Jones defends medical care after Talladega wreck
DOVER, Del. — Erik Jones was in agony the instant his Toyota slammed into the outside wall on a late wreck last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. The 27-year-old Jones — as sturdy as NASCAR drivers come, having never missed a Cup race over seven-plus seasons — radioed to his team he was hurt.
“I, I don’t, I don’t know if I’m all right,” Jones groaned. “I need help.”
Help arrived.
Jones’ adrenaline was flowing, and the Legacy Motor Club driver exited the car on his own. He was taken by ambulance to the track’s infield care center, examined and checked out in about 10 minutes. He even appeared pain-free as he calmly, plainly described the crash that destroyed the No. 43 Toyota.
It didn’t take long for a harsh reality to sink in. Jones returned to his motorhome and excruciating pain shot through his back. He needed a second visit to the care center and a trip to the hospital, where he learned the grim news: Jones suffered a compression fracture in a lower vertebra that will sideline him from Sunday’s race at Dover Motor Speedway.
“I’ve never broke a bone in my life,” Jones said Saturday at Dover. “I didn’t know what that would feel like.”
Jones’ soreness has started to fade. He has limited range of motion, and the three-time Cup race winner aches when he sneezes. But beyond the medical update, Jones and Legacy co-owner Jimmie Johnson came with an additional message: The medical team at Talladega did its job when it examined Jones, even if the seriousness of the injury was not detected until later that night.
“I think the care center reacted perfectly,” Johnson said. “It was not much he could have done differently in that moment. I think everybody did a great job.”
The trip to the care center — and even the post-exam interviews — is as much a part of a NASCAR weekend as the waving of the checkered flag.
The NASCAR rulebook spells it out: “If a vehicle sustains damage from an accident or contact of any kind and must go behind the pit wall or to the garage area, whether under its own power or not, the driver must immediately proceed to the Infield Care Center by either ambulance or other vehicle as directed by the safety personnel or a NASCAR Official.”
Most trips are fairly routine. Drivers are in and out and ready to get behind the wheel the next week.
Jones’ diagnosis was a bit trickier.
After his two care center visits, Jones needed an exam hours later at UAB University Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, for further evaluation and testing. He then returned home to North Carolina on Sunday night and met with specialists in the Charlotte area, where it was determined that Jones suffered a compression fracture in a lower vertebra.
The progression raised some questions about the process. Among them, why wasn’t the back injury noticed the first time at the care center?
Jones absorbed some blame.
“They poked and prodded all over me like they normally do,” Jones said. “I said everything felt OK. I told them multiple times it was feeling just like a muscle strain to me.”
Jones did not have X-rays on his first visit to the care center. Talladega care center nurses told Jones when he was released to come back if he felt worse. When his pain heightened, Jones returned for a second visit, and X-rays were administered.
The care centers at NASCAR tracks are largely staffed by local emergency physicians, nurses and specialists and are often affiliated with a nearby hospital.
“NASCAR has one of the strictest qualifications, which we’ve held up for years now, in who is qualified to see anybody under the NASCAR umbrella in terms of the initial contact,” said Ryan Stanton, medical director of the AMR NASCAR safety team. “Some of those care centers will have access to X-ray capabilities. Most have some form of ultrasound available, if not all of them.”
While signs of a concussion or other head injuries is sometimes the pressing concern, Stanton explained the initial exam is pretty much a standard physical. Drivers strip their firesuits to their waist, vital signs are taken, and they are given “a head-to-toe examination.” Special care is given if drivers show any symptoms of trauma.
“From a driver’s standpoint, if nothing is wrong, they want it to be out as quick as possible,” Stanton said. “Even though they requested the services, many of them don’t want to be there. I get it. They’re professional athletes. The last place they want to be on race day was in front of doctors and nurses in a care center.”
Drivers will undergo neurological testing, if needed.
“We can typically knock out this entire exam, which is very efficient, in about 5 minutes, maybe even less,” Stanton said.
And what about a driver who might be hiding any symptoms that could prevent him from racing?
“A lot of these tests that we do, you can’t fake your way out of,” Stanton said.
Jones took the brunt of the blow, a crash that would have been much worse without the sturdy cars and foamy barriers. NASCAR took the Toyota to its research and development center for additional study.
“I think NASCAR has gotten some of a bad rap this week, the Next Gen car gets a bad rap,” Jones said. “I think the car did its job.”
Corey Heim will substitute for Jones in the No. 43 Toyota, and there is no timeline for Jones’ return. Legacy also fields a full-time ride for John Hunter Nemechek. A seven-time NASCAR champion, Johnson drives only sporadic races, including Sunday at Dover, where he holds the track record with 11 victories.
Heim would sub again for Jones next weekend at Kansas, if needed. Beyond that, Johnson didn’t close the door that he could fill in for Jones.
“I’m feeling better and better every day,” Jones said. “I have an appointment next week and kind of will make a decision from there.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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