Legacy Motor Club has hired former Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne and Craftsman Truck Series contender Corey Heim to key roles for the 2024 season.
Bayne will serve as driver optimization leader and focus primarily on race preparation for drivers Erik Jones, John Hunter Nemechek and Jimmie Johnson, while Heim will be the team’s reserve driver. Jones, driver of the No. 43 Toyota, and Nemechek, driver of the No. 42 Toyota, are the organization’s primary drivers. Johnson, co-owner of Legacy Motor Club, will run a part-time schedule in the No. 84 Toyota.
We are adding on two important members to the Club! Welcome Trevor Bayne as our Driver Optimization Leader and Corey Heim as our simulator & reserve driver! #TeamToyota https://t.co/twWAQwSvzs pic.twitter.com/c5VGavnkzq
— LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (@LEGACYMotorClub) January 25, 2024
Bayne will work closely with Matt Kenseth. Kenseth, the 2003 Cup Series champion, was hired last year as the organization’s competition advisor.
“I’m super humbled that Jimmie (Johnson), Joey (Cohen), Matt (Kenseth) and our drivers are trusting me with their preparation process this year,” Bayne said. “Preparation is one of the biggest keys in motorsports, and with so much data that is available to the drivers, it’s my job to translate the most important parts to them and work with them to make sure they are ready to go in all aspects come race weekend. Jimmie, Matt and I built a great relationship through road biking and training together over the years. We all share a common mentality that drivers can all become even better at their craft if they are willing to put in the work — whether that be in fitness, studying, or leading their teams. Relying on raw ability at this level isn’t enough.
“It’s funny because when I was a driver everything felt like it was being built around me, so as I make this transition, I’m looking forward to building up others and helping them make the most of their careers. Very few teams have in-house programs like this so I’m excited to build this from a blank slate alongside our leaders and drivers.”
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Heim is now the reserve driver for Legacy Motor Club as well as 23XI Racing. The 21-year-old would be called into action should one of the Legacy Motor Club or 23XI Racing drivers not be able to compete. Additionally, Heim will be the Toyota Racing Development simulator driver this year.
“This is a big opportunity, and I can’t thank everyone at Legacy M.C. and Toyota for believing in me,” Heim said. “The access to information and the extra sim time as I continue to grow in my career is extremely valuable. I’m looking forward to learning as much as possible from the drivers and club members at the track.”
Heim is a full-time driver in the Craftsman Truck Series with TRICON Garage. Last year, Heim won the regular season championship and made the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. He returns to TRICON Garage for a second season and will also make starts for Sam Hunt Racing in the Xfinity Series.
“With the parity of the race vehicles, NASCAR Next Gen competition has placed a huge emphasis on the driver and their abilities to extract performance,” Joey Cohen, Legacy Motor Club vice president of racing operations, said. “Corey and Trevor are critical components to ensure our drivers have the best data and tools to execute and deliver results at the racetrack for Legacy M.C. Toyota Racing also provides excellent resources to support this program and we are excited to see the results it can produce this season.”