Series and then the XFINITY Series and got with these teams, I’ve learned that it’s not my choice. I’m just racing for these guys and it’s up to the sponsors, it’s up to the team owners and it’s up to opportunities and spots being open. I think there’s a plan in place for me at some point. I’m not sure 100 percent what it is, but I’m along for the ride right now and truly enjoying my time in the XFINITY Series and going out and being competitive every week and being in contention to win is a pretty cool opportunity for me in general.”
