WINCHESTER, IN — Fresh off his third straight victory at the Winchester 400 and having earned a $100,000 bonus for winning the ARCA/CRA Super Series Triple Crown, Erik Jones made it seem like he would not be returning to defend his 2015 victories at the Fastest Half Mile, or any other Late Model tracks.
“To be decided,” Jones said. “I’ve wanted to go out on top at certain things, so this may be it for me for a while for Late Model racing in general. Just kind of want to go out with a bang, I think this was the best way to do it.”
Whether the decision is truly his, or a part of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing once he becomes solidified in the Xfinity or Sprint Cup Series, Jones appears to be taking a step back from the late model world despite some marquee events remaining on the calendar.
Jones avoided all 11 wrecks that took out a significant portion of the Winchester 400 field, did not leave eastern Indiana without experiencing both the risk and reward of the marquee event.
Unable to remove his shoe due to pain postrace, Jones burnt his right foot due to a fault in the heat shield near the pedal box, one of the many perils of late model racing that rarely rears its head in top tier NASCAR equipment.
“By lap 40 I knew it was going to be an issue but I just went with it,” Jones said. “Probably tore up my foot pretty good but it was worth it for sure.”
