News:
Erik Jones Continues Strong Run with Third-Place Finish at ROVAL

Date: October 11, 2020


Event: Bank of America ROVAL 500 (Round 32 of 36)


Series: NASCAR Cup Series


Location: Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (2.28-mile Road Course)


Format: 109 laps (3 Stages: 25 laps / 50 laps / 109 laps)


Start/Finish: 14th/3rd (Running, Completed 109 of 109 laps)


 


Race Winner: Chase Elliott


Stage 1 Winner: Ty Dillon


Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney


 


Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1 – 25)




  • Erik Jones and the No. 20 CRAFTSMAN ACE/CMN Toyota Camry team started Sunday’s race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL from the 14th position and finished stage one in 10th.

  • For the final road course of the season, Jones and the No. 20 team had to drop to the rear of the field for the start of the race due to unapproved adjustments before the start of the race. Focused on moving forward, Jones was able to move up to 21st before the scheduled competition caution on lap 10. Opting to stay out under the caution, Jones and the team restarted the race from the 15th position on lap 12.

  • Breaking in to the top 10 on lap 18, Jones pitted on lap 19 to switch from rain tires to slick tires, add fuel and make a set of adjustments. Jones returned to the track in the 28th position.

  • On lap 22, NASCAR displayed the caution flag with Jones in the 18th position. Crew chief Chris Gayle made the call to stay out during the caution and Jones restarted the race on lap 24 from the 12th position for a one-lap shootout.

  • One lap later, the caution flag was displayed on lap 25 to end stage one. Jones and the No. 20 team were scored in the 10th spot and made the decision to stay out under the caution.



Stage 2 Recap (Laps 26 – 50)




  • Jones started the second stage from the seventh position and finished the stage in 19th place.

  • Starting stage two from the seventh position on lap 28, Jones was running in the top 10 when the No. 2 car spun on lap 33 and in an effort to miss the spinning car, Jones was forced to come to a complete stop on the track and lost valuable positions. On lap 35, Jones was scored in the 16th position.

  • Ten laps later, the caution waved on lap 45 with the CRAFTSMAN Camry team running in the 11th position. Jones pitted for four tires, fuel, adjustments and to clear the fenders from the tires. The race restarted on lap 48 with Jones in 27th.

  • The caution flag was displayed on lap 50 to end the stage with Jones in 19th place. The team opted to stay out under the caution.


 


Stage 3 Recap (Laps 51 – 109)




  • Jones started the final stage from the 12th position and finished the race with a third-place finish.

  • With the final stage underway on lap 53, Jones was able to move back in to the top 10 on lap 55.

  • On lap 64, Jones pitted under caution from the ninth position for four tires, fuel and adjustments. The race restarted on lap 67 with Jones in 14th.

  • Moving back in to the top 10 on lap 68, Jones cracked the top five on lap 72.

  • Gayle called Jones to pit road on lap 85 for a green-flag pit stop for four tires and fuel. Jones returned to the track and the caution flag immediately waved for a single car incident. Jones was scored in 26th, but following pit stops for most of the field, the CRAFTSMAN team restarted the race from fourth on lap 89.

  • Jones was able to take the lead on lap 91 and over the final laps, slipped to fifth before crossing the finish line on lap 109 with a solid third-place finish.


 


ERIK JONES, No. 20 CRAFTSMAN ACE/CMN Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing


Finishing Position: 3rd


How tough was Chase Elliott in today’s race?


“I knew we were there and had tires. We were in a really good spot, but I knew that 9 (Chase Elliott) was really fast and has been pretty tough to beat here the last few years. They’ve got something figured out, they’re really quick here. I was just kind of losing time to him everywhere. He caught me and I couldn’t hold him off more than a couple cars. The CRAFTSMAN Camry was good, it was good to get a top-three. Probably a little bit better than what we ran, but we’ll definitely take it.”



Additional Notes: 




  • Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. finished seventh, Denny Hamlin finished 15th and Kyle Busch finished 30th.



Up Next: With four races remaining in the 2020 season, the NASCAR Cup Series now heads to Kansas Speedway Sunday, October 18, 2020. The race broadcast will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC, MRN radio and SIRIUS XM Channel 90.