Toyota NXS Texas Post-Race -- Erik Jones Initial Quotes

ERIK JONES, No. 20 Game Stop/GAEMS Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How were you able to have such a dominant race car today?

“I think we just had to look at what the track was doing over the race and kind of how the track changed what our car did. We really didn’t make many adjustments. (Chris) Gabehart (crew chief) did a great job last night trying to get the car freed up for today. The track was definitely a lot tighter. Just cool to get the Game Stop Camry to victory lane. Just an awesome day and couldn’t do it without GameStop, Reser’s, Hisense, Interstate Batteries, Toyota, JGR Engines and NASCAR and the fans. Just an awesome day to get back to victory lane.”

Why are you so strong at this speedway even with the repave?

“The first time I came here, it’s funny, it really wasn’t that good to me, but after that it just kind of clicked and I felt really good here ever since. The repave was really treacherous to start the weekend and this is a nice way to bounce back for myself after going to a backup the other day in the Cup car. Hopefully this is a good start for tomorrow. We have a long ways to go, but great win today and nice to get this Camry to victory lane.”

How careful were you in the first two segments?

“I tiptoed a lot there in the segments and ended up letting the 22 (Ryan Blaney) catch us and pass us, but then I was just super aggressive the whole time in traffic just trying to make passes as quick as I could and get as many cars as I could between myself and Ryan (Blaney) and it paid off. I think we were probably a little slower than him for the last few laps – he had so many lapped cars to get around that there was no way he was going to get to us.”

What does this win say about the strength of Joe Gibbs Racing?

“It says a lot, we started off the year and I don’t think our stuff was where we needed it to be and they came a long ways from last week at Fontana or two weeks ago – we were way off of the 22 (Ryan Blaney) and we came here this week and we were right there with him and had a dominant car I think. Pretty proud of these guys to be able to take that and make it that much better in a short period of time.”

Ron Fleshman

RIS NASCAR Editor.  Has been with RIS since the middle 90's. Writes on each of the three main series of NASCAR.

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Volume 2017, Issue 4, Posted 9:38 PM, 04.08.2017