Imagine helping turn a struggling racing team into a championship winner, overseeing a new manufacturer’s arrival, and then walking away just as the operation reaches the front. That is the unexpected next chapter for Carl Faux, who is leaving Walkinshaw TWG Racing to join Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club in NASCAR. After years of building success in Australia’s Supercars Championship, Faux is trading the team principal’s office for a more technical role in the United States. But his explanation for the move is what makes this switch particularly intriguing: he wants to leave the politics behind and focus on the engineering challenges that drew him to racing in the first place.
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“The politics of this is something that I don’t want to experience again.”
That was Faux’s blunt assessment, as reported by V8Sleuth, of his time in Supercars as he explained his decision to join Legacy Motor Club as principal performance engineer. His frustration stems from what he sees as a growing divide between the championship’s stated emphasis on technical parity and the politics influencing how its technical regulations are applied. Faux said that he prefers cold, hard facts and clear rules, adding that being able to do a good job without being penalised for it was an appealing prospect.
His comments carry weight given what he leaves behind. Faux joined Walkinshaw in 2017, initially as a technical consultant, before becoming technical director and eventually team principal in late 2023. During that period, the organisation rebuilt itself into a championship-winning operation, claiming the Bathurst 1000 in 2021 and the 2025 drivers’ title with Chaz Mostert.
Faux also played a key role in the development and introduction of Toyota’s GR Supra Supercar in 2026. Leaving a leadership position at a team he helped rebuild is a considerable career shift, especially when the operation remains a title contender.
The move also comes after a period of public debate over technical regulations in Supercars. In March 2026, Triple Eight boss Jamie Whincup questioned the legality of Walkinshaw’s Toyota Supra chassis, prompting a dispute over its construction and compliance with the rules.
Walkinshaw defended its position, pointing to the approval process and the subsequent changes required. The controversy highlighted the tensions that can emerge when engineering decisions, technical parity and competitive interests collide. Faux has not identified that dispute as the reason for his departure. However, it does offer useful context for his comments about the blurred line between technical governance and politics.
Rather than taking another team principal role, Faux will join a NASCAR organisation trying to strengthen its technical foundation. Legacy Motor Club, co-owned by seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, is preparing to expand from two full-time Cup cars to three in 2027.
Johnson has made clear that growth is about more than adding another entry. The team wants to build its workforce and improve the overall operation. Faux’s experience across touring cars, engineering and team management should give the organisation another perspective as it pursues that goal.
Legacy has also been reshaping its personnel ahead of the expansion. Josh Berry is set to take over the No. 42 Toyota in 2027, while Riley Herbst is expected to drive the new No. 84 entry. The team has brought in experienced leadership as well, naming Michael Guttilla president in April after his time as chief operating officer at Joe Gibbs Racing and a lengthy career in engineering and automotive development. Faux’s appointment fits into that broader effort to add expertise and build a stronger technical organisation around the three-car programme.
For Faux, the challenge will be learning a different racing culture and adapting his experience to NASCAR’s stock-car environment. He spent time with Legacy at Sonoma earlier this year, visiting both the track and the team’s workshop before accepting its offer.
He acknowledged that the move will involve a steep learning curve, but believes the fundamentals remain familiar: engines, tyres, gearboxes and the pursuit of speed. His next chapter is therefore not a rejection of racing itself, but a search for an environment where he can concentrate on performance.
And as Johnson builds Legacy’s future, Faux will have the chance to help shape it from the engineering side.