The return of Jimmie Johnson to NASCAR has been a very up-and-down and undulating journey. There was a lot of joy and ecstasy when he announced his return with Petty GMS. However, all that took a turn a few days back when the team and Johnson made another announcement.

Amid lots of fanfare, Petty GMS announced its rebranding. Removing its association with the historic Petty name, the team recently changed its name to Legacy Motor Club. While some fans liked the move, others weren’t as convinced—especially with the fact that it meant there won’t be a trace of the Petty name in NASCAR anymore.

Taking on Jimmie Johnson

A seemingly disgruntled fan had a conversation about this with Johnson on Twitter. It all started as Bob Pockrass posted a tweet saying, “From yesterday: Legacy Motor Club is the new name for Petty GMS. Does it matter that Petty isn’t in the team name? ⁦@NASCARONFOX”

Johnson replied to Pockrass’ tweet by posting, “Excuse me Mr. @bobpockrass… it’s LEGACY MOTOR CLUB or LEGACY M.C. 😁” The tweet was noted by a fan, who wrote “Should have kept Petty in the name. Such a shame to drop that after all these years.”

The 7-time Cup Series champion calmly explained to the fan, “It wasn’t an easy decision to say the least… thankfully we all know what the numbers and font represent.”

This explanation seemed logical to most. One fan wrote in support of Johnson, “If we can still associate Dale Earnhardt by the #3, then Petty will always be the 43.” To this, Johnson’s one-worded response was, “Absolutely.”

“Racing Will Never Be the Same”: Jimmie Johnson’s Recent Announcement Leaves NASCAR Community in Tears

The move by the team is a massive one. Richard Petty‘s name will always be remembered, regardless of whether it features explicitly or not. Followers of the sport will never forget the contributions of the Petty family to NASCAR.

Why did Jimmie and Richard Petty take the plunge?

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However, before Johnson came on TODAY and made the announcement, there was absolutely no reason for fans to preempt this. Listening to Johnson speak, most fans were left dumbfounded.

But the driver fully explained why that call was made. He said, “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,” said the owner-cum-driver.

Watch This Story: Jimmie Johnson Left Fans in a Frenzy With His Shocking Return to NASCAR

Technically making its debut in 2023, the season will be a massive one for the team and NASCAR. We hope it turns out to be a good one!