Erik Jones left Michigan International Speedway with his best finish of the season, but it did not feel like enough.
The Legacy Motor Club driver finished second in the FireKeepers Casino 400 after showing race-winning speed in the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE.
Jones admitted the performance was encouraging, but said the result still carried frustration because he believed victory was there for the taking.
Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Erik Jones made it clear that second place did not fully reflect the speed his team brought to Michigan.
"No, not quite. I really think we could have won. I thought we did have the best car… It's frustrating, but at the same time, the last month and a half has been good for us.
"We've had fast cars. We haven't quite got the finishes we deserved. Today, obviously, we got the finish we deserved, almost, I think."
That frustration came from the way the final portion of the race unfolded. Denny Hamlin got out front and pulled away, while Jones had to work through traffic instead of mounting a direct challenge for the lead.
Even with the disappointment, Jones acknowledged the progress Legacy Motor Club has made over the past several weeks.
The runner-up finish marked Jones' first top-five result of the season and provided further evidence that the team's recent speed is not a fluke.
Jones now turns his attention to Pocono Raceway, where he expects the team to be aggressive if it unloads with similar pace.
"If we have speed like this, we've got to race for the win… I think we've got a good package, and our group is rolling really well as a team, and we're executing as well. We've just got to do every little thing right, and it will come. You run up front like that, it's going to happen for you."
That confidence reflects a team that believes it is finally closing the gap to NASCAR's frontrunners.
Michigan may not have delivered the victory Jones wanted, but it reinforced the belief that Legacy Motor Club is moving in the right direction.
If the speed carries over to Pocono, Jones expects the No. 43 team to be racing for more than just another strong finish.
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