web1_TTL060817Wall3.jpg

Our view: It’s never too late to honor veterans

web1_AP17162783167426201761119134730.jpg

Johnson’s wreck highlights rough day for Hendrick at Pocono

<p>LONG POND &#8212; After a rough start to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, Erik Jones finally got a result to bring a smile to his face.</p><p>Jones finished third at the Monster Energy NASCAR Pocono 400 on Sunday.</p><p>Driving the No. 77 GameStop/Cars 3 Toyota, the 21-year-old led the most laps (20) in his brief Cup career.</p><p>&#8220;It felt really good to put a whole race together,&#8221; the Furniture Row Racing team driver said. &#8220;I think we probably had a fifth or sixth-place car. I think this is the first race where we finished better than what our car was all year long. That&#8217;s relief, it&#8217;s frustrating when you don&#8217;t get those breaks every once in a while and we definitely haven&#8217;t gotten any this year.</p><p>&#8220;It just feels good to run up front and get a good finish, get some momentum going and get everybody&#8217;s confidence high and hoping this is something good to build on for the rest of the year.&#8221;</p><p>Jones inherited the lead on lap 18 when pole-sitter Kyle Busch peeled into pit road for his first stop of the day. The Cup rookie is no stranger to Pocono Raceway, winning everything except a race at the Tricky Triangle.</p><p>He finished runner-up to Chase Elliott in the June 2013 ARCA race and then his engine went while leading the second event that August. Jones also scored poles in both the Camping World Truck and XFINITY Series at the 2.5-mile track but recorded no victories.</p><p>FRR owner Barney Visser&#8217;s lone Pocono victory came with Martin Truex Jr. in June 2015. Truex came on strong Sunday, passing eventual race winner Ryan Blaney for second before the race&#8217;s final caution flew with 19 laps to go and changed the complexion of the race.</p><p>&#8220;It was a tough day, but we battled hard after having to start at the back due to an engine change after Saturday&#8217;s practice,&#8221; Truex said. &#8220;This team never quits, fought right to the end and did have a shot of winning this thing. But when the race restarted for the final time we weren&#8217;t in the preferred outside lane.&#8221;</p><p><ins>&#8220;We wanted to be fourth instead of fifth and have the inside lane. But (Ryan) Blaney got that spot by just beating us off pit road. Overall we had to overcome a number of issues, but in the end we found ourselves once again in contention with or No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Toyota.&#8221;</ins></p><p>Toyotas were the class of the field as Kyle Busch led 100 of the race&#8217;s 160 laps in his No. 18 M&amp;M&#8217;s Red, White &amp; Blue Camry. Busch came home ninth in the final running order when his pit strategy backfired after being one of two cars who stayed out while the rest of the field pitted.</p><p><ins>Toyota has four Cup wins at Pocono Raceway with the last one coming in August 2015 with Matt Kenseth.</ins></p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_ErikJones-Pocono.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Erik Jones in action during Sunday&#8217;s Pocono 400. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_ErikJones-Pocono.jpg</photo0><caption0>Erik Jones in action during Sunday&#8217;s Pocono 400. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Kyle Magda</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @tlsports.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Erik Jones leads Toyotas for best-career Cup finish