Erik Jones was “blindsided” about not returning to JGR

Erik Jones was not expecting the news he would not return to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021.

“I was blindsided about it, I didn’t really expect it coming,”  Jones said to NBC Sports pre-race August 9th at Michigan International Speedway.

“From our clocks, I thought we were moving in a good direction. But at the end of the day, I’ve had a great eight good years, almost, at Joe Gibbs Racing… I’m thankful for that time.”

Joe Gibbs Racing announced on August 6th the 24-year-old driver would not return to the No. 20 Toyota for the four-car organization.

Jones has raced at the organization since 2018, amassing two wins, two poles, and two playoff appearances.

Jones has not publicly said what the next chapter in his NASCAR driving career holds, but did thank his supporters.

“It’s good to see the support that’s out there the last few days on social media,” Jones said. “We’ve got a great few opportunities out there, which is really good to see, over the next few weeks, hopefully we could have some good talks. Excited about that.”