Erik Jones had just finished 10th in the opening Stage of Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It seemed as if the opening round of the 2019 Playoffs would get off to a great start for the driver of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 car.
Then, in an instant his race car got locked in second gear and it would not shift.
Jones would have to go behind the wall for repairs. His team would repair the transmission, but by the time he returned to the track on Sunday, he was 14 laps off the pace.
A championship-defining moment for Erik Jones!
Jones heads to the garage with mechanical issues, likely putting him in a must-win situation to make the next round of the #NASCARPlayoffs. @southpointlv #SouthPoint400 pic.twitter.com/p23Yc9V8Bp
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 16, 2019