Erik Jones Gets Priceless Learning Experience at Kansas to Aid Path to Stardom

While the end results didn’t quite meet his ultimate goals this weekend in Kansas, Erik Jones came away with something that can be as important as a good finish: how quickly good fortune can change in NASCAR.

With his ever-present smile, good looks, good manners and optimistic outlook, the 18-year-old Jones is definitely a star in the making.

But even with the great talent he already possesses, Jones learned the hard way that he can be leading a race one minute and end up with a bittersweet finish moments later, as he did in Friday’s Camping World Truck Series race after running out of fuel with five laps to go and ultimately finishing 11th.

Or that even with all that raw talent, he’s still 18, and young teenage drivers—regardless of how much racing experience they already have—are going to make mistakes. Like when he spun out and wrecked in a single-car mishap with 25 laps remaining in Saturday’s Sprint Cup race, his official debut in NASCAR’s premier series. He ultimately finished 40th.

“I learned a lot about racing upfront and racing these guys,” Jones said later on the broadcast. “I just got loose off 4 and lost it. It’s my fault. I’m ready to do another one. I hope we get a shot at it.”

Jones was one of the most high-profile drivers of the weekend. He was right up there, if not more so, with TV exposure of drivers like Cup pole-sitter Joey Logano, eventual Cup race winner Jimmie Johnson, Cup points leader Kevin Harvick and more.

I counted at least eight interviews (and I may have missed a few more) that Jones gave Fox Sports 1 over the weekend, before, during and after each race.

He won the pole for the Truck race, was the fastest in the second Cup practice and appeared headed for a tremendous weekend, maybe even wins in both races. Unfortunately for him, it didn’t turn out that way.

Despite that, even USA Today's Jeff Gluck, a tough guy to impress, was taken with Jones.

No matter what type of car or truck he drives from here on out, Jones will continue to learn very valuable lessons going forward.

He’s a very intelligent young man, both educationally (high school honor roll graduate) and behind the wheel. He soaks up information and experience like a sponge.

But what about Jones’ future? With Joe Gibbs Racing at its full complement of four drivers on the Sprint Cup level, Jones is likely in store for a long wait before he becomes part of that four-driver team.

He may have to wait three or more seasons before reaching Cup, maybe more.

But that's okay. Unless something unforeseen happens, at least Jones will not have to endure the baptism by fire of Joey Logano.

JGR will likely take Jones’ development and progress through the NASCAR ranks with much more patience and care than it did with Logano, who was in Jones’ position nearly eight seasons ago.

Logano had just turned 18 when he was thrust into the eventual role of Tony Stewart’s replacement at JGR after Stewart left to become co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Even with the great level of talent he had, Logano was not ready for Sprint Cup racing at the time. But JGR didn’t have many options, so it went with Logano in the No. 20, for better or worse.

Even though he struggled greatly at times, Logano slowly started to develop into a good Cup racer. But when former Cup champion Matt Kenseth decided to move from Roush Fenway Racing to JGR, Logano was the odd man out.

Fortunately, Roger Penske picked up Logano, and the latter has blossomed into a superstar in the sport, including having won this year’s season-opening Daytona 500 and reaching the final round in last year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup.

With Stewart gone, JGR had to rush Logano along. It doesn’t have to do so with Jones, however. It has plenty of time to let him develop and grow.

Plus, thanks to NASCAR’s rule of four teams per owner, there’s no room at the Cup level for Jones until one of the current JGR drivers decides to move on.

As a result, we’ll likely see Jones spend at least the next two seasons in the Xfinity Series before he even has a chance to move up to the Cup ranks—at the ripe old age of 21.

One thing is likely: Jones isn’t going anywhere away from JGR anytime soon. With the kind of talent he has, he deserves to be in the Cup ranks sooner rather than later, and it would be foolish to let him leave.

And if JGR can’t get him a full-time ride in NASCAR’s premier series for another three, four or maybe even five years, Jones will have to be content to bide his time.

Is Jones for real? For sure.

Is he ready for the Xfinity Series and even the Cup level as a competitor? I’ll say yes to the former, but I’m not so sure about the latter.

But even with all the talent he has, really, what’s the rush? That’s going to be the biggest lesson Jones will have to learn and deal with as a driver, just like he ultimately learned from his mistakes this past weekend: patience.

Follow me on Twitter @JerryBonkowski