Remember Evernham Motorsports? Well, if it does not ring a bell, hello, young reader. It was the name of Richard Petty’s team, which later changed its name to Petty GMS Motorsports. The team, let’s just say, was not performing as good as it should have been with Petty in charge. In 2023, the seven-time NASCAR champion, Jimmie Johnson, took charge as a co-owner. And initially, King had a hard time wrapping his head around Johnson’s vision.

“It’s been strange to me. Most of the time, I ran the majority of the show. Jimmie brought all his people in. His way of running things and my way of running things are probably a little bit different. We probably agree on about 50 percent of what it really comes down to,” Richard Petty had said back in 2023. But now, as Legacy Motor Club climbs new heights with Jimmie Johnson as the majority owner, things look promising for the once-struggling team. Recently, he completed his 700th NASCAR career start in the 2025 Coca-Cola 600. But his performance was not up to the mark. However, he is now building an empire for the NASCAR world to witness. And recently, he has garnered appreciation from another veteran.

“It really is just luck that the 700th start ends up at Charlotte and the track where I had my first start,” Jimmie Johnson said on Rubbin is Racing. But the race conditions were far from pleasant. He could have won the event for a record-tying fifth win. But sadly, in the second stage, his journey ended early when his No. 84 Toyota hit the wall in Turn 4, sustaining severe damage. This knocked him out of the race. But this is still an achievement.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t hold back his admiration for what Johnson was building, especially for the people and structure behind the scenes. In a recent episode of Dale Jr Download alongside Jordan Bianchi, Dale Jr. basically gives an ode to Johnson. He praises, saying, “Is he plugged in enough to understand how to put the right people in the right places to succeed and get each department moving in the right direction? It’s starting to show up on the racetrack. It’s fascinating—an incredible job. I would have bet against it. For them to go and run as well as they did this past weekend, Jimmie had a great qualifying effort but struggled in the race. He finds himself in bad situations because he doesn’t drive the car enough.” Being an experienced driver, Junior quickly identified the challenges Johnson faced when he was behind the wheel. And Jordan Bianchi pinpointed it to the car dynamics.

“I know it’s crazy to say, but this Next Gen car, the way the air works, how it goes under the car—you can’t just rely on instinct. Drivers know when they’re going through the corner, ‘I gotta do this or that’ to avoid a bad air situation on exit. They know it because they’ve done it enough. Jimmie hasn’t.” Jordan Bianchi said. He emphasized the importance of experience with the Next Gen car, suggesting that Jimmie Johnson’s lack of experience with the Next Gen cars might be a factor in certain on-track decisions. There are so many things he has to be acquainted with. Lack of draft-less overtaking, bad air, tire fallout, and many more. Despite Johnson’s setbacks, Junior points out that Legacy Motor Club is picking up momentum!

John Hunter Nemechek continues to run competitively, and Travis Mack’s leadership at the top of the pit box has been key. Even Erik Jones had a solid showing, signaling a broader team-wide progress. The ever-so-polite Dale Jr. said, “Nemechek’s run was solid. They didn’t finish the night like they wanted to, but Travis Mack has John Hunter and those guys hauling a–. Even Erik Jones had a pretty competitive night as his teammate.” But all this comes from the man with the plan!

Johnson’s grand vision for LMC

Like Dale Jr. pointed out, it’s no secret that Jimmy Johnson is starting a new course for LMC, drawing inspiration from Trackhouse Racing’s multifaceted approach to motorsport. He expressed admiration for Justin Mark’s vision, saying, ” I have so much respect for Justin’s vision and execution. It’s the way he’s gone about building. Trackhouse that certainly a model that I’m inspired by.”

Under Johnson’s leadership, LMC is exploring opportunities beyond NASCAR. He hinted at potential expansions into other racing series, including IMSA, and emphasized the importance of being open to new ventures. “As time goes on and opportunities present themselves, Legacy Motor Club will have an open eye and certainly hope to expand. I really think there is an opportunity in North America to have a bigger presence. If some good breaks go our way and some good fortune, we’ll have some great things to talk about,” the Hall of Famer said.

Another development in LMC’s evolution is its partnership with Knighthead Management, which has invested in the team, making Johnson the majority owner. This collaboration aims to bolster LMC’s competitiveness and broaden its horizons in the motorsport arena. With these strategic moves, Johnson envisions LMC not just as a NASCAR team but as a versatile entity in the global motorsport landscape. His proactive approach and willingness to embrace change signal a very promising future for Legacy Motor Club.

Whether Jimmie Johnson’s bold ventures will yield long-term success remains to be seen, but the intent is clear. Legacy Motor Club is no longer just chasing relevance—it’s chasing reinvention. With Johnson’s calculated ambition and an open-minded approach to the expansion of LMC, the team has definitely placed itself as one of the sport’s most intriguing stories. If these mentions are executed with the same precision as Johnson’s racing career, the payoff could be tremendous for the team, and perhaps for NASCAR itself.