Former Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has been all in as a team owner, picking some of the best talent for Legacy Motor Club. In turn, the team has also been showcasing minor improvements. Throughout the 2025 season, John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones collectively achieved thirteen top-10 finishes, showcasing improvement from the previous season. But what makes a crew strong? Of course, a crew chief.

Jones has proven to be a race-winning driver. He won multiple races for Joe Gibbs Racing, but hasn’t been able to deliver the same performance with LMC. However, the team seems to be working on that. Johnson made a recent signing, coming straight from veteran team owner Richard Childress, and it seems to be the perfect choice for Jones’ situation.

Erik Jones gets a new crew chief for 2026

Jones’ New Year’s gift seems to be a taste of victory in 2026. Legacy Motor Club’s most recent signing, Justin Alexander, is famously known to deliver victories with drivers. Having worked with Richard Childress Racing, he was promoted as crew chief for Austin Dillon’s team. Shortly after that, the latter managed to clinch his maiden victory at the Coca-Cola 600 in 2017.

Upon his signing, LMC expects a similar result from him, working with Jones.

“We’re continuing to evolve and refine every part of our race program, and Justin is a tremendous addition to our crew chief lineup,” Jimmie Johnson said in a team release.

“His experience, communication style, and leadership align perfectly with the direction we’re headed. We appreciate Ben’s hard work and look forward to his continued contributions as he transitions into his new role.”

Alexander brings ample experience to the table for Legacy, which is exactly what they need after their initial difficult years in the Cup Series field. While the team is nowhere close to contending for the playoffs, they can be race winners. Erik Jones’ performance reflected this throughout 2025.

As for Alexander, he was a cornerstone of RCR’s modern identity. He delivered results when sustained success was difficult. But there was more to it than just the race wins. He was valued for his engineering sharpness and his ability to translate data into competitive race setups. This made him the reference point for the entire team, helping them clinch those crucial wins and top 10s.

But can he do the same for LMC?

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Can Jimmie Johnson achieve his milestone with Justin Alexander on the team?

Simply calling Jimmie Johnson a legendary driver would be an understatement of his skills. Throughout his career, he won seven Cup Series championships, equaling the most with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Despite returning at the end of the 2020 season, he hasn’t left racing behind. In fact, Johnson returns on a part-time run for his team every season, and he will be following the tradition this year as well.

Despite his very competitive journey in NASCAR, Johnson’s last race win was back in 2017 at Dover, the 83rd win. Now, piloting the #84 for Legacy, he has previously mentioned that he would love to get that 84th victory soon.

“The right races and for the right reasons, that makes a lot of sense,” Johnson said. “But yeah, I’d love to continue to expand and kick more of these bucket list opportunities off my list.”

Having Justin Alexander on the team, it is possible that he could replicate his work from Richard Childress Racing. As mentioned, he became the reference point for the team over there. The experience he brings to Legacy could similarly work for them, and there is quite a possibility that Johnson could clinch his 84th win.

He has proven to be a competitive driver even after five years of retirement, finishing third in the 2025 Daytona 500. Justin Alexander’s addition will not just be beneficial for Erik Jones but for Legacy Motor Club as a whole.