Erik Jones: G-force in Talladega crash similar to Ryan Blaney's Daytona crash last summer
Erik Jones said his crash last weekend at Talladega was similar to Ryan Blaney's crash at Daytona last August. Yet Jones suffered a compression fracture that will keep him out of Sunday's race at Dover (2 p.m. ET on FS1).
Just how hard was the crash at Talladega?
Blaney’s crash at Daytona was 70 Gs. Blaney gets his data from a mouthpiece developed by Wake Forest School of Medicine. Jones did not provide the G-force number from Talladega, simply saying that the two incidents were "really similar."
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Jones went to the infield care center after the multi-car incident on Lap 157 that sent him hard into the Turn 3 SAFER barrier. He was evaluated and released. Jones spoke to media members and went to his bus before later returning to the care center.
Jones said it took time for him to fully realize that he was not just sore.
"It hurt when I crashed," Jones said. "I've never broken a bone in my life, so I didn't even know what that would feel like. I got out of the car on my own and I was feeling better. Obviously, adrenaline is going and I'm pumped up still.
"Got to the care center, told them what was wrong, my back was hurting. And they poked and prodded all over me as they normally do. And I said everything felt okay. And I told them multiple times, it was feeling just like muscle strain to me."
Once Jones got back to his bus and changed into regular clothes, he realized there was a more significant issue.
"(I) went back right away and said, 'Look, I think there's probably more wrong here than what I was letting on to you guys. It's really starting to cause me some pain.' And so then we made the decision to transport (to the hospital). We took an X-ray there, I saw some possible problems. We weren't really sure with the equipment. So we went ahead and transferred to UAB (University Hospital)."
Why was Jones able to walk out of the infield care center after getting clearance? The answer is fairly straightforward, as team co-owner Jimmie Johnson explained.
"In my experience with crashes and injuries, it takes a little bit of time for stuff to sink in," Johnson said. "I think Erik did the right thing going back to the infield care center.
"Once he got to his bus, his environment changed a little bit, and he handled that very well. I think the care center reacted perfectly."
Jones continues to recover as time progresses. He deals with pain when he sneezes from allergies and he has some soreness at night. Jones's range of motion is limited but he does not have to wear a back brace as he takes his recovery on a week-by-week basis.
Corey Heim will serve as the replacement driver for Jones at Dover and Kansas, if necessary.
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Jones does not yet know why he sustained an injury while Blaney didn't. He continues to work with NASCAR to find answers as he adjusts to the reality of missing at least one week of racing.
Jones acknowledged that the time out of the car is frustrating and a little depressing. He has to watch a replacement driver control his car, something that no racer wants to do. Though Jones said he was fortunate that the injury was on the mild side.
"The wreck and the injury I had, it could have been a lot worse in a lot of ways," Jones said. "I think that is a testament to the safety.
"I think NASCAR has gotten some of a bad rap this week. The Next Gen car gets a bad rap. And at the end of the day, I think the car did its job."
