TOYOTA RACING – Erik Jones
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 24, 2026) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver Erik Jones was made available to the media on Friday prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race from Talladega Superspeedway.
ERIK JONES, No. 43 Doritos/Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Can you tell us a little bit about your partner this weekend?
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool. Last year, we did a big deal with Dollar Tree and a partner, and this year, we have Doritos on the car for the race here at Talladega. So excited about that. Dollar Tree’s been obviously a huge partner for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB over the last three years now that we’ve been a company and has grown that partnership with the 43 car for sure. They’re on a majority of our races and to have Doritos on there is great. Car looks really cool, and I’m excited just for them and the exposure that they have this weekend.”
Can you tell us about the Oscar plushie?
“We’ve brought them back on online and the Oscar plushie benefits the Erik Jones Foundation. All of the proceeds from it go to that to benefit the foundation. Oscar’s a pretty big fan. He doesn’t travel as much to the racetrack these days. He’s a little older and his kid brother is kind of taking his spot, but he’s still a big race fan.”
This is the first Talladega with the point system change. Does that affect the way you race?
“Yeah, I don’t know if it changes it a whole lot. I think for us, we approach all these races pretty aggressive in the last handful years because this has been, in the last handful of years, our only great shot to try to win our way in the playoffs. So, I think if anything, it makes it more aggressive because the stage points are probably more important than ever. The finishes are great, but if you can go and earn top three stage points in both stages, and even if you get wrecked out at the end, you’re still going to have a decent day, so I think that’s our focus. The stage lengths are probably a bigger change than anything, that first stage is a bit confusing, length on some strategies and things that guys can do. So, it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out, but I think as far as the aggression side, I think will be just as high as ever for stage points.”
Is there any sort of strategy change with the new stage lengths?
“Yeah, I think there’s a lot of strategies in that first stage that you could see employed. We saw the 71 (Michael McDowell) at the last Daytona. He had a strategy that was going to win in the race and he was all by himself. The yellow came out and ruined that for him, but I don’t know, I think there’s a lot of opportunity there to do a lot of different things to say, I know what the right answer is – no way. I don’t think anybody knows. I think there’s possibility there to one stop it. To do that is going to take some serious management of the run. So, I don’t know. We’ll see. It’s going to be really interesting to see how guys run it. We’re kind of in a, honestly, I feel like we’re probably going to start mid-packish just with the way our cars qualify, and that’s probably not a bad place to be. We save some fuel there naturally. So we’ll see, but there’s going to be a lot of options in that first stage.”
Does it matter if you get a lap in qualifying tomorrow or not due to potential weather?
“No, not for me. We are pretty standard as far as our package on superspeedways, and here at Talladega, to be honest, handling is so minimal, and tomorrow, with it only being mid 70s, I don’t think anybody’s too worried about it. The only thing you worry about is any small issue, that one lap is kind of nice, just to make sure that everything’s operating the way it should, but I don’t think any of us are too concerned.”
What do you like racing at Talladega?
“I’ve just come to enjoy it for what it is. I think we do 4 of these races a year, right? Between two here and two at Daytona. For me, I think there was probably a time, and there’s probably a time in every driver’s journey in their career, that it’s frustrating, because maybe things aren’t going well, and you aren’t getting the finishes that you want. I think me, of anybody, should have some animosity. Only time I’ve been hurt my career was here, but it doesn’t bother me. I enjoy coming here, and I have a lot of fun with the racing, just because it’s so unique, and there are guys that are good at it, to say that there’s guys that, it’s all luck, and no skill is a lie, and I think somebody that isn’t good at it. What they would say, and that’s what I would say too (laughter). But there’s guys that are good at it. The same guys seem to find themselves up front, and you’ve got to make the most of it.”
Do you have a different mindset coming here versus a Bristol or Martinsville?
“Yeah, I think the aggression. The thing I look forward to most is race is long, right, on Sunday, but I can’t wait for those last 20 laps, and if we make it there. That’s the ultimate goal. If you’re in those last 20 laps in the top 10 or top 12 and the intensity of that and what the feeling is and what you got to do as a driver and the moves you have to make and the nerves, it’s exciting. It doesn’t get old. It’s a cool feeling to be in that pack and be pushing as hard as you can and hoping nobody else makes a mistake. That is something that’s pretty neat in the seat.”
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