On Thursday, Fox Sports reported that Erik Jones would not return to the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021.
Jones, 24, has been with JGR in the Xfinity Series and with the team in Cup since 2018.
In the wake of the news earlier this week that Leavine Family Racing has been sold, it left rookie Christopher Bell’s future uncertain. Bell is under JGR’s control, and all indications point to him taking over the No. 20 next year.
Jones will be on of the top free agents in the Cup Series this offseason. High-profile rides that need to be filled include Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 48, Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 42, or possibly a seat at Stewart-Haas Racing.
Jones is 18th in the standings while his three other teammates all hold spots in the Playoff grid right now. Now through more than two years with JGR, he has earned merely two wins on arguably the best team in NASCAR.
Jones was one of the top prospects when he climbed through the NASCAR ranks. He won a Truck Series championship with Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2015 and competed for an Xfinity Series title with JGR in 2016.
He’s still young enough to be considered one of the sport’s budding stars. Perhaps a change in scenery can put his career trajectory back in an upward direction, like Joey Logano, who struggled with JGR early in his career before becoming a successful driver at Team Penske.
