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Besides nabbing a playoff spot, Erik Jones also has his eyes on the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award.
Currently, Jones leads the four other eligible drivers for the honor by 12 points and is the favorite to claim the award.
Currently, Jones leads the four other eligible drivers for the honor by 12 points and is the favorite to claim the award.
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Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images
Things started off a bit rough for Jones in his rookie season at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series level. A crash in the Daytona 500 was the first of what would be four finishes of 20th or worse in the year's first 10 races. Overall, Jones has collected six DNFs.
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The No. 77 team earned its first of four top-five finishes with an impressive third place run at Pocono Raceway in June. In doing so, the spotlight suddenly got a bit brighter for the rookie regarding the potential to grab his first Monster Energy Series victory.
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Midway through the season it was unclear who Jones would drive for in 2018. In July, Joe Gibbs Racing announced he would come in-house and take over the No. 20 Toyota.
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Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images
Jones notched his first-ever Coors Light Pole Award in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. After leading a race-high 260 laps, Jones finished second behind Toyota teammate Kyle Busch.
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Kyle Busch has been highly complimentary of Jones this season, even saying Jones reminds him of when he was younger. A big compliment for the 21-year-old. The two have a strong history as Jones won a championship for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2015.
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Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images
A late-season surge for Jones has seen him rip off three consecutive top-five finishes at Michigan, Bristol and Darlington. He has also notched seven other top-10 finishes -- two more than fellow rookie Daniel Suarez.
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Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Jones saw just four laps in his first visit to Richmond before an accident sent him home early. He knows he needs a win, and with a hot-streak heading into the weekend, is it possible Jones finds Victory Lane to capture a spot in the 16-driver playoff?