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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Erik Jones wrapped up a successful 2024 Speedweek with an impressive top 8 finish at the Daytona 500, capping off a week filled with community engagement and philanthropic endeavors through his foundation.
Despite encountering the chaos of the late-race “Big One,” Jones displayed remarkable resilience, battling his way back to secure a spot in the top 8. Off the racetrack, Jones devoted much of his time during Speedweek to engaging with the local community and race fans, focusing on initiatives related to literacy and cancer support, two pillars of his foundation.
To kick off the week, Jones partnered with renowned Crew Chief Larry McReynolds and Eric Lunde, President and CEO of Advent Health Deland, to visit a local school. Together, they read to over 400 children and unveiled one of the Inchy the Book Worm Vending Machines, a signature initiative of Jones. At Blue Lake Elementary School in Deland, FL, Jones engaged the young audience with readings from “Madeline Finn and the Library Dog,” a book celebrating the joy of reluctant young readers finding comfort in reading to dogs. Jones’s dog, Oscar, accompanied him for these readings.
Following the school visits, Jones and his foundation engaged with fans at the Toyota and Advent Health displays in the NASCAR FanZone. Focused on educating fans about “sun safety,” a cause close to Jones’s heart after losing his father to skin cancer in 2016, the foundation distributed nearly 4000 bottles of Elta MD sunscreen over the course of the weekend, aiming to prevent skin cancer among race enthusiasts.
Jones’s foundation has become an integral part of his life, both on and off the track. In a heartening gesture of solidarity, AdventHealth, the car sponsor of the #43 Toyota, surprised Jones by incorporating the foundation’s “three icons” into his Daytona 500 paint scheme.
With his strong finish at the Daytona 500 and his impactful contributions throughout Speedweek, Jones reaffirmed his commitment to making a difference on and off the racetrack, leaving a lasting impression on the Daytona community and race fans nationwide.
