“I hope to retire sooner than people normally retire”: Erik Jones candidly opens up on his long-term NASCAR plan 

A NASCAR Cup Series driver, a super late model racer, and the owner of a Birmingham, Michigan-based charity foundation, Erik Jones is a lot of things. Jones recently shared how he manages so many endeavors amid a tedious season with a reporter from the 2025 PRI show.

The 29-year-old said that it’s all “fun stuff” to him. Breaking into laughter, the Legacy Motor Club standout explained that he was expecting to retire sooner than others. So, it was his way of doing his part for the sport.

“I was talking with somebody yesterday, and we were laughing about my schedule at times and how busy it gets,” Erik Jones told the reporter (1:20). “I told him, 'Look man, I'm just front-loading my whole life and career right now. I hope to retire sooner than people normally get to retire, so I'm gonna front-load all my work for that time.' So, I don't mind; it's all fun stuff. It's all stuff I love."

Jones, a former Snowball Derby winner, is currently in his ninth full season in the NASCAR Cup Series and fourth with Legacy Motor Club. Notably, it was Jones who brought his team its first Cup Series victory at Darlington Raceway back in 2022.

2025 was winless for Jones. He finished the season 24th in championship standings with four top fives and five top-10s. Next up for Jones is the Cook Out Clash at Winston-Salem’s Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1, 2026.

However, the Cook Out Clash will be an exhibition-style event. The first points race of the season, the annual Daytona 500, will be held on February 15. Fans can watch the race live on FOX, starting at 2:30 pm ET, or listen to exclusive updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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Legacy owner Jimmie Johnson praises Erik Jones following multi-year contract extension

Legacy Motor Club has extended Erik Jones’s contract for 2026 and beyond. 2026 completes a decade of racing in the NASCAR Cup Series for the Byron, Michigan-native, and his fifth driving full-time for Legacy Motor Club.

Team owner Jimmie Johnson was happy to have Jones back for the 2026 season. In a team statement, the seven-time Cup Series champion said,

“Erik is one of the most talented drivers in NASCAR, I’ve had the chance to race against him and have had a chance to watch him drive for other teams and the club.” “I admire his talent and am glad we will have him race for us for the upcoming years,” Johnson continued. “Erik will be a key to helping us turn our program around and we look forward to giving him the tools he needs to go out on Sundays and race for wins and eventually a championship someday.”

To this day, Erik Jones has amassed three Cup Series victories with Jimmie Johnson’s team. He became the first driver to win the “Rookie of the Year” title in all three Series: the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2015, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (then known as Xfinity) in 2016, and the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua