Ahead Of A Nascar Milestone, Jimmie Johnson Is An Optimistic Team Owner

Seven-time Nascar Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is as cool as a cucumber entering this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The “House that Jimmie built” will be the site of his 700th career Cup Series start on Sunday, becoming just the 21st driver to hit such a milestone. In honor of Johnson’s accomplishment, he will be sporting a special No. 84 paint scheme for Nascar’s longest race. Carvana and he have teamed up to have the well-known fluorescent yellow numbers with American flags in honor of Memorial Day.

“It’s been an incredible journey and it’s hard to believe that I’m at 700 starts – that’s a big number,” Johnson, who has eight wins at the 1.5-mile track, said. “I’m in a bit of shock. Certainly, there’s a lot of pride in the road that’s been traveled. I think back to the friendships, relationships, overcoming tragedy, there’s been celebration, and it’s been such a journey. I’m grateful for the journey.”

Johnson, who hasn’t raced on a 1.5-mile track since last October at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, is optimistic about this weekend’s race.

“I believe I can go out there and win, and I don’t want to overshadow that,” Johnson said. “But it’s a tough race and a tough series. I feel like a top-10 run would be a big accomplishment for us.

“For me, it’s about the marquee events and finding important stories to tell. There are various elements for me that are different for motivation. It’s different for me than when I was a full-time driver. I want to help our partners and our company. My first start was at Charlotte, Carvana has a deep involvement and presence in the Charlotte area. There’s a lot of layers here that make sense.”

For years, Johnson had Charlotte “figured out,” he said. When driving for Hendrick Motorsports, he led a whopping 1,936 laps at Charlotte in 37 starts.

It will be a busy weekend for the Nascar Hall of Famer. The once-NTT IndyCar Series driver will be pulling his own version of Kyle Larson’s “The Double” on Sunday.

Johnson will be driving a car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with NFL legend Tom Brady as part of IndyCar’s “Fastest Seat in Sports” program.

“I’m so thrilled to go back to Indy and see the incredible view of the racetrack from a racecar,” Johnson said of heading to Indianapolis on Sunday morning. “I get to take my buddy TB around the track. I’ve been trying to threaten him a bit that I’m going to scare him and make him spoil his firesuit. I’m not sure he’s buying into it. But I’m looking forward to showing him a good time there.”

Johnson competed in the IndyCar Series for two seasons. In 2021, he only raced at road courses before tackling ovals, including the Indy 500, in 2022. He qualified 12th and led three laps before a late-race crash ended his day.

This year, with all of the talk surrounding Larson’s attempt to complete 1,100 miles at Indianapolis and Charlotte, Johnson was considering it, as well.

“I had a shot at it this year, and I passed on it,” Johnson said. “Back in my peak days of being a Nascar driver, I pursued it but there were some complications that prevented it from happening. It was always a dream. Where I am now and being in an IndyCar once a year, it’s not where I need to be. I passed on the opportunity.

“I have major FOMO of Larson and what an incredible opportunity for him. I’ll be cheering him on. The better he does, the more interest it draws worldwide for motor sports in the U.S.”

Life as the owner of Legacy Motor Club has been anything but simple for Johnson. He previously teamed up with Maury Gallagher as owner of the team, and Johnson is now the majority stakeholder in the team. Earlier this year, Knighthead Capital Management also announced it has invested in the two-car team.

“It’s a work in progress,” Johnson said. “I’m trying to find my style. There’s a lot to this that’s new. I don’t want to assume that I’m some master businessman and understand various elements that are really required.

“I know people. I know competition. I certainly know this industry. The areas that I have great confidence in, I’m leaning further into those areas. I’m trying to surround myself with the best people I can who are the smartest people to teach me, guide me and keep me out of trouble along the way.”

Legacy Motor Club made a plethora of changes after a difficult 2024 season. In Johnson’s second season as owner of the team, his two full-time drivers – Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek – combined to only have six top 10s. Through 12 races in 2025, the team is finally finding its ground, matching that amount already, including Johnson’s third-place finish in the Daytona 500.

“How you build speed into a car, it’s an entirely new way to go about it,” Johnson said of the challenges of the Next Gen car. “It involves a lot of small, minor refinements to the vehicle. You can’t practice your cars and you can’t test. The whole process is really different. It’s ultimately about creating a philosophy. Finding people that really buy in this philosophy is a lot harder and the way we construct it is how we’ve found success recently.”

Johnson is also serving as a mentor for his two drivers. But he’s not doing so in the way many in the industry would imagine. Rather than giving advice about specific setups or techniques to tackle tracks, he’s teaching them about life.

“It’s more about leadership on their own behalfs and leading their own teams,” Johnson explained. “They’re the quarterback of the team. Not only for the road crew, but for the race shop itself. We’re around 130 personnel that make up Legacy Motor Club, and those are our two star players.

“The more time goes on, the more important people are in this industry. Collaboration is everything.”

Now, as the team begins to succeed on the track, Johnson is attempting to expand to three full-time cars, with a fourth part-time entry that he will drive. However, the organization is currently suing Rick Ware Racing about the acquisition of a third charter.

Without going into details about the lawsuit, Johnson believes Knighthead Capital’s investment allows the team “to think differently.”

“We can maximize resources to be competitive as possible, and expanding to a third car is that,” Johnson said. “More personnel, more cars on track, more simulator time. From a competitive standpoint, the more cars you have on track, the better your odds are to win and have success.”

The Coca-Cola 600 will be the first live Nascar race streaming on Amazon Prime Video, with the green flag set for 6 p.m. ET. on Sunday, May 25.