Erik Jones Shows Speed At Daytona Despite Disappointing Run
9 months agoAlthough Erik Jones entered the Daytona 500 as one of the pre-race sleepers to win, he surprisingly had a lackluster race with an average running position of 18th and failed to lead despite contending in the Duel race at Daytona on Thursday night. He and the other Toyotas were very fast, as Jones ranked second in average speed behind only Bubba Wallace, with Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex, Jr., and Tyler Reddick also ranking in the top seven, but they were burnt on strategy as they fuel-saved throughout the event while the Chevys typically beat them out of the pits to cause the Toyota clan to have to work through traffic more. As they attempted to do so, the Big One happened and Jones was caught up in it, but his car suffered only minor damage. He finished eighth despite running worse for most of the race. As one of the series' best drafters, he should still be a leading contender at Atlanta.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference