Erik Jones did not have the Dover International Speedway race go as he had hoped. First, the qualification session was washed out by rain, resulting in him starting in P27. And then an in-race incident left him furious, as the Legacy Motor Club (LMC) driver ended exactly where he started, in the 27th position, three laps down.
LMC’s Erik Jones Was Left Frustrated Over a NASCAR Decision Early On in the Race
Jones’ No. 43 car showed pace in stage one; he even climbed as high as P20 before encountering trouble. On lap 119, he had a flat tire and ended up scraping the wall between turns three and four. However, NASCAR did not throw a yellow flag for this incident, and the race stayed green with Chase Elliott winning the first stage on lap 120.
But for Jones, he had to drive the whole lap with a flat, as his car naturally slowed down, dropping positions, and he even got a lap down from the lead lap as the leaders passed him. This had him furious, lashing out at NASCAR on his radio. He said, “F***ing NASCAR, dude! We’ve got a wrecked ass car and we’re f***ing riding around at 180 MPH!”
NASCAR journalist Steven Taranto shared the whole footage of the incident on X. He wrote, “Erik Jones had a tire go down and hit the wall at the end of Stage 1. Evidently he’s not happy that NASCAR held the yellow until stage end.” This is what caused him to curse at the race officials.
Full/uncensored onboard with Erik Jones as he had his right front unwind at the end of Stage 1. Jones knew he wasn’t gonna make it but his team was trying to hold a lead lap spot if they could.
Jones wasn’t happy NASCAR held the yellow. Went on to finish 27th. https://t.co/z96qlLxkX0 pic.twitter.com/hhde1mhNLS
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) July 21, 2025
Jones’ frustration is understandable. He’s had a mixed season so far. In the 21 races, the LMC driver has managed only two top-5s and three top-10s. After Dover, his average finish is 19.667. Amid this, the Michigan native was hoping Dover would be a track where he could make a good run, as has been the case for him in the past.
Out of the 12 races that Jones has run at Dover so far, his 2025 finish has been the worst ever. Eight times, he has finished 16th or better at the track and has an average finish of 14.9 there.
However, with his P27 in the recent race, he could only get 10 points, and that would affect his playoff chances. With Brickyard next, only five races remain in the regular season. Currently, Jones is 89 points below the cutline, so probably only a win can get him in the playoffs now.
Jones has won three races in his Cup career so far, twice at Darlington. Unfortunately, this year’s regular season finale will not be the “Cook Out Southern 500” at Darlington, but the Daytona race.
Well, Jones also won at the Daytona International Speedway, winning the 2020 Daytona 500. So, who knows? Maybe he can get another one this season and make the playoffs. Let’s see how his season unfolds.