Jimmie Johnson and the Cup Series were a great pairing, until the former Hendrick Motorsports driver left in 2020. Richard Petty made a career of doing things that no one had ever done. And around the end of 2022, he did it again, bringing Johnson back to NASCAR.

The return to NASCAR from IndyCar was highly appreciated by fans. Since that announcement was made, fans had been aching to know the car number that Johnson would be using for the 2023 season. However, surprisingly, along with his car number, another big news was broken by the legendary driver.

Jimmie Johnson to lead Legacy Motor Club’s season

On the TODAY Show, Johnson released his paint scheme and car number for 2023. But he also said: “… ultimately I’m here to announce the fact that we are renaming and rebranding the team that I’ve joined to be a part of, which has been called Petty GMS. We are now Legacy Motor Club.”

He was asked, “What’s the significance of that name, of that team name?” Johnson revealed, “As we sat and tried to put together the team name, Maury Gallagher found the team, Richard Petty’s involved, myself… We just couldn’t find the right acronym or the right way to put the names together.” 

“And as we really thought about it, the legacy that Richard has created, the legacy that Mr. Gallagher has created in racing and business. They feel like a great name and a great foundational point. And at the same point in time, to have that nod to the past but to look forward and think about our young drivers, Noah Gragson and Eric Jones, and the legacy they want to create.”

“Now I am also a team owner, so I clearly have ambitions and want to create new legacy as a team owner as well,” he added.

Similarly, Petty revealed in his statement “As we were all talking about creating a new name for the team, we looked at Jimmie, myself, and Dale Inman – that’s 22 championships – so there couldn’t be a better name to fit our race team than Legacy.” 

“The “Motor Club” is a perfect fit because we want our fans to pull for the whole team,” said Petty as reported by NBC.

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The Petty name will always be missed. But it’s time for the team to look forward, as Johnson takes the reins over from Petty.

Bringing the 84 back into fashion

Since the announcement of Johnson’s return to NASCAR was made in November, there had only been one question on everyone’s minds and lips – which car will the 7-time Cup Series winner drive?

On the TODAY Show, Johnson revealed he will be driving the #84 alongside the new paint scheme of his car. While he didn’t disclose the logic behind racing the #84, it could be a twist on his legacy of the #48. Additionally, the driver has 83 wins in the Cup Series to date. The number might be a reference to that as well.

The number has been out of use since 2011 when it was last used. It was then used by Cole Whitt at Homestead-Miami in the final race of the season, as he ran for Red Bull.

Although the number doesn’t have a rich history like the #48, it has seen some great drivers use it. Among the many who have raced the #84 was Kyle Busch. Busch raced his first 6 Cup Series races under that number for Hendrick Motorsports, way back in 2005.

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Johnson’s return to racing might be nominal, as he is unlikely to race more than a handful of times. But it is still going to add a lot for fans as the 2023 season begins.