Erik Jones and Chase Briscoe allegedly have a history together. The fourth NASCAR Cup race of the 2024 season at Phoniex was a combination of long periods of uninterrupted racing in the first two stages, followed by a chaotic start to stage 3. The situation eventually settled after a few incidents at the beginning of the final stage, resulting in Toyota’s first victory of the season. However, another Toyota driver used this race as an opportunity to ignite a new conflict.
After the race, this driver publicly criticized a member of Stewart Haas Racing for their aggressive driving in the No:14 car, which ultimately caused a crash. Jones, who represents LMC, had a strong start to the day but faced difficulties in the final stage. During a restart in stage 3, Jones found himself in a challenging position due to the actions of the SHR driver.
Already hindered by a poor pit-stop and the damage from the crash, Jones’s chances of a successful race were dashed. After the race, he didn’t hold back in his comments about Briscoe, highlighting that the SHR driver had been treating him the same way for a considerable period of time. Jones expressed his intention to have a conversation with Briscoe regarding his driving tactics.