Jimmie Johnson Confident About His Cameos With Toyota’s Growing Strength With Every Race

Published 03/14/2024, 10:12 AM EDT

Jimmie Johnson, the legendary NASCAR Cup Series driver, has embarked on a new chapter in his racing career. In the 2023 season, his team, Legacy Motor Club, switched from Chevrolet to Toyota, marking a significant change in OEM. Sticking to this, Johnson decided to be extremely selective about which races he wanted to participate in. So far, this season, we have only seen him race at the Daytona 500. Driving the brand-new #84 Toyota Camry XSE, Johnson finished at P28. Fans are okay with his cameo role, rather than having his boots hung up completely.

How did the manufacturer change work out for the team, and what are Jimmie’s plans ahead of this season? Hear it from the seven-time Cup Series champion himself, as he opens up to the press.

Jimmie Johnson is super excited with the Toyota collaboration

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Before his induction into the 2024 Motorsports Hall of Fame America, Johnson attended a press meet. In the video uploaded by ‘Cup Scene’ on YouTube, reporter Jonathan Felt started by congratulating Jimmie Johnson for his induction. He then asked Johnson about how he felt to be back behind the wheel with the Toyota being so fast so far. Legacy MC co-owner said “Yeah, super excited. Texas has been a great track for me over the years. Our team has made substantial steps forward.”

“We still have a long way to go, but we’ve had a very exciting start to the 24 season. And running, I guess, 9 in total this year gives me many more reps. A lot of those 9 events will be on mile-and-a-half tracks. And so I would assume and hope that towards the end of my events and all the mile and half set will run, I’ll be much more competitive. Understand this car, a very limited experience in this next-gen car. And certainly very little experience in a Toyota. So I just feel like Texas is going to really be the start of this stretch that I have high expectations for myself,” he continued.

This switch in OEM also marked the end of Johnson’s journey with Chevrolet. His seven-time NASCAR Cup Series championships came while driving his famous Chevy Camaro ZL1. He must have foreseen a better future for his team with the Japanese company’s partnership.

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Toyota’s increasing strength in the so-far Chevrolet-ruled Cup Series

Toyota made a significant change in their models ahead of this season. Their previous edition Toyota Camry TRD produced 18 victories (10 last year) and 25 poles in the last couple of years. The recent update to the Toyota Camry XSE includes C-shaped corner vents positioned below the larger lower grille area. Additionally, there are new character lines on the hood, and the rear fascia has been updated with chamfered bumper corners.

The last Cup Series race in Phoenix Raceway exposed Toyota’s strength to the NASCAR world. They had two cars in the Top 5, including the winner Christopher Bell, and five in the Top 12. Other than that, Ty Gibbs, Martin Truex Jr., and Tyler Reddick finished at P3, P7, and P10 respectively. Pole winner JGR’s Denny Hamlin managed to secure the 11th position. Chevrolet, who had the winners in the last 3 races at Daytona, Atlanta, and Las Vegas only had Ross Chastain in the Top 10. The Trackhouse Racing #1 secured the P6.

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It would be an aspect to look forward to, how the Toyota drivers hold on to this momentum and overturn the tables. Things are getting really interesting at this point in the season.

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Written by:

Mamata Mukherjee is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. Combining her love for writing and motorsports she has created some interesting and in-depth stories on drivers like Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Joining ES with 3 years of experience in the field of writing, Mamata feels right at home in her role as a NASCAR Journalist.

Edited by:

Shreya Singh

Jimmie Johnson Confident About His Cameos With Toyota’s Growing Strength With Every Race

Jimmie Johnson is super excited with the Toyota collaboration

Toyota’s increasing strength in the so-far Chevrolet-ruled Cup Series

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