RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Engine: ECR Engines Driver-crew chief pairings: Erik Jones-Jerry Baxter (No. 43)
What’s new: The driver. Erik Jones makes the move to Richard Petty Motorsports after spending the last three seasons driving the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. For Jones, it will mark his first time driving a Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series. Jones will also have a new crew chief in Jerry Baxter, who returns to RPM for his second season. Baxter was a crew chief at Kyle Busch Motorsports when Jones won the 2015 Camping World Truck Series title with Rudy Fugle, who is now at Hendrick Motorsports.
RELATED: RPM names Jones to No. 43Team outlook: Richard Petty Motorsports is coming off its best finish in the standings, 22nd, since making the move in 2018 to Chevrolet and forming an alliance with Richard Childress Racing. The team will look to continue that momentum and grow the relationship with RCR with Jones behind the wheel. A top-20 finish in the standings would be the benchmark with the ultimate goal of returning the famed No. 43 to Victory Lane and to a playoff berth.
Racing Insights’ stats break: Erik Jones brings the No. 43 car something it hasn’t had in more than six years: a proven winner. Jones is a two-time winner in Cup and has more wins than any of the other six drivers Richard Petty Motorsports had employed since the start of the 2015 season. (Aric Almirola had one Cup win before moving to the No. 10 Stewart Haas Racing Ford and Regan Smith, who made only two starts for the team, also had one.) Jones made the playoffs two of the last three seasons. Richard Petty Motorsports’ last playoff driver was Aric Almirola in 2014.
Erik Jones, No. 43 Chevrolet
Experience: Fifth full season in NASCAR Cup Series 2020 stats: 17th in final standings; 0 wins, 9 top fives, 13 top 10s. 2020 final Fantasy Live ranking: 15th 2021 championship odds: 200-1
No. 43 history: See every driverOutlook: There's no doubt Jones has the capability to put RPM back in Victory Lane. The team has been close on occasion over the past few seasons, most notably at superspeedways where Jones has one career win. After being with a multi-car organization since his rookie year, Jones will get a fresh perspective with the move to a single-car team as something he's looking forward to in his next chapter. He will become the 13th different driver to pilot the No. 43 since team owner Richard Petty retired from driving at the end of the 1992 season.