Tag: Legacy Motor Club

Johnson and Legacy MC all benefitting from more seat time

Jimmie Johnson will run his third NASCAR Cup Series race in the last four weeks Sunday at Kansas Speedway in the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota. The stretch is beneficial for Johnson behind the wheel as he adapts to the Next Gen car. It’s also …

Jimmie Johnson will run his third NASCAR Cup Series race in the last four weeks Sunday at Kansas Speedway in the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota.

The stretch is beneficial for Johnson behind the wheel as he adapts to the Next Gen car. It’s also beneficial for the organization he co-owns, as Johnson’s car, a third entry, is another data point to learn from.

“It’s really helped me inside the car, and I look forward to expanding on that this weekend and then coming back for the [Coke] 600 and a lot more mile-and-a-half tracks that I’ll run this year,” Johnson said of the AdventHealth 400. “I know it doesn’t show it now, but being in the car is going to help our competition department as well. This year has been more challenging for us in a lot more ways than we anticipated.

“But I do think we’re getting closer to a consistent pace that we hope to have week in and week out. There’s a real evolution taking place right now and I’m hopeful that we can show that on track this weekend as a group.”

Johnson finished 28th at Texas Motor Speedway (April 14) and 28th at Dover Motor Speedway (April 28). The seven-time Cup Series champion would love to have more practice to learn a car that he hasn’t driven full-time and for his team to be able to make sweeping changes if necessary. It has been a struggle for Johnson to be as competitive as the industry is used to seeing.

The Next Gen car takes a different driving style than what Johnson was able to do during his NASCAR Hall of Fame career while at Hendrick Motorsports. He’s learned this car needs more steering input, has a different ride height attitude, and has a completely different feel overall, and it’s been an adjustment for Johnson learning to drive off the right front instead of the right rear.

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But the laps and repetition are helping.

Overall with Legacy Motor Club, Johnson elaborated that what has been “more challenging” than expected has been the transition to Toyota. The organization had a busy winter by switching from Chevrolet to Toyota and integrating into a new system.

“It’s tough to change manufacturers,” Johnson said. “We have amazing support from Toyota; an amazing collaboration and partnership working with them. But the offseason is short and we’re a small team. Our resources and people have had a lot more work items on the list than work hours in the day or week.

“We’re systematically working through it all and growing as a company. It’s tough to just compete with [Joe] Gibbs and Hendrick [Motorsports] and all these big teams. But we’re making steps forward, and I’m excited about the future.”

Entering the event at Talladega Superspeedway (April 21), the first race of the season’s second quarter, Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek were in the top 20 in points. Jones will miss his second consecutive Cup Series race Sunday after being injured at Talladega but remains eligible for the postseason with a waiver. Nemechek is 22nd in the standings.

Jones cleared to compete, set to return at Darlington

Erik Jones has been cleared to return to NASCAR competition, but Legacy Motor Club will keep him out of the car for another weekend out of an “abundance of caution.” Corey Heim will drive the No. 43 Toyota at Kansas Speedway (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, …

Erik Jones has been cleared to return to NASCAR competition, but Legacy Motor Club will keep him out of the car for another weekend out of an “abundance of caution.”

Corey Heim will drive the No. 43 Toyota at Kansas Speedway (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, FS1). Heim made his Cup Series debut substituting for Jones at Dover Motor Speedway. He finished 25th.

The full statement from Legacy Motor Club:

“Erik Jones has been cleared to race by doctors and approved to return by NASCAR, but out of an abundance of caution, the team has opted for Jones to rest for another event. Corey Heim will drive the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE at Kansas Speedway this weekend.

“Jones will attend the race at Kansas Speedway to support crew chief Dave Elenz and the No. 43 team and plans to return to the driver’s seat next weekend at Darlington Raceway — a track where he has two NASCAR Cup Series victories.”

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Jones reposted the statement on X and said, “I agree with Legacy Motor Club’s decision to ensure proper rest before I get back in the car.”

Jones suffered a compression fracture to a lower vertebra in a crash at Talladega Superspeedway on April 21. While drafting with his Toyota teammates, contact sent Jones head-on into the outside wall in Turn 3 on lap 157.

Dover was the first Cup Series race Jones missed since becoming a full-time driver in 2017.

Heim embracing opportunity as Jones substitute at Dover

Corey Heim sat in a NASCAR Cup Series car for the first time Saturday when he took the No. 43 Toyota Camry on track for practice at Dover Motor Speedway. Heim is unexpectedly making his debut as he substitutes for Erik Jones, who was injured last …

Corey Heim sat in a NASCAR Cup Series car for the first time Saturday when he took the No. 43 Toyota Camry on track for practice at Dover Motor Speedway.

Heim is unexpectedly making his debut as he substitutes for Erik Jones, who was injured last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Heim is the reserve driver for Legacy Motor Club and 23XI Racing, and Jones is on a week-by-week basis as to when he returns from a compression fracture of a lower vertebra.

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“There is just a long list of men and women at Legacy Motor Club that have helped me get prepared for this race,” Heim said. “I would be lying to you if I wasn’t a little nervous about it because I’ve never sat in one of these cars before, but my job is to do the best I can for this 43 group until Erik comes back.”

Heim would be in the car next weekend at Kansas Speedway if needed. The 21-year-old Heim is a full-time competitor in the Craftsman Truck Series for TRICON Garage.

“Working with Legacy Motor Club since the start of the year has given me a little bit of a head start, I guess, for this week,” Heim said. “You never expect something like this to happen, but at least being able to talk to Dave (Elenz, crew chief) and the other two teams at Legacy Motor Club and being able to start those relationships at the beginning of the year and kick-start this week a little bit better for me. It’s been a pleasure for sure — just getting the virtual seat time in a Cup car has helped me for sure, and being able to tune on the simulator side of things this year.

“I didn’t really get to dive too deep into things this week, but I think the three or four days that I got in preparation and leaning on all of the drivers at Legacy Motor Club to be as ready as I can is the biggest thing for me. I will definitely learn a lot in the next couple of hours, but I think the last three or four days have been really beneficial for me versus over not getting a heads-up. That would have been a lot tougher, for sure.”

Jones has been involved with the team all week and is present at Dover. The advice Jones has been giving has already been “crucial” to Heim, who only had 20 minutes of practice in the car. Jones has also talked to Heim about setting realistic expectations about completing all of the laps in the Wurth 400.

“I think for us, we are just going to try to take it one step at a time,” Heim said. “We’ve got the 20-minute practice and then qualifying. We are going to take it stage by stage there. It is certainly not going to be easy, but it is a longer race than I’ve been accustomed to with the Trucks and the Xfinity stuff, and I also have the Xfinity race (Saturday afternoon) as well to kind of lean on as well. I’ve got the time this weekend to sort of figure it out.

“I don’t know if I will feel that I’ve got it figured out by the end of the weekend, but any advice is super important. I’ve been reaching out to as many people as I possibly can to try to gather all of the information and try to have a decent idea. With these 20-minute practices, it is pretty brutal to wrap your head around a completely different kind of race car within that time frame, but my job is just to do the best I can for this 43 group and move forward from there.”

Heim was 31st fastest in practice but said he had fun and learned his limit quickly. The longer he ran, however, the more Heim felt he was getting warmed up to the Cup Series car.

Legacy Motor Club interested in acquiring third charter in NASCAR Cup Series

Legacy Motor Club is reportedly interested in acquiring a third charter in the NASCAR Cup Series before the 2025 season.

[autotag]Legacy Motor Club[/autotag] has undergone several significant changes over the last few seasons. The organization used to be called “Richard Petty Motorsports” before moving to “Petty GMS Motorsports.” Then, Jimmie Johnson joined the ownership group, and it became “Legacy Motor Club.” Now, another change could come after a move to Toyota starting in 2024.

According to Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern, Legacy Motor Club is one of four teams that are said to be interested in expanding in the Cup Series, with Stewart-Haas Racing’s future in doubt. Currently, the organization fields Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek as full-time drivers with a third, part-time entry for Johnson’s events.

People may be surprised to see that Legacy Motor Club is interested in expansion, but it makes sense after its move to Toyota. First, the NASCAR organization must focus on having Jones and Nemechek run well weekly. Then, Legacy Motor Club might become a hot suitor for a charter as Stewart-Haas Racing could be selling.

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Last-lap Duel magic puts Johnson in Daytona 500 field

Jimmie Johnson wasn’t going to race in the Daytona 500. At least that’s what the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion told himself as he saw J.J. Yeley’s bumper in front of him on the final lap of Thursday night’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel race. …

Jimmie Johnson wasn’t going to race in the Daytona 500.

At least that’s what the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion told himself as he saw J.J. Yeley’s bumper in front of him on the final lap of Thursday night’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel race. Yeley held the final transfer spot into the Daytona 500, keeping Johnson at bay over the final laps through blocks and keeping with the draft.

Johnson had no help from behind to challenge Yeley. It left him thinking about how he’d spend his Sunday afternoon instead of competing for a third Daytona 500 win in his No. 84 Carvana Toyota.

“I’m literally going down the back straightaway knowing it’s the white flag, I can see the 44 car [Yeley] in front of me,” Johnson said. “The 19 [Martin Truex Jr.] has pulled out to help me, but he’s so far back, he’s not going to get to me in time. I’m like, ‘I’m not going to make it. I’m not going to make the Daytona 500. I’m going to have to call all our partners. I’m going to have to stand in the suite and shake hands during the 500 and not drive a car.’

“This is running through my mind as I’m catching him. I’m like, ‘I got to figure out a way.’ And then an almost wreck happens and leave it (the pedal) on the floor and hope for the best. Just went the other direction than JJ’s car and it worked out.”

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Johnson went to the middle through Turn 4 when the field stacked up and Yeley chose the outside. It cost Yeley his momentum, and Johnson took the draft behind Chastain to go around Yeley and finish 12th. Yeley crossed the finish 16th.

It was a survive-and-transfer moment for Johnson, who had never experienced having to race his way into the Daytona 500. Thursday, leading into the race, Johnson kept his emotions in check by focusing on his Legacy Motor Club team’s strategy, knowing that he had Toyota teammates in the race and every other detail he needed.

“As I put my suit on in my bus before I walked out, the weight of the situation hit me, and the butterflies started to kick up,” Johnson said. “Once we settled in at the start of the race, I felt really good with my car. We had a really fast car and I was able to drive from the back to the front.

“(But) something just ran through my mind. I’m like, ‘It’s not over. We have a pit stop, we have the end of the race, who knows what’s going to happen?’ I just keep my guard up and sure enough, I had two or three different moments that were quite challenging that maybe put a year or two on me.”

The most significant incident came with 11 laps to go. Johnson was collected in an accordion-effect crash started three cars in front of him as Daniel Hemric got sideways from contact by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The incident collected Hemric, Stenhouse, Austin Dillon and Johnson. Johnson spun and needed four fresh tires.

Johnson restarted 18th with six laps to go. Yeley restarted 14th.

“I needed a pusher,” Johnson said. “Anybody does in that back lane. When it comes to the end of the race, it’s tough to get people to pull out or try to find a way to you. I could have used a little help there — didn’t get it, which is fine. We figured out how to do it on our own.

“All the best plans that you set into place before the race starts, they always seem to go out the window when the race is taking place.”

Sunday will be the 21st time Johnson has competed in the Daytona 500, which he’s won twice. Johnson will make his second consecutive start in the event as owner/driver for Legacy Motor Club, doing so in the organization’s third entry.

Toyota will have nine entries in the field with Johnson qualifying for the Daytona 500.

Jones already seeing an upward turn for Legacy Motor Club

It will be a while before Legacy Motor Club finds itself on solid ground as a Toyota team and all the change and growth that’s come with it materializes. Erik Jones, however, can already forecast a different outlook for the season. “I think last …

It will be a while before Legacy Motor Club finds itself on solid ground as a Toyota team and all the change and growth that’s come with it materializes. Erik Jones, however, can already forecast a different outlook for the season.

“I think last year going in, we were a little unsure, and then obviously after we announced the change to Toyota, we knew it was going to be a long season,” Jones said Wednesday during Daytona 500 media day. “This year, it’s different. We feel like we’re starting, probably not totally where we want to be, because I don’t feel like we’ve had enough time and I think most would agree with that in the shop. We just need more time to keep building these things out internally that we need to. But there’s a lot more anticipation and hope.

“We have a much clearer path and direction of where we’re going to end up and what we need to do to build and where we need to build. Obviously, we’ve got great partners now (with) AdventHealth this weekend, Family Dollar, (and) Dollar Tree coming on. So, there’s a lot more resounding optimism from everybody starting the year off than there’s been in years past.”

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Jones enters his fourth season driving the No. 43 car. He has been along for the ride through multiple iterations of the race team, different teammates and many other changes. It hasn’t been smooth sailing by any means with the ebbs and flows of performance, but Jones has entered each season with as much optimism as possible.

This time, there appears no need for Jones to force any positivity ahead of the Daytona 500. Despite the continued work behind the scenes, there is potential and more stability.

“It’s been interesting; it’s just been a long road for me in Cup and not just in the 43 car,” he said. “I come in (the series) in the 20, and then I come to the 43, and we’ve gone through so many changes with personnel, ownership, manufacturer, internally, team — so every year has been a grind. This year started no different. It’s a grind right now for us just because we’re working hard to try to hit the ground in the right direction. So, every year has been that grind, but this year doesn’t feel like a lost cause.

“Sometimes it feels like you’re just working and working and working, and everything is pushing back against you. I feel like we’re working hard, and things are pushing for us. We’ve got a lot of people in our corner that are pushing and saying, ‘OK, you guys are working hard, putting the work in. We want to see you run well.’ Toyota wants us to run well. Our group wants to run well. But I think the manufacturer support is the biggest thing. Having a manufacturer that wants you to go out and succeed can make a big difference.”

Legacy Motor Club switched from Chevrolet to Toyota over the winter, giving the manufacturer two (occasionally three) additional cars in the Cup Series. It is the first time since 2011 that Toyota has had eight full-time teams.

However, the organization does not have an alliance partner like in previous years. Legacy Motor Club is standing on its own, even its pit crews, beginning this season while having more resources available through the Toyota partnership. It’s also a partnership that allowed for employee growth and department expansion at the race shop.

“Overall, the possibilities are somewhat endless, but we still have to use the data in the right way and get things going in the right way,” Jones said. “We’ve done the work that we can do at this point, and now we have to get out and get racing and see where we stack up and go to work from there. That part isn’t much different from years past, but if we start on the wrong foot, we at least have probably a better direction and resources to get to where we want to be quicker.”

Jones know his team still has a lot of questions to answer, but is encouraged by the way things have been going so far with Legacy’s new setup. Lesley Ann Miller/Motorsport Images

The expectation is Legacy Motor Club has nowhere to go but up this season. There are two superspeedways to start the year (Daytona and Atlanta) before the series heads west to a traditional mile-and-a-half, followed by two short tracks (Phoenix and Bristol) and a road course before the end of March. Jones can see the expectations changing as the season progresses but believes Legacy will know where they stand pretty quickly.

“You want to set expectations high, just because things are better now than they have been for us, but they’re much different too,” Jones said. “We’ve relied on alliances since I’ve been in the 43 car and that’s a huge department in itself that we’re currently building to fill that gap … Everybody is still trying to learn their role, and we’re still working hard on the sim. I was on the sim all the way up to yesterday trying to work on stuff to get better for races going forward past here and Atlanta. So, things are still being built out a lot now, and obviously, we’re getting going.

“There’s a lot of work to do still at this point but once we’re done with Vegas and Phoenix, we’ll have a good sense of where we’re at. Vegas has been a good track, historically, for us. Phoenix has been a little hit or miss, but I think we will have a good judge on probably where our short-track program is at. Excited to get there? No, but I hope it’s good, too.”

Legacy Motor Club joins Extreme E, Jimmie Johnson to run majority of races

Legacy Motor Club announced on Monday morning that it will join Extreme E with Jimmie Johnson running a majority of the races in 2024.

[autotag]Legacy Motor Club[/autotag] has made significant moves since Maury Gallagher’s arrival. The NASCAR team rebranded from Petty GMS Motorsports to Legacy Motor Club after adding [autotag]Jimmie Johnson[/autotag] as a co-owner. Matt Kenseth and Trevor Bayne then joined the race team in leadership roles. Now, Legacy Motor Club is joining another racing series.

On Monday morning, Legacy Motor Club announced that it will join Extreme E ahead of the 2024 season. Extreme E is an off-road racing series that uses electric SUVs. Johnson will run most of the schedule but can’t make the first two races due to the Daytona 500. In his place, Travis Pastrana and Gray Leadbetter will drive the team’s entry at the Desert X Prix.

Johnson is returning to his roots after starting his career with off-road racing. In 2024, the new NASCAR Hall-of-Fame member will lead Legacy Motor Club’s effort in Extreme E’s final season. It will transition to Extreme H as it becomes the world’s first off-road hydrogen-powered racing series next year. For Legacy Motor Club, this is a unique opportunity for its racing future.

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Johnson to lead Legacy MC in Extreme E

NASCAR Cup series team Legacy Motor Club will expand into Extreme E this season, with Jimmie Johnson and Gray Leadbetter driving in the all-electric international off-road series. It marks something of a return to his roots for Johnson, who raced …

NASCAR Cup series team Legacy Motor Club will expand into Extreme E this season, with Jimmie Johnson and Gray Leadbetter driving in the all-electric international off-road series.

It marks something of a return to his roots for Johnson, who raced off-road trucks before his stock car career. He was a rookie of the year in Mickey Thompson’s series, the Short-course Off-road Drivers Association series, and SCORE International in the 1990s, and won more than 20 races across all three series, racking up 100 podiums, too.

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“The opportunity for Legacy Motor Club to field an off-road vehicle in the Extreme E championship is exciting in many ways,” said seven-time Cup series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Johnson. “We are essentially representing America in this unique and very competitive series and we are committed to the challenge.

“Our goal is to learn as much as we can and see what the future might bring. The fact this series competes globally, focuses on sustainably, inclusion, and gender equality really perks our interest.

“From a technical standpoint the changeover to hydrogen in 2025 is really intriguing and the entire motorsports community is watching closely. Personally for me as a driver, going back to my off-road roots and to the type of racing I started my career with is going to be a blast.”

Travis Pastrana (left) will fill in for Johnson for the opening two rounds in Saudi Arabia. Nigel Kinrade/Motorsport Images

The 2024 season begins this weekend in Saudi Arabia, the same weekend as the Daytona 500, meaning Johnson will be absent as he makes his 21st start in the Cup series opener. His place in the No. 84 Odyssey 21 will be taken by six-time U.S. rally champion and 2021 Nitrocross champion Travis Pastrana.

“This all came together pretty quick, but I’m really excited,” said Pastrana. “I have quite a bit of experience in electric vehicles, although I’ve never been in an Extreme E Odyssey 21 before. I compete in a lot of off-road events and some desert stuff – mostly on two wheels – but this should be really fun for us.

“I believe in Jimmie Johnson and in Legacy Motor Club and all he is doing with the Club, so when he asked me it was a no-brainer.”

Both drivers will be partnered by Leadbetter, who will be making her Extreme E debut, having previously spent time in the paddock as an observer with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2022. Leadbetter races in the Nitrocross Side-by-Side championship, where she currently sits third in the standings, one spot ahead of Pastrana (who competes part-time), with eight top-four finishes from eight starts, including podium finishes in Phoenix and Southern California.

Off-road prodigy Leadbetter has been a frontrunner in Nitrocross’ Side-by-Side category. Qnigan/Nitrocross

“I’m super excited and thankful for this opportunity,” said Leadbetter who, at 19 years old, will be the second-youngest driver to compete in Extreme E after fellow Nitrocross racer Lia Block, who made her debut last year aged 16. “I’ve always been interested in Extreme E, but just never found the right opportunity to step foot in it.

“When Travis texted me last week that there might be a chance to race with Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I’ve never driven these cars so it’s sure to be an adventure, but I will be in great company. This is a dream come true.”

Patrana added: “I’ve worked with Gray before and she is a huge talent, so overall it is just a great opportunity for both of us to compete in this championship series together. She’s the top female young up-and-coming talent in Nitrocross and has the speed, so hopefully as Americans, we will do our country proud and return home with a win and some smiles on our faces.”

Legacy Motor Club’s 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season preview

Legacy Motor Club enters the 2024 NASCAR season looking for more speed and success. Here, you can check out Legacy’s 2024 season preview!

[autotag]Legacy Motor Club[/autotag] had a down 2023 season; however, there are reasons to be optimistic about what’s ahead for the race team. The NASCAR organization is moving to Toyota Racing and will have John Hunter Nemechek as one of its full-time drivers in the No. 42 car. Also, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, and Advent Health highlight new sponsorship deals.

Will Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson lead Legacy Motor Club to its first win for the rebranded organization? It shouldn’t be ruled out, with Jones and Nemechek receiving a better opportunity to compete than its drivers during the 2023 season.

Legacy Motor Club reveals Dollar Tree, Family Dollar paint schemes for 2024

Legacy Motor Club has revealed Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek’s new Dollar Tree, Family Dollar paint schemes for 2024.

[autotag]Legacy Motor Club[/autotag] signed Dollar Tree and Family Dollar as primary sponsors for the 2024 NASCAR season and they should take up plenty of races for Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek. On Monday morning, Legacy Motor Club revealed the paint schemes that Jones and Nemechek will run at the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum.

Nemechek will carry the Dollar Tree colors with a white base and green car number. As for Jones, he will run the Family Dollar colors with a white base plus red and yellow detailing. The paint schemes look very sharp as Legacy Motor Club looks to start the season off on the right foot. Of course, the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum is an exhibition event.

The NASCAR organization had a tough final season with Chevrolet. With Toyota as Legacy Motor Club’s new manufacturer, there is hope that Jones and Nemechek will be able to find more success quickly. After all, Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson have turned around Legacy Motor Club, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see more consistent runs in 2024.

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