Erik Jones poses in front of his 2017 Sprint Cup ride, the No. 77 5-Hour ENERGY Toyota Camry. [Joe Jennings Photo]
By Joe Jennings
Surrounded by arm-waving fans, Furniture Row Racing officials Barney Visser and Joe Garone, 5-Hour ENERGY executive Rise’ Meguiar pose alongside drivers Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones. [Joe Jennings Photo]
WATKINS GLEN – Ending weeks of speculation, Furniture Row Racing announced today that youthful phenome Erik Jones will pilot its second Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starting with the 2017 season.
The agreement is for one year, fueling rumors that Jones will eventually Joe Gibbs Racing.
5-hour ENERGY will be the primary sponsor on Jones’ No. 77 Camry for 22 races, launching the Cup Series rookie campaign for the 20-year-old driver and becoming teammate to Cup star Martin Truex Jr.
Jones, a native of Byron, Mich., won the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s championship and moved to the NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2016 where he currently has three wins piloting a Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing.
“I just can’t believe this is really happening,” said Jones, who will run the full Cup schedule in 2017. “I am excited but anxious at same time. This is pretty cool for me. This is something I’ve always wanted; it is a good all-around feeling. This is every young driver’s dream, to be with a manufacturer like Toyota, an organization like Furniture Row with its successful technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, and an incredible sponsor like 5-hour ENERGY. My mission is to make each of them proud.”
“We take our NASCAR sponsorship very seriously as this is a major financial commitment, so we looked at several options for the 2017 season and beyond,” said Rise’ Meguiar, vice president of Living Essentials, parent company of 5-hour ENERGY. “The combination of a young incredibly talented driver, the success Toyota has had with all of its teams at Joe Gibbs Racing and Furniture Row, and the way Martin (Truex Jr.) has been running in the No. 78, we just felt this opportunity met our company’s objectives the best.”
Sporting the colors of 5-Hour Energy, the No. 77 Camry was unveiled in front of a huge throng of fans in the Toyota PitPass display located in The Glen’s midway.
Team and sponsor officials along with Jones and new teammate Truex participated in the colorful ceremony.