Erik Jones 2022 season in review
Editor‘s note: This continues the series of season reviews for select 2022 NASCAR Cup Series drivers.
See more: Bubba Wallace, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suárez, Chris Buescher, Chase Briscoe
Driver: Erik Jones
Car: No. 43 Petty GMS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Crew chief: Dave Elenz
Final 2022 ranking: 18th
Key stats: 1 win, 3 top fives, 13 top 10s, 0 poles, 147 laps led
How 2022 ended: Even though he fell short of qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Jones kicked off the postseason in a big way, besting the 16 playoff qualifiers by winning at Darlington Raceway. It was his third career Cup win and first since 2019. Jones wound up with five finishes in the top 11 during the 10-race playoffs, including back-to-back sixth-place finishes at Texas and Talladega.
Best race: Without question, his win in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington was his best showing of 2022. While he flirted with the top five throughout the race, Jones finally got the lead with 23 laps left and held on the rest of the way.
RELATED: Erik Jones pulls off Southern 500 stunner in upset win at Darlington
Other season highlights: Jones bounced back strongly in 2022 with one win, three top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. That was in stark contrast to his struggles in his first season with what was then Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021, when he had zero wins, zero top-fives and just six top-10 finishes, ending with a career-worst season showing of 24th place. His 23 lead-lap finishes this past season were the most he‘s had in one season since 23 in 2019. Jones took to the Next Generation car quite well. He finished fourth in the car‘s debut in the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum exhibition race and then finished third in the second race of the regular season at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Although he didn‘t win either time, Jones additionally put together two outstanding races at Talladega this past season, finishing sixth in each of the two races there. There‘s something about NASCAR‘s biggest track that brings out the best in Jones. In his last nine starts (of 12 overall) at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, he has managed six top-10 finishes: one runner-up (fall 2020), one fifth-place finish (spring 2020), two sixth-place showings (spring and fall 2022), an eighth-place finish (fall 2018) and ninth-place showing (fall 2021).
Stat to know: In six full-time seasons, Jones has managed to reach the playoffs just twice but made quick exits after the first round: 2018 (finished 15th) and 2019 (finished 16th).
Quotable: Nicknamed the “Byron Bandit” (he grew up in tiny Byron, Michigan), Jones had this to say on Twitter after winning at Darlington: “Still feels like a dream. So proud of this No. 43 team and all we‘ve been able to accomplish. We did it.”
RELATED: Jones through the years
Looking ahead: If Jones can build upon the strong season finish he had during the playoffs in 2022, he should be a potential playoff qualifier in 2023 (for the first time since 2019). His team really came together in 2022 and — barring any major changes — should help Jones potentially to at least 1-2 wins. He could be one of the most underrated drivers coming into 2023.
