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Erik Jones is set to return to the No. 43 Toyota with Legacy Motor Club in 2025 after agreeing to a multiyear contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.
Jones has spent each of the past four seasons in the famed No. 43 car, joining in 2021 under different ownership at what was then known as Richard Petty Motorsports. The Michigan native is a three-time winner in NASCAR Cup Series competition, with two of those victories coming in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, a crown jewel on the NASCAR calendar for the toll it takes on both driver and vehicle.
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Team co-owner Maury Gallagher joined the team in 2022 with seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson‘s addition to the team ownership in 2023, rebranding the program to Legacy Motor Club.
“Erik Jones has been the consistent cornerstone of Legacy Motor Club’s driver lineup since Maury chose to enter NASCAR’s highly competitive Cup division,” Cal Wells III, CEO of Legacy Motor Club, said in a team release. “He’s a proven champion that, surrounded with the right team powered by Toyota, can and will compete for race wins against the very best on any given Sunday. Having personally known Erik for close to 14 years, I feel blessed he’s chosen to remain with the Club, and I’m looking forward to winning races with him at the helm of the iconic No. 43.”
In 276 Cup starts, Jones has accrued 37 top-five finishes and 89 top 10s in addition to his three victories, with two pole positions and 827 laps led. The No. 43 car has yet to lead a lap in 2024, but Jones has led at least one circuit in each season, including in his Cup debut with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015.
“I‘m looking forward to what we can build at Legacy Motor Club,” Jones said in a release. “I‘ve been with the No. 43 car for a handful of years and feel like I‘m coming into some of the best years of my career. I am hoping to grow alongside Legacy MC in the seasons to come.”
The 28-year-old missed two races this season after incurring a back injury in May at Talladega Superspeedway. Through 21 starts in 2024, Jones has one top-10 finish — eighth in the season-opening Daytona 500 — and ranks 28th in points with a season-long average finish of 22.5. His playoff hopes still remain, however, with races ahead at both Daytona International Speedway and Darlington Raceway before the playoffs, both tracks at which he has won.
“Erik is one of the most talented drivers in NASCAR,” Johnson said in a release. “I‘ve had the chance to race against him and have had a chance to watch him drive for other teams and the Club. I admire his talent and am glad we will have him race for us for the upcoming years. Erik will be a key to helping us turn our program around, and we look forward to giving him the tools he needs to go out on Sundays and race for wins and eventually a championship someday.”
Up next for Jones is Michigan International Speedway on Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), where Jones has collected one top five and three top 10s in 11 starts.
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