For nearly two decades, Jimmie Johnson took Rick Hendrick’s team to Victory Lane 83 times on his way to seven Cup championships. When that partnership ended in 2020, not even Hendrick knew of Johnson’s intention to return to the Cup Series. And when he did, Johnson found himself facing off against Hendrick, effectively ending their long-standing alliance.

Throughout his NASCAR career, Johnson drove with Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet. So when the time came for him to become a team owner, he would try to rekindle old ties, right? Instead, Johnson took a completely different route. And even though he went against Hendrick, Johnson still stayed true to his relationship with him and consulted him candidly about the future of his team, Legacy Motor Club.

“You know, I’ve gone to him with every major decision I’ve made business-wise since I’ve left. Even with the partnership with Carvana, you know? I care so much for Rick, and at the time, Carvana wasn’t on the radar of a conglomerate like Hendrick Automotive Group, and Rick really appreciated the fact that I reached out, and today, Carvana’s so big,” Johnson said on the Stacking Pennies podcast.

“I’m not sure how he would have responded then, but you know, he appreciated me reaching out and has just been a great sounding board and somebody to get advice from, even the partnership with Maury. At the time, we were a Chevy team, and we had a couple of meetings trying to figure out how an alliance might work. So he’s really been there through every step of the way,” he added.

At first, Johnson made his way into the Petty GMS team in 2022, and by 2024, he took over their operations, joining hands with Toyota. Legacy Motor Club was previously working with Chevy, and Johnson’s decision to switch to Toyota was a major blow to Hendrick Motorsports and Chevy’s operations. The weight of the decision was emotionally heavy for Johnson, who was now competing directly against his former mentor.

Not only that, Jimmie Johnson’s latest sponsor, Carvana, was a major threat to Rick Hendrick‘s own company, Hendrickcars.com. Carvana was a key player involved in Johnson’s transition from NASCAR to IndyCar and the latter part of his journey as a team owner. By partnering with him, they scaled their operations in NASCAR, eventually becoming Legacy Motor Club’s primary sponsors and Rick Hendrick’s market rivals.

In the end, while Jimmie Johnson has strayed further and further away from his former team owner/mentor, he still carries the same amount of respect for Rick Hendrick. As his and his team’s ambitions grow bigger, Johnson aims to recreate Rick Hendrick’s legacy in his garage.

Jimmie Johnson seeks to emulate Rick Hendrick’s ethics

Hendrick Motorsports has been running strong ever since it arrived in the sport of NASCAR. And behind it all is one man standing alone—Rick Hendrick. He is the perfect example of a leader who grows the team from the front lines. Over the years, it is no wonder that HMS has managed to create legendary legacies and crowned multiple NASCAR champions.

Now that it is time for Jimmie Johnson to step into a similar role, he wants to bring forward similar results for Legacy Motor Club. And to do that, he already knows the perfect recipe.

“Really, just the way he moves through the building. He has his automotive office and then Hendrick Motorsports, but he spends two-thirds of the week at HMS. Wandering around involved taking meetings here and there. The way that it really is a family business, as large as it is, and the way he is always there—he leads by example. And that’s something I am really trying to do,” the 50-year-old said.

Even though Johnson is no longer a member of the alliance that made him a direct partner to Hendrick Motorsports and GM’s NASCAR operations, he still operates under the same instructions that his team owner gave him long ago.

“It’s funny. One thing Rick always told me: if you get into the business world and live it, you will be surprised how competitive it is. And then the adrenaline and all the elements that come with it,” he added.

The world of NASCAR is built on trust and loyalty. There are hardly any drivers who switch teams rapidly in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Most of the amazing drivers and successful veterans have created their legacies working with only one or two teams in the sport. It speaks volumes about the culture of the sport. And Johnson is part of the same culture. Hence, no one can separate him from Rick Hendrick, no matter how far he strays.