Jimmie Johnson has never been one to walk away from NASCAR, and it wouldn’t change now. With full control of Legacy Motor Club, the seven-time Cup Series champion is all in on the team’s future. Having secured an additional Cup Series charter for 2026, the move opens the door for expansion and signals his commitment to building a competitive team in NASCAR. But as the dust settles, one storyline refuses to go away, and it may force a decision no one saw coming. Could this call for an unexpected change within the team?

Legacy Motor Club driver explains his early exit plan

Speaking on the Racing Electronics video, Erik Jones can already see his horizon and didn’t hesitate to lay down his retirement plans.

“I hope to retire sooner than people normally get to retire, and so I’m just going to frontload all my work for that time,” he said. “So, I don’t mind it. It’s all fun stuff.”

Being a full-time NASCAR Cup Series competitor is one thing, but having the ability to squeeze in extra racing outside of the league is a whole other task.

Erik Jones keeps an incredibly busy calendar apart from the 36-point races that demand extensive travel, practice, team meetings, and staying away from the family.

Moreover, the breaks in between the cup races are filled in to chase his roots in short track racing, grabbing seat time in super late model events.

Despite his full-time career with Legacy Motor Club, the No. 43 driver has intentionally found ways to fit in a handful of super late model starts each year when his top-level commitments don’t conflict.

Just take his 2022 season, for example. He had teamed with Wimmer Motorsports to enter about six marquee super late model races in a summer stretch, including stops at Berlin Raceway, Milwaukee State Park, Indianapolis Raceway Park, and Wisconsin International Raceway.

And because it is something that the Michigan native loves, the tight schedule doesn’t bother him as much. But it doesn’t stop there. Jones goes on to emphasize how busy his life gets, off track.

“It’s all stuff I love, and with the young one now, it’s gotten even busier,” the LMC driver admitted. “But you know it’s fun to kind of balance all that time and get to figure out how to make it all work.”

David Jones, Erik’s son, has quickly become something of a good luck charm in his father’s fast-paced world. Born on November 27, 2024, just before Thanksgiving, David’s arrival turned this year’s holiday into a double celebration for the Jones family.

As the Michigan native continues to juggle the demands of a full-time NASCAR Cup Series career, fatherhood has seemingly woven itself into his racing routine.

And while the schedule has only grown tighter, it’s not something the 29-year-old driver shies away from. And with the off-season already underway, Jones recently marked another personal milestone, celebrating his son’s first birthday alongside Thanksgiving, just a few weeks ago.

While Jones has learned to embrace the chaos that comes with balancing racing and family life, that same mindset has translated seemingly once the helmet goes on, and that’s exactly what can be seen in his 2025 campaign.

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Erik Jones’ 2025 season with Johnson’s LMC

Erik Jones and LMC took a noticeable step forward this year, showing clear gains in the second season with Toyota. Jones climbed four spots in the standings from 28th to 24th, while teammate John Hunter Nemechek made an even bigger leap, jumping from 34th to 25th.

The No. 43 team also posted improved results, with Jones recording three more top-five and top-10 finishes than he managed a year ago, a sign of steady progress, even as a return to victory lane and the playoffs remains elusive.

Jones’ standout moment once again came at Darlington, where he played the waiting game late in the Southern 500, hovering behind Chase Briscoe and Tyler Reddick during a tense Toyota battle.

He brought home a third-place finish with JHN right behind in 4th to cap a strong night for LMC. Additional highlights included a top-five at Texas, seventh at Nashville, and a fifth-place run in the Daytona regular-season finale that nearly ended his six-year playoff drought.

As LMC continues to build under Jimmie Johnson’s leadership, Jones heads toward 2026 with growing momentum and renewed optimism.

And it can be said with much certainty that Jones will definitely keep striving and pushing for the best until he hangs up his helmet.