Seven championships taught Jimmie Johnson how to beat everyone in the garage. They never taught him how to build a garage worth beating. In February, he will strap into the No. 48 for one last Daytona 500, but the harder race is already underway, and nobody scores it in laps.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Legacy Motor Club announced that six more investors have joined its Strategic Ownership Group, bringing the total to 28. The latest additions are:
“Danny Sullivan- Indianapolis 500 winner and CART champion, Ben Lovett-Founding member of Mumford & Sons, Michael Wystrach-Co-Founder of Freshly and Petfolk, Nat Zilkha-Executive Chairman of Gibson, Inc. and Co-Founder of Firebird Music, Tim Headington-Entrepreneur across hospitality, real estate and film, Johnathan Crocker- Co-Founder of Frank August and Thousand Acres,” Bob Pockrass wrote on his X account.
“They are joined by Jim Brown, Ellie Franchitti, Nick Hanauer, John T. McCoy, Bart Proctor, Andy Reiner, Tommaso Sandretto, Richie Schmock, Alex Song, Jamie Tisch, and others. The additional owners join previously announced members Sam Byrne, Scott Dixon, Guy Fieri, Dario Franchitti, Bryce Harper, Tony Kanaan, Andy Roddick, Jen Rubio, Darius Rucker, Kelly Slater and Chase Utley.”
That July announcement billed the group as holding more than 30 championships and major professional titles.
Sullivan arrives with a résumé few can match. He won the 1985 Indianapolis 500 and the 1988 CART championship. He joins a roster already deep in open-wheel talent: six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, four-time champion and three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, and 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan.
Lovett comes from a different world. As a founding member of Grammy-winning British band Mumford & Sons, he has spent his career in front of a global audience. He also founded TVG Hospitality, which develops and operates music venues and entertainment destinations, a background that fits the community-building Legacy wants around racing.
“Some of the most powerful communities begin with a shared passion,” Lovett said. “I’ve experienced that through music and through creating places where people come together.
“What excites me about Legacy is the opportunity to help build that sense of connection around racing. There’s an extraordinary world behind the race itself, and so much potential to invite people into it.”
Jimmy Johnson’s blueprint stretches beyond the track
Jimmy Johnson, Legacy Motor Club’s majority owner since January 2025, says the point is not name recognition.
“I wanted to bring together people who know what it takes to build something exceptional and sustain it,” Johnson said. “They’ve competed, created, taken risks and led people.”
“They bring different experiences but share a belief in what Legacy can become. Winning is the ambition, and this group brings valuable perspective to building the organization that makes it possible.”
Legacy Motor Club is not alone in chasing outside capital and star power. Michael Jordan co-founded 23XI Racing with Denny Hamlin and Curtis Polk. Pitbull co-owned Trackhouse Racing from 2021 until he announced his exit in February 2025, months after Marc Lasry’s Avenue Sports Fund took a significant minority stake in parent company Trackhouse Entertainment Group. Joe Gibbs Racing sold minority stakes to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and Arctos Partners in 2023.
Legacy’s approach is different. Most of those deals involve institutional money or a single celebrity face, while Legacy is stacking dozens of individuals from different industries.
The team’s own description of the group points to what Johnson hopes to gain from that mix. Legacy has highlighted four areas of strength: championship experience across major sports, connections within music and entertainment, business leadership, and expertise in brands and hospitality. The last two could prove particularly important as the team looks beyond race-day performance.
Building a stronger commercial operation requires more than attracting recognizable names; it means turning those connections into partnerships, experiences and a wider audience. Legacy says the group’s combined relationships and perspectives are intended to support both its long-term competitive ambitions and its commercial growth.
As Racer noted in August, Hendrick and Gibbs can lean on performance to attract partners. Legacy is betting on another path: a better fan experience draws interest, which draws partners, which funds speed.
The timing matters. In 2027, Legacy Motor Club fields three full-time Cup cars for the first time. Erik Jones, who signed a multi-year extension in September, stays in the No. 43. Josh Berry replaces John Hunter Nemechek in the No. 42, and Riley Herbst arrives from 23XI Racing in the No. 84. Johnson will also make his final Cup start in the 2027 Daytona 500 in the No. 48.
An ownership list does not buy wins, and Legacy has not disclosed individual stakes or investment amounts. The real test is whether this network turns into sponsors, fans, and, eventually, results. Johnson has the names and the three-car lineup. Now he needs the speed to match.