Already boasting three talented young drivers in its stable, Kyle Busch Motorsports announced the addition of a fourth today, with the signing of 16-year-old Erik Jones. The 2013 Snowball Derby winner will make his Camping World Truck Series debut driving the #51 Tundra in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway April 6 as part of a five-race schedule for KBM this season.
Last March, Jones became the first 15-year-old driver ever to compete in the ARCA Racing Series, making his debut at the Mobile ARCA 200. Across 10 ARCA Racing Series starts in 2012, he posted four top-five and five top-10 finishes while leading 103 laps. The talented youngster qualified inside the top 10 for all 10 races and twice posted third-place finishes, June 24 at Winchester Speedway and Aug. 11 at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich.
The Michigan native made a name for himself last December when he raced side-by-side for several laps and eventually worked his way past KBM owner Kyle Busch in the closing laps to win the 45th Annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. The victory came in a race widely recognized as the most prestigious late model event in the country, with a field which included NASCAR regulars Busch, David Ragan and Johanna Long along with up-and-coming second-generation drivers Chase Elliott, Ross Kenseth and John Hunter Nemecheck.
A rule change announced at the end of the 2011 season, allows 16 and 17-year-old drivers to compete in Camping World Truck Series events on tracks that are 1.1-mile or less. In addition to his debut at Martinsville, Jones will drive the #51 Tundra at Rockingham Speedway April 14, both Iowa Speedway races (July 13 and Sept. 8) and one more race yet to be determined. (SPEED)
