Erik Jones will not return as the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Race Hub reported Aug. 6.
The 24-year-old Jones is in his fourth full-time season in Cup, all with Joe Gibbs Racing. He has two wins, at Daytona International Speedway and Darlington Raceway. In his 131 career starts, in addition to his two wins, he has 29 top fives and 57 top 10s.
The news comes days after Bob Leavine announced he is selling Leavine Family Racing, leaving Christopher Bell without a ride for next year, which could place Bell at JGR in the No. 20.
Erik Jones will not return to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021 #RaceHub pic.twitter.com/Njmjkr6PJv
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) August 6, 2020
Jones won the 2015 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series championship. In his lone full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series season, he finished fourth in the championship standings.
This season, Jones has five top five finishes and eight top 10s. He is currently 18th in the championship standings, 31 points below the playoff cut line.
JGR has not officially announced the news, nor has Jones mentioned it.
Mark Kristl joined Frontstretch at the beginning of the 2019 NASCAR season. He is the site's ARCA Menards Series editor. Kristl is also an Eagle Scout and a proud University of Dayton alum.
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Its like that old game they used to play called “musical chairs”. The same numbver of people chasing an ever decreasing number of seats. And when the music stops?
Once Leavine announced its decision everyone saw this coming.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ talk!