Considering the grind that the NASCAR Cup Series is, perhaps no driver would plan their wedding during the regular season. However, Legacy Motor Club driver Erik Jones is not one of them. Jones tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend Holly Shelton right during the Michigan week.
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Recently, Jones uploaded a selfie with his newlywed wife amidst the backdrop of a picturesque setting. And the fans couldn’t help but rally behind the athlete, showering the couple with best wishes for their married life.
https://twitter.com/Erik_Jones/status/1738199832135651334?s=20
A fan wrote,
Congratulations
— Pops (@1957Pops) December 22, 2023
While another fan said,
Congratulations!!!
— phillipcurns (@phillipcurns) December 22, 2023
A motorsport enthusiast commented,
Congratulations Erik and Holly
— Donald Kribbs (@drk897) December 22, 2023
While another supporter typed,
Congratulations!!!
— Sherry Jenkins (@SherryJ68489788) December 22, 2023
But why did Erik Jones get married right in the middle of the season? Surely, he could have postponed it to the offseason. Perhaps then, he could have taken his time off of his day job at NASCAR for a few months and then gotten hitched.
While talking to Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports, the #43 speedster shed light on the reason behind such an unusual decision. It turns out that Jones and Holly wanted to get married in Michigan, but the latter did not approve of a winter wedding during the offseason.
“Well, we were kind of left with one option here and that’s going to be Michigan week during the middle of the week.” She was all about it. I said, “If you’re good with it, I’m good with it,” “ said Jones.
Was the marriage a distraction for Erik Jones?
One might think that planning the wedding must have needed the driver to divert his attention from his weekend gig. However, that was not the case. Jimmie Johnson’s driver explained how prompt they were to plan and execute the wedding.
Jones’ wife Holly handled a lion-share of it. Although Jones was the one in charge of the flower work and catering, it was Holly and her sister who planned everything else out. “We got engaged in December of last year and obviously the wedding is in August,” said Jones. “That’s not a lot of time.”
“It hasn’t been a distraction for me. Holly’s done a good job thankfully,” he added. Was it difficult for Jones to get back in the car on the weekend after getting married right in the middle of the week on a Wednesday? Jones replied, “It’s a little extra motivation to cap the whole week.”
