With NASCAR format change, Cup rookie Erik Jones faces new environment again

CHARLOTTE — Erik Jones is only 20 and a rookie in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but his experience is relatively widespread.

Jones won the Camping World Truck Series championship in 2015 and battled for the Xfinity Series title last year. This season he makes the final step forward, joining Furniture Row Racing as a teammate to veteran Martin Truex Jr.

Adding difficulty to an already major move is NASCAR’s Monday announcement that it is switching its race format to three stages, resulting in probable changes to strategy. In his first full year in Cup, Jones, who described himself as “an all-or-nothing, checkers or wreckers” kind of driver, faces a new environment — again.

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"The Truck series in my first year was the traditional points format, and last year the Chase was implemented into the Xfinity Series,” Jones said. “Now we have the new playoff format and segment format.

"Growing up, all I knew was the very traditional points format. Now it’s different, but I think it’s pretty well understood by the drivers. There’s a different mentality to each format, but, as drivers, I think we all adapt pretty quick.”

PHOTOS: 2017 NASCAR Media Tour