Erik Jones 2019 season in review

Erik Jones, driver of the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, made his second playoff appearance in just his third full season in NASCAR's premier division. Finishing 16th in the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series standings, take a look at some of Jones' highlights from throughout the year.

In Year 3, the 23-year-old Jones solidified himself as a yearly playoff contender with a career-high 10 top fives and 17 top 10s -- just one off his career best of 18 top 10s set during the 2018 season.

Jones set the tone for a solid year early with a spectacular run at the season-opening Daytona 500 in February. He wheeled his way to a third-place finish, trailing only JGR teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch.

Nearly securing his first win of 2019, Jones ran toward the front all afternoon at Pocono in July before finishing as the runner-up. Including a third-place finish in the June race, he has finished in the top five in each of his last three races at the "Tricky Triangle."

The elusive win came four races later at Darlington Speedway under the lights, as Jones locked himself into the NASCAR Playoffs for the second consecutive season. He powered his way through the field, leading 79 laps after starting 15th.

Following his impressive win at Darlington, Joe Gibbs Racing announced a contract extension for Jones to continue racing through the 2020 season.

Jones fell short in the Round of 16 of the NASCAR Playoffs, but he closed the year out strong. In the final five races of the season, he finished outside of the top 10 only once. With his ride secured for next season, the young driver will aim to build on this momentum in the chase for his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.