Wake Up Narcolepsy to Sponsor Nascar’s Erik Jones

NASCAR starlet Erik Jones, who drives for Kyle Busch Motorsports #51 Toyota, will have Wake Up Narcolepsy (WUN) as his newest partner for the next couple of weekends.

WUN is a leading international nonprofit dedicated to speeding narcolepsy diagnosis through greater awareness and funding research for a cure to this devastating sleep disorder, which affects millions worldwide.

The 17-year-old’s #51 Toyota will prominently display the WUN logo at both the sold-out Nashville Fairgrounds All-American 400 Super Late Model event on November 2, and again in the Lucas 150, the November 8 stop of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Phoenix International Speedway.

“Riding alongside Erik is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness about narcolepsy, a devastating sleep disorder affecting 200,000 Americans, including many children and young adults,” said Monica Gow, WUN Executive Director and Co-founder.

“Like our new awareness campaign, and like drivers everywhere, Erik needs to be fully ‘Awake at the Wheel’ as he pilots the #51. We couldn’t be more pleased to be partnering with this up-and-coming star and the KBM garage,” she added. “Erik is at the age at which narcolepsy often first strikes, making our partnership especially apropos.”

Jones said, “I’m proud to be associated with Wake Up Narcolepsy and its mission to help the millions of people living with narcolepsy. When the green flag drops in Nashville and Phoenix, I’ll be pulling out all the stops to get the #51 Toyota into the lead and be right there for the checkered flag. This is a huge opportunity for KBM and WUN!”

Jones joined KBM in March 2013. He had made a name for himself a few months earlier when he raced side-by-side for several laps and eventually worked his way past KBM owner Kyle Busch in the closing laps to win the 45th Annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL. 

The Michigan native has finished inside the top 10 in all four of his Truck Series starts this season, including a runner-up finish in the July event at Iowa Speedway. In his lone Super Late Model start for KBM, he led a race-high 131 laps en route to victory in the prestigious Winchester 400 at Winchester (IN) Speedway.