Twelve years of experience with one format have made some racers more nostalgic than ever. Starting from 2026, NASCAR’s elimination-style playoffs are no more. Most in the Cup Series garage are welcoming this long-awaited departure. While bidding farewell to the playoffs, they are also welcoming the new, or rather old, ‘Chase’ format. Erik Jones is one of the racers in the welcome party, whose nostalgic feelings are quite strong.
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Erik Jones is glad for a historical reboot
“I think we as a sport need to play to our strengths, and you know, I think the changes that we’re making are going along that line, and who we are and what we are as a sport. And you know our tradition and our roots, I feel, are very important to us. And so just to see some of that come back, I think, is neat,” Erik Jones said on The Backstretch Podcast.
NASCAR’s new championship format holds many elements of the past ‘Chase’ format (2004-2014). Drivers will accumulate points across 26 races in the regular season. Then, instead of the elimination-style multiple rounds of resets, they will go through one reset for a 10-race postseason ‘Chase’. Historically, this format had produced jaw-dropping battles like Tony Stewart’s clash with Carl Edwards in 2011. Most importantly, drivers’ excellence will be based on their season-long performance, a crucial feature of old NASCAR racing.
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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Coca-Cola 600 May 25, 2025 Concord, North Carolina, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Erik Jones 43 leads driver Noah Gragson 4 in turn four during the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
So Erik Jones is glad to have that old-school vibe back in the sport. His Legacy Motor Club team owner, 7-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, is also hopeful. In 2025, Jones and John Hunter Nemechek logged six top fives and 13 top 10 finishes throughout the year. Although it marked a jump from 2024, they were nowhere close to the playoffs. With a greater emphasis on overall results and points, Johnson believes that his drivers have better chances.
“NASCAR’s always done a really good job of staying involved with fans and polling fans and asking what they want and what they think would be better. Along with consulting the drivers on it, too. So, we’re making changes to try to make everybody happy a little bit,” Erik Jones said, defending the sanctioning body’s actions.
He also shed light on his team’s strategy. “I hope we can just continue to go down that road of trying new stuff, you know, seeing what works, seeing what doesn’t work. I don’t think being stagnant and sitting or resting on our laurels is a strategy. So, doing what we’re doing right now, I feel good, a good strategy for us.”
This confidence in Legacy’s revamped 2026 plans also stems from a new camaraderie.
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Striking a new bond ahead of 2026
Entering his 10th year in the sport, Erik Jones has gone through multiple challenges. That involves working with four different teams: Furniture Row Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, and Legacy Motor Club. And over the three years he spent in Jimmie Johnson’s outfit, Jones has also worked with three crew chiefs.
Dave Elenz called the shots for the No. 43 Toyota team from 2022 through October 2024. Ben Beshore stepped into the pit box for the final five races in 2024 and then led the No. 43 operation through the entirety of 2025. Now, Justin Alexander is ready to take over the role for 2026. And Erik Jones is ready for the challenge of a new partnership.
“I think the challenge is just turnover, and turnover is never great, and this wasn’t necessarily turnover; it was more reorganizing of people. It’s still challenging to move to a new crew chief, just from obviously the driver relationship and getting to know each other, but also from the team relationship,” Jones said. “I hope that Justin’s someone we can work together for a long time and have a lot of success.”
With a new crew chief and a new championship format, a whole season lies ahead of Erik Jones to display his prowess. Let’s wait and see how he performs.
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