Jones Subbing for Coughlin at Gateway

Cody Coughlin was left with a little bit of a dilemma heading into this weekend’s Camping World Truck Series race at Gateway Motorsports Park.

Coughlin had to choose between continuing his quest to become the only driver in history to win championships in both the CRA Super Series (Super Late Model) and CRA/JEGS All-Star Tour (Pro Late Model) in the same year or make his fourth of 11-scheduled starts this season for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series.

After much discussion Kyle Busch Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Coughlin decided that the 20 year old Delaware, Ohio native would continue on his quest for a pair of Late Model championships and would not compete in this weekend’s Truck Series race at Gateway.

Kyle Busch Motorsports didn’t have far to go for Coughlin’s replacement as 2015 Truck Series champion Erik Jones was tabbed to drive the No.51 JEGS/Auburn Gear Toyota Tundra this weekend.

Jones made history last year becoming the first driver in history to win both Truck Series Rookie of the Year and the championship in the same season. Over the course of last season Jones had three wins, 11 top fives, and 20 top tens in 23 starts.

Jones has been on the doorstep of victory at the Madison,Illinois track but victory has eluded him. In 2014, Jones was spun out while leading with six laps remaining and last year, he had led a race high 84 laps before making contact with a lapped truck relegating him with a 23rd place finish.

Kyle Busch Motorsports is also looking for a bit of history this weekend as they look to claim their record tying 50th win in the Camping World Truck Series as a team. Jones said he is looking forward to the unique challenge that Gateway presents.

“It reminds me a little bit of Phoenix in both sets of turns,” Jones said, “It’s a place I took a liking to after making my first laps there in 2014. We were really fast there the last two years, just didn’t have good endings. It’s always tough to pass there, so you need to qualify well and keep good track position if you are going to get a win.”

“Things are a little bit tighter down in Turns 1 and 2 and it’s more of a finesse corner compared to Turns 3 and 4, where it seems like you can find a way to get through that end no matter what your truck’s doing. You have to be able to get under somebody off the exit of Turn 2 to be able to pass them down in Turns 3 and 4, so we will work pretty hard on getting our JEGS Tundra to turn the center in Turns 1 and 2 in order to get our truck the best we can to maneuver and pass.”