Two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner Erik Jones will call Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) home next season taking over the driving duties of the iconic No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE beginning with the historic Daytona 500 on Feb. 14, 2021.
Jones has signed a multi-year driver agreement with the team.
Jones moves to Richard Petty Motorsports after being cut from the Joe Gibbs Racing pipeline following the season-finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway next month in favor of Toyota protégé Christopher Bell.
“It is an incredible honor to have Richard Petty want you to drive for his race team and with the car number he made famous,” Jones said. “Richard Petty Motorsports has a rich history in the sport, but they are not resting on that history. They still have something to prove, and I have something to prove. We are both motivated to write a new chapter. I am proud to be a part of Richard Petty Motorsports.”
RPM will mark the third team in five seasons that Jones has driven for after starting his Cup career in a second entry for Furniture Row Racing in 2017.
The Bryon, Mich. native replaced Matt Kenseth at Joe Gibbs Racing and has driven the No. 20 Toyota Camry since 2018, earning victories in 2018 and 2019 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, respectively.
Entering Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, the 2015 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champion is winless but has produced nine top-five and 13 top-10 finishes, including a string of four top-10 finishes in the last five races.
With three races remaining, Jones is 17th in the championship standings.
In all, Jones has 144 Cup starts with two poles, two wins, 33 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes.
2021 will also mark Jones’ first relationship in NASCAR’s top-three national series with another manufacturer other than Toyota.
Since debuting in the Truck Series in 2013 at the tender age of 17, Jones has driven for Toyota whether it was at Kyle Busch Motorsports in Trucks or 78-races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing and his 147-race run in Cup, the 24-year-old will adorn the Chevrolet bowtie next season.
“Erik is an exceptionally talented driver, and we are excited to have him join our team,” Brian Moffitt, chief executive officer at Richard Petty Motorsports, said. “At only 24-years old, Erik is part of NASCAR’s next generation of stars. He has won races at every level in NASCAR he has competed in – including in the NASCAR Cup Series. Erik is a proven winner and we look forward to providing him with the opportunity to add more wins to this already impressive resume.”
Jones replaces Darrell Wallace Jr. at Richard Petty Motorsports who is joining the new NASCAR Cup Series team owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin next season.
Crew chief Jerry Baxter will continue to lead the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team in 2021 with Jones. It will be a reunion of sorts for Baxter and Jones, who have their connection through Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series for three seasons.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
