Erik Jones through the years

A fresh-faced, 16-year-old Erik Jones made his NASCAR national series debut driving the No. 51 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 on April 6, 2013 at Martinsville Speedway.

In his fifth Camping World Truck Series race -- and his final race of five with KBM in 2013 -- Jones captured his first checkered flag in a national series race. Leading 84 of 150 laps, he won the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway.

More wins would follow for Jones -- three in 2014 while running 12 races and then three in his first full-time Camping World Truck Series season in 2015. Jones' splendid year clinched the series championship in the season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, besting Tyler Reddick and Matt Crafton for the honor.

In the first installment of Jones' sweep of the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Awards throughout all three series, he joins Daniel Suárez during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series awards banquet on Nov. 23, 2015. Jones won the Gander Trucks rookie honors, and Suarez won the award in the Xfinity Series.

Jones sealed his first victory of the 2016 Xfinity Series season at Bristol Motor Speedway. The celebration was tempered by Jones' announcement his father was fighting cancer.

Jones' father, Dave, passed away June 7, 2016. At the Menard's 250 on June 11 at Michigan International Speedway, Jones honored his father with a sticker above his door.

Jones put together an amazing 2016 Xfinity Series season, including four victories -- the final one here at Chicagoland Speedway.

Nine poles helped put Jones in position to capture the Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year award in 2016.

After driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series, Jones moved to Furniture Row Racing in 2017 as the team added the No. 77 Toyota as a second entry alongside Martin Truex Jr.'s No. 78.

Jones captured his first NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Award for the Bristol Night Race in August 2017.

Speaking of awards, Jones accepted the NASCAR Cup Series' Sunoco Rookie of the Year award at the NMPA Myers Brothers Awards in 2017.

Jones' dog, Oscar, has captivated fans, as well. Oscar became a Jones family member in June 2017 and joined his master on "Trackside Live" at Texas Motor Speedway in November 2018, stealing the show in the process.

Back with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2018, Jones took over driving duties for the No. 20 Toyota.

In 2018, Jones broke through for his first NASCAR Cup Series win in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

In another first for the young driver, Jones qualified for his first NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, joining fellow Toyota drivers Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch.

Though he didn't advance from the Round of 16, Jones celebrated with the other NASCAR Playoffs drivers in Las Vegas during Champion's Week in 2018.

In September 2019, Jones returned to Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, another crown-jewel event.

With his win at Darlington Raceway, Jones clinched a spot in the 2019 playoffs. Although he did not advance past the Round of 16, Jones notched a career-best 10 top 10s that season.

In February 2020, Jones won the Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway. Jones maneuvered his way semi-unscathed through four wrecks and made it out on top with a damaged No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. The 2020 season would mark his last with JGR.

Jones shifted over to the iconic No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Although the 2021 season proved to be an unremarkable one for Jones, 2022 saw his fortunes improve. After all, Jones scooped up his third career Cup win and his second at Darlington Raceway with yet another victory in the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sept. 4. Such a win certainly helped the newly merged Petty GMS organization find some momentum on the track.

The 2023 season marked another fresh name -- Legacy Motor Club -- for his team and a total of 14 Cup Series championships pictured alongside him, in team co-owner Jimmie Johnson and dignitary Richard Petty. Unfortunately, their legendary prowess did not pay off in the immediacy of the team's new structure, with Jones' 27th-place points finish marking his career worst, at the time.

And unfortunately, much of the same came for Jones in 2024, sinking to new lows in top 10s (two), laps led (zero) and a career-worst 28th-place finish in the standings. A lone top five at Talladega in the fall was the highlight for Jones and Legacy as a whole, which switched manufacturers to Toyota before the season, with an eye on better performance in 2025 and beyond.