NASCAR Cup Series driver Erik Jones will miss this weekend’s race at Dover International Speedway due to a compression fracture in a lower vertebra sustained during a crash at Talladega Superspeedway. Jones’ team, Legacy Motor Club, announced the injury and subsequent absence on Tuesday.
Corey Heim, the team’s reserve driver, will fill in for Jones in the No. 43 car at Dover. It will mark Heim’s first Cup Series start. Legacy Motor Club intends to request a medical waiver for Jones to ensure his eligibility for the Cup playoffs. Currently, there is no set timeline for Jones’ return to racing.
Despite his absence from the race, Jones plans to attend the Dover event to support Heim, who is a full-time competitor in the Truck Series and currently ranks second in points. Heim has also participated in five Xfinity races this season.
‘Erik’s long-term health is our number one priority,’ said Jimmie Johnson, co-owner of Legacy Motor Club, in a statement released by the team. ‘It will be great to see him at the track Sunday, and we intend to give him the time it takes to recover properly.’
Jones sustained the injury in a multi-car accident on Lap 157 of the Talladega race when contact sent his car spinning up the track and into the Turn 3 SAFER barrier. He was initially cleared from the infield care center but later returned before being transported to UAB University Hospital on Sunday night. After evaluation, he was released.
Upon returning to North Carolina on Sunday night, Jones consulted with specialists. In a social media video, he stated that he would be ‘taking it kind of week-by-week here and seeing how things go but hope to be back in the car as soon as I can.’
