Erik Jones had a tough finish to the 2017 season. Never in contention at Homestead, he ran 21st and wound up two laps off the pace.
But Jones did leave the season finale holding a large consolation prize: NASCAR Rookie of the Year.
While Erik Jones left
“It’s unfortunate the 77 team won’t be in operation next year. I feel like we’ve built a competitive race team, one that’s capable of winning races. It’s unfortunate they couldn’t get a driver and get ebverything to continue to run.”
“But at the end of the day, we improved a lot of people’s skill set. It’s fortunate they all have opportunities for next year. It makes me feel better knowing most people will have opportunities for next year.”
“I don’t know. There’s not one thing for sure. I look back on the eyar and there were many races where I could have done things better, where I could have given away good finishes. There’s just a lot of things where I thought I could have done them different.
Starting the year over now, everyone having that extra experience would have been a big bonus. Going into next year with the 20 car would be a big change for sure. It’s a group of guys on the road for a long time. And for me to have some notes going back to these tracks again is a big benefit to myself.
About the author
The author of Did You Notice? (Wednesdays) Tom spends his time overseeing Frontstretch’s 40+ staff members as its majority owner and Editor-in-Chief. Based outside Philadelphia, Bowles is a two-time Emmy winner in NASCAR television and has worked in racing production with FOX, TNT, and ESPN while appearing on-air for SIRIUS XM Radio and FOX Sports 1's former show, the Crowd Goes Wild. He most recently consulted with SRX Racing, helping manage cutting-edge technology and graphics that appeared on their CBS broadcasts during 2021 and 2022.
You can find Tom’s writing here, at CBSSports.com and Athlonsports.com, where he’s been an editorial consultant for the annual racing magazine for 15 years.
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