The Legacy Motor Club has been around since 2023, and co-owner Jimmie Johnson believes that the team is finally putting the puzzle together in terms of becoming a serious Cup Series title contender. That said, there are no shortcuts being taken.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
As the team continues building towards 2027, Johnson took an opportunity to clarify that it is not relying on an existing technical powerhouse like Joe Gibbs Racing. Instead, it is building its own engineering and personnel structure, even if it is the more difficult path.
“We don’t have an alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, and we’ve really been trying to build a partnership with them and do that by hiring the right people and having the right aero engineering group, the chassis engineering group, all these different layers,” Johnson said in an interaction with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Having an alliance with a tier-1 team is common in NASCAR. 23XI Racing has had a jump start thanks to their direct alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing. Similarly, Spire Motorsports has an alliance with Hendrick Motorsports. Each OEM has their top team, and then the resources flow through that funnel. While Legacy Motor Club is a Toyota team, they want to build their program on their own.
Johnson was also asked if 2027 is the point when the team should realistically begin contending for wins. Johnson said, “No, it’s not too much to ask. You know, that’s what we expect of ourselves.”
In fact, the seven-time Cup Series champion believes that Legacy has shown glimpses of race-winning potential before the summer, but after that, things have become more difficult than expected. Johnson attributed some of that downturn to the nature of racing, while also acknowledging events where the team simply failed to meet its expectations.
“We really feel like we can win a race with one of the cars this year. We had a couple of looks before the summer. Summer was a little more difficult on us than we expected. Some just bad luck and what happens in racing. A few disappointing events as well where we had higher expectations, but this still isn’t easy.”
Erik Jones and the No. 43 team were particularly strong at Michigan with a P2 and a P5 finish at Atlanta. But consistent speed and performance throughout the season are what’s missing from the LMC camp. And when you’re up against the best in the business, the climb is even more daunting.
“When you watch the big teams like Hendrick, Gibbs, Penske, everybody finds a challenging spot in the year and we have as well, but we are building,” Johnson added.
The Legacy co-owner insists that it is playing a long-term game, and that seems to reflect in its broader plans. The team will expand to a three-car Cup Series operation next season. However, while John Hunter Nemechek is making way for Josh Berry, Erik Jones recently signed a multi-year extension to remain with the No. 43 Toyota.
Crew chief Justin Alexander will also continue with Jones, giving the team continuity around one of its core groups. According to a team statement posted on NASCAR.com, the team views Jones as a cornerstone of its longer-term plans. Not to forget, they’ve brought Josh Berry to the No. 42 team, and he’s been really impressive in his final season with Wood Brothers and the No. 21 team.
Johnson did, however, admit that part of him remains reluctant to make an overly bold prediction while there is still racing left on the current schedule. He said, “I’m trying to be reserved because a competitor in me wants to win this coming weekend. I know it’s out there for us, but we’ll keep building.”
For Johnson, the objective is to build an organization that eventually becomes capable of standing alongside the established giants. While he also believes a victory could still come in 2026, he is keeping his hopes up for what Legacy can become in 2027 and beyond.