Erik Jones interview: On sophomore expectations, Seger songs
NASCAR’s new No. 20 and resident Bob Seger fan, Erik Jones, is ready to hit the ground running in the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season will kick off this week with the Daytona 500. Erik Jones will have a new look this season as he takes over the No. 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing. As one of the top young drivers in the sport, Jones comes into the season with high hopes and expectations.
At the recent NASCAR Goes West media tour in Phoenix, Jones was nice enough to answer some questions about this upcoming season. The Michigan native even shared what his favorite Bob Seger song is as well.
FanSided.com: JGR really caught fire in the second half of last season after a bit of a slow start. Is starting fast something the team has talked about this year?
Erik Jones: Well, we hope to. Honestly, I think a lot of it was the new Camry. Just kind of figuring out the re-balance of the car from that. That changes the way cars drive, and we just sort of had to figure out how to work with that. We’ve got that science down. You’ve seen other manufacturers come out with new cars, new models, so we’ll see how fast they are off of that. I feel like we’ll be ready to earn our spot.
FS: Which of the three west coast races are you looking most forward to?
Jones: Probably ISM. I’ve always been a huge fan of coming out to Phoenix, and I just always felt like we’ve run strong there with trucks and Cup. Just to get another chance to go out try and chase a win and have fun.
FS: Do you have a particular memory of any of the west coast races that sticks out most to you?
Jones: Yeah, winning my first truck race at ISM was big back in 2013. That whole weekend, I will never forget that weekend. It really was just a cool moment for me. It was kind of my first big breakthrough in NASCAR and one I’ll never forget.
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FS: What are you looking forward to most in 2018?
Jones: I think for me, it’s just being in my second year. Having a year of experience at the Cup level under my belt and just feeling a little more comfortable with each week. You know, there’s a lot of things as rookie you don’t know what to expect. You don’t know what exactly to look for in the race car, you don’t know how the track is going to change. So for me, it’s just having a little bit better handle on all of that.
FS: With that one year under your belt, do you feel ready to take that next step and make the NASCAR Playoffs?
Jones: I hope so, yeah. That’s our big goal this year, to make the playoffs. We’ll see how it goes. Definitely, consistency is one thing we need to improve on, and I’ll think we’ll be able to do that. I learned a lot about it, and [crew chief Chris Gayle] learned a lot about it on top of the box. It should all add up to be a good year, and making the playoffs would be great — and so would running great in the playoffs.
Next: What's new in NASCAR for 2018?
FS: You’re a Michigan guy and huge Bob Seger fan. What’s your favorite song?
Jones: There are a lot of good ones. I mean, “Night Moves” has always been one of my favorites. “Mainstreet” is another good one. I’ve always been a big “Mainstreet” fan.