Erik Jones Bio: Parents, Sister, Wife, Crash, Contract & Net Worth
Erik Benjamin Jones (born May 30, 1996), famously known as EJ and That Boy Jones, is one of America’s best stock car racing drivers.
This NASCAR‘s full-time competitor drives the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Legacy Motor Club.
Erik began his racing career in quarter-midget racing at the early age of seven.
Later, in 2010, aged 13, he moved to stock car racing and also won the Oktoberfest race at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in the ASA Late Model Series.
Jones’s NASCAR journey began when Jones signed a contract to drive the No. 51 Toyota Tundra with Kyle Busch Motorsports in five age-eligible Camping World Truck Series races in March 2013.
Jones also drove with Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 in the Xfinity Series in 2014 after he became age-eligible.
The achievements list of this famous racer is quite impressive; he was the first driver ever to win Rookie of the Year in all three NASCAR national series.
In 2015, he secured two victories, one in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the other in the Redbud 400.
In recent years, he won the Southern 500 (2019 and 2022), Busch Clash (2020), and Money in the Bank 150 (2023).
Erik Jones Parents And Sister Are His Biggest Supporters
Erik Jones is fortunate to have his family as his biggest supporters, especially his parents and sister, who have played significant roles in his life and career.
The Jones family shares a strong passion for sports, including Erik’s father and grandfather, who have also actively engaged in diverse sports activities.
Dave Jones and Carol Jones are the supportive parents of this accomplished sports car racer. Dave, in particular, has been the inspiration behind Erik’s racing ambitions.
However, on June 7, 2016, the Jones family faced a tragic loss when Erik’s father, Dave Jones, lost his life to lung cancer.
This incident was challenging for a 20-year-old boy, Erik, yet he remained resilient and embraced his father’s guidance and mentorship, persistently pursuing his path to greatness.
Erik has a younger sister, Lindsey Jones, who is also his biggest fan and supporter. Erik and Lindsey share a similar hobby of reading books.
In April 2020, inspired by his love for reading, Erik started a Facebook series called Erik’s Reading Circle, where he reads children’s books and takes recommendations from his audience.
Expanding his literary influence, Erik also manages “Erik’s Reading Circle,” a book club hosted on his YouTube channel.
Erik Jones Wife Is Also A Racer
Erik Jones tied the knot with his beautiful then-girlfriend-now-wife Holly Shilton on August 2, 2023.
Erik and Holly started dating in 2018, and after dating for a few years, the pair got engaged on Christmas Eve 2022.
They don’t have kids yet but are proud parents of their adorable dog, Oscar. The couple often posts their moments with him on social media.
Holly herself is into motorsports and is a Toyota Racing development driver and a dirt track racer. She competes full-time in the national midget series.
Her love for racing emerged at a very young age as she comes from a racing family. Her father was a crew chief for sprint car drivers on the Northern California racing circuit.
Almost her entire childhood, she engaged in sports, and at 7, she started racing go-karts.
By 12, she moved up to outlaw karts, and at 16, she began working towards becoming an excellent driver, focusing solely on racing.
At 22 years old, Shelton graduated from California State University, Sacramento, with a degree in Criminal Justice.
Overall, the power couple is raising the standards in the racing industry through their unquestionable talent and intense passion.
Erik Jones Crash
Crashes within the racing community are a frequent occurrence in competitive events such as NASCAR.
Likewise, Erik Jones has experienced a considerable number of crashes in the past few years.
On May 14, 2023, a dramatic incident known as the ‘Big Ones’ occurred during a race at Darlington Raceway.
Erik Jones experienced an unforeseen tire issue that resulted in a significant collision involving nine cars.
A couple of years prior, in 2021, Jones experienced a massive hit during an Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen.
Unexpectedly, his car turned to the right and slammed into the wall, causing it to spin out.
This incident caused significant damage to the No. 31 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet driven by Erik Jones.
Another incident unfolded in 2020 during the Brickyard 400. Jones, driving the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, was involved in a hard single-car crash on Lap 75.
While running in 10th place, his car hit the outer wall in Turn 3, resulting in substantial damage. Fortunately, Jones was able to exit his car unharmed and managed a final spot on the playoff grid.
Despite the setbacks caused by these crashes, Jones has shown great resilience and determination.
Even in the face of such challenges, he has demonstrated his racing skills and ability to remain competitive.
Erik Jones Contract & Net Worth
Erik Jones, the American NASCAR race car driver, has an estimated net worth of approximately $3 Million as of 2024.
His skill and prowess behind the wheel have attracted a lot of endorsements and sponsorships, solidifying his status both on and off the track.
This stock car racing driver has been sponsored by renowned brands such as Chevrolet, Simpson, Racing Electronics, Michi-Gummies, FocusFactors, and soon.
Throughout his career, Jones has consistently demonstrated remarkable performance and accumulated substantial earnings.
In 2015, while racing for Joe Gibbs Racing, Jones secured track earnings amounting to an impressive $382,473.
Likewise, in 2020, Jones continued to excel, securing a grand total of $1,850,000 while still racing with Joe Gibbs Racing.
On July 30, 2022, Erik Jones signed a multi-year with Petty GMS Motorsports to drive in 2023 and 2024.
Looking back at his career trajectory, on August 7, 2016, Erik signed his first-ever stock car racing contract with Furniture Row Racing for 2 years.
Later, on August 6, 2019, he signed a 1-year contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, and just after a month, on September 6, he extended the contract for 2020.
Subsequently, on 2020 Oct 20, Erik Jones signed a multi-year contract to drive the No. 43 car with Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) in 2021.
Erik Jones Foundation
Erik Jones Foundation, registered as a Non-profit 501c-3, was established in 2021 by the Michigan native and talented stock car racer Erik Jones.
The foundation allows him to continue his efforts to support initiatives close to his heart.
The mission of The Erik Jones Foundation is to change lives by igniting children’s passion for reading, encouraging early cancer detection and care, and promoting animal welfare.
The genuine reason behind creating the foundation is Erik’s deep passion for reading and teaching kids, his care for animals, and his family’s experience with his dad’s battle against cancer.
On their one-year anniversary, the foundation donated $20,000 to the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF), an organization dedicated to fighting melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
Later, Erik Jones and his foundation collaborated with MRF and local dermatologists to promote sunscreen during the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, raising awareness about skin cancer and the importance of sunscreen.
Erik Jones personally engaged with fans, distributing 10,000 travel-sized sunscreen containers and encouraging them to visit dermatologists once a year.
The foundation’s philanthropic journey began with a donation to the Genesee District Library in Michigan last June.
It was an extension to Jones’ #READwithErik series, which started during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jones started reading books online for children and adults, reaching more than 430,000 people and gathering over 200,000 views.
After COVID-19, the #READwithErik series transitioned to in-person events. Jones read to students at NASCAR venues’ campgrounds, schools, and other locations.
The foundation donated books to schools and hosted engaging reading sessions for children and families, inspiring a love for reading and learning in young minds.
To sum it up, Erik Jones’ foundation has made significant contributions to making a positive impact on communities.
Interesting Facts
- Erik moved to North Carolina at 16 to start his racing career.
- Classic rock is Jones’s favorite genre of music. His favorite song is “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones.
- The best concert Jones has seen live was Bob Seger in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
- Erik prefers his steak to be cooked to a medium level without being overly well-done or undercooked at a medium rare level.
- He has a preference for strong black coffee.
- Erik has a German Shepherd named Oscar, his best friend, and their close relationship can be seen in Erik’s Instagram posts.
- Erik got married to his girlfriend Holly after dating for 5 years.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who drives the 43 car in NASCAR 2023?
Erik Jones drives the No. 43 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet for the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 23, 2023, in Talladega, Alabama.
How many cup wins does Erik Jones have?
Erik has won around 19 NASCAR cups and 1 ARCA cup in his career so far.
How Old Is Michael McDowell?
Erik Jones is 27 years old.
