Erik Jones is enjoying a well-earned holiday. With Thanksgiving finally here, the Legacy Motor Club driver isn’t worried about training or jumping into a racecar anytime soon. The 2025 season is finally over, and he wrapped up his campaign with a 24th-place finish in the final rankings. Now, the Michigan-native is pumping the brakes on racing during the offseason, and is looking forward to a double celebration.

Because this holiday season is a little more special than usual. It also marks his son, David Jones’ first birthday, and the 29-year-old can’t wait to celebrate this important milestone with family. While Thanksgiving is usually known for an eyewatering roasted turkey and other yummy treats, it’s all about the family for Erik Jones, especially this time around.

Erik Jones can’t wait to get the celebrations started

Taking to Instagram, Erik Jones couldn’t help but share his double celebration Thanksgiving plans. He said, “It’s one of my favorite holidays, all the families together at my mom’s house. Thanksgiving this year is also David’s birthday, so it’s a double, double celebration for us, so should be pretty cool. His first year went by really fast for me, so excited to celebrate that. Go over to my mom’s.”

David Jones, Erik’s son, is pretty much his “good luck charm.” The younger Jones was born on November 27, 2024, just before Thanksgiving that year, which explains why his arrival turned the holiday into a double celebration with the family. Last year, Erik Jones and his wife, Holly, didn’t shy away from sharing the good news with the world, with a caption on social media that read, “Thanksgiving looked a little different for us this year…David Wayne Jones was born 11/27 at 12:11 PM.”

David, now one year old, has been a little burst of joy for his parents. Recently, Holly Jones shared on Instagram that he’s “a happy little guy” who loves baths, mirror time, and just being talked to, already showing his own curious personality.

As a father, Jones balances the pressure and pace of a full-time career in the NASCAR Cup Series, and David has quietly become a part of the team’s rituals. For instance, in May 2025, ahead of the first major competition of the season in Mexico City, Erik Jones tucked one of David’s socks into his No. 43 car, saying on social media, “Little man is in the car with us today.” And now, as the off-season arrives, the Michigan native cannot help but celebrate his son’s birthday.

With much on his plate with Thanksgiving and a birthday, Jones couldn’t help but spend time with the person who introduced him to the world of racing, his mother, Carol Jones. She played a pivotal role in helping Jones’ racing career, pushing him into the world of racing at just seven years old. Today, Carol Jones is a volunteer at the Eric Jones Foundation.

Meanwhile, Erik Jones is determined not to be a hazard in the kitchen, noting, “I’ve started deep frying a turkey, so that’s always an adventure in itself, trying to figure out how that’s all going to go. It’s been safe so far, and everybody’s still here with all limbs, so that’s good. A lot of cousins, all kind of the same age, so that’s always fun.”

With the off-season officially underway, Jones is looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with his big family, as well as his son’s first birthday. And while a potential comeback might be on the cards in 2026, let’s review his season gone by.

A lot more to celebrate!

When compared to 2024, Erik Jones and Legacy Motor Club showed clear progress in their second year with Toyota. Jones improved four spots in the standings, climbing from 28th to 24th, while teammate John Hunter Nemechek made an even bigger jump from 34th to 25th.

The Michigan native also delivered three more top fives and top tens than he managed last season, signalling steady growth for the No. 43 team. Although he hasn’t won since his shocking 2022 Southern 500 triumph or reached the playoffs since 2019, Jones has every reason to feel encouraged as the team continuously sharpens its performance.

His 2025 highlight came once again at his strongest track, Darlington. In the closing laps of the Southern 500, he shadowed Chase Briscoe and Tyler Reddick during an intense Toyota battle, ready to capitalize if contact unfolded ahead. Jones ultimately claimed a third-place finish, while John Hunter Nemechek followed in 4th to give LMC a pair of top fives.

Jones also picked up early momentum with a top-five at Texas, a seventh-place result in Nashville, and a strong finish at EchoPark Speedway as well. His fifth-place finish at the Daytona regular season finale nearly pushed him back into the playoffs for the first time in six years.

His Darlington result also boosted his already impressive stats at the track: nine top tens in 16 starts. With Legacy Motor Club building under seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson’s leadership and Jones expected to remain in the No. 43 Toyota in 2026, the team hopes these gains translate into a return to victory lane and a renewed playoff push.