As Legacy Motor Club Takes Shape, Nascar Champion Jimmie Johnson Identifies His Own Legacy

Jimmie Johnson is accustomed to walking through the busy streets of New York City. From 2006-2008, Johnson was the star of the Nascar Awards Banquet during a streak of five-straight championships, held at the famed Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue.

At the time, his baby-faced smile adorned the cover of magazines and newspapers across the country. Fame seemed to be a second nature for the Californian. Even when Nascar transferred its annual New York City visit to Las Vegas (now held in Nashville), Johnson and his wife Chandra had an affinity for the Big Apple.

Come 2009, the couple began living in a luxury apartment in the West Village. Manhattan became part of Johnson’s life, a sign that he became a celebrity.

Fast forward to 2023 and Johnson is an international motor sports figure, one who people associate with greatness. As he settles into his new role as co-owner and part-time driver for the freshly coined Legacy Motor Club, he is walking around New York in a different way.

The way he discusses life in the city, even just for a day trip with his young Legacy Motor Club drivers Noah Gragson and Erik Jones, shows how different he is compared to his mid-20s self. Now, he’s the veteran voice; the mentor. He is the ultimate tour guide to success.

On this day, his entire team accompanies him to New York, making appearances on the Today Show and with Barstool Sports. Even with a touch of gray in his beard at 47 years old, he is as energetic as ever. He is embracing his new role as a guide, and he thoroughly loves this new challenge.

“I never saw myself as a team owner,” Johnson said on Wednesday at a Midtown restaurant. “The summer was a moment of growth and having awareness of the opportunity at hand. I acted on it. I’m thoroughly excited. I accomplished plenty behind the wheel. Now, I’m taking that experience and expertise, lessons learned, work ethic, drive, love of the sport and learning how to apply it in a different way.”

Legacy Motor Club’s ownership group — Johnson, Allegiant Air Chairman and CEO Maury Gallagher and seven-time Nascar champion Richard Petty — decided to create their own legacy. For the first time in Nascar history, the word “Petty” will not be part of a team name. That’s OK, though, with Nascar’s winningest driver.

There is no doubt that creating a long lasting legacy — like Petty — is on Johnson’s mind as he walks the streets of New York.

“It’s wild,” Johnson said, looking back at his first few trips as a champion to New York City. “We were on top of 30 Rock and it might’ve been the first time for Noah. You’re high up and I’m in this head space of knowing what I’ve experienced and my journey 25 years later, watching these guys early in their career. It’s been surreal.”

How did Jimmie Johnson become a Nascar team owner?

Johnson and Gallagher first began speaking in the summer of 2022. Gallagher purchased the majority interest of what was formerly known as Richard Petty Motorsports, renaming it to Petty GMS ahead of the 2022 Nascar Cup Series season.

The team expanded to two cars (Jones and Ty Dillon were the team’s first drivers), and it created a path for Gallagher to bring his winning ways from the Craftsman Truck Series over to the Cup Series. Petty’s team already had equipment, and Gallagher was actively searching for one of the 36 charters to lock his car into each race. The deal with Petty helped combine forces, and the team was off to the races with cars No. 42 and 43, both synonymous to the Petty legacy.

Jones, a former Joe Gibbs Racing driver, joined the team in 2021 when it was primarily owned by Andrew Murstein. He earned six top 10s in his first year before the merger. But in 2022, Jones excelled with first-year Cup crew chief Dave Elenz. He earned a victory in the Southern 500 – one of Nascar’s marquee events – at Darlington Raceway, his first since 2019, along with 13 top 10s on the year. His 147 laps led was the most for any of the team’s drivers since Kasey Kahne and AJ Allmendinger in 2010.

The team’s alliance with Chevrolet was certainly notable. While working with Richard Childress Racing, Jones often out-performed several larger teams in 2022.

Meanwhile, Johnson was racing in the NTT IndyCar Series. Since he retired from full-time Nascar competition in 2020, he had to learn how to race open-wheel cars from scratch and in his mid-40s. It was no easy feat, and Johnson admittedly struggled with Chip Ganassi Racing on road courses.

But after testing on ovals in 2021, Johnson decided to complete the entire 17-race schedule last year, even with the danger of racing at roughly 230 mph. The grind was not easy. Johnson broke his hand during an April practice session for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

He accomplished one of his major goals: Competing in the Indianapolis 500. He even led two laps during the race and ran competitive lap times before ultimately crashing out with seven laps left in the 200-lap contest. Better yet, he was among the top 12 qualifiers.

In July, he earned his only IndyCar top five with a fifth-place result at Iowa Speedway. At the same time, he was starting up conversations with Gallagher about investing in the team.

“There’s a wave in Nascar, and I wanted to come home and be a part of it,” Johnson said.

A wise investor at heart, Johnson began thinking about his legacy. His competitiveness would not suddenly disappear when he stops racing altogether. Instead, he wanted to build a team into a champion. With Chevrolet, his longtime Nascar OEM, backing Petty GMS, the partnership made sense.

“I’m always looking for opportunities,” Johnson said. “The ownership idea has been something I’ve looked at for a little while now, not only just in Nascar but also in IndyCar.”

So Johnson spoke with his IndyCar Series team owner, Chip Ganassi, and told him he won’t return for a third season behind the wheel of the No. 48 Honda. Johnson was coming home.

Most of all, he’s genuinely excited about the challenges that will present themselves. This is a champion who never wants to stop being a student of the business of the sport, just like his mentor, four-time Cup Series champion and Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon.

“I have so much to learn in this capacity,” Johnson said. “I certainly know how to build up drivers, the competition department, going to the racetrack, going racing, I have a lot of experience there.

“In many aspects, I’m a rookie. I have the yellow stripe on my blazer and I know I’m a rookie in the office, the board room and in meetings. Being aware of my lack of knowledge in some areas and listening is a big part of this.”

Johnson will also be continuing his partnership with Carvana, the used car company that is known for its car vending machine, starting with the 2023 Daytona 500. The firm also just announced it is the new title sponsor of the Professional Pickleball Association.

Johnson, who has 83 career Cup Series wins, will look to earn his 84th in the No. 84 car, his new number. While it is a lofty task, he admits, he believes it is certainly possible.

“That’s why I’m putting the helmet on,” Johnson said. “I still feel like I can win and I’m excited to get on track.”

And the new team name itself is a sign of what’s to come from Johnson. His own legacy will take shape thanks to the Legacy Motor Club.

“This is a huge opportunity in front of me,” he said. “We wanted to find something that honors the past and what we all bring to the table. At the same point in time, we needed something that’s inspiring for our young drivers and anyone who comes into the team. Certainly, there is a legacy I want to create outside of the car. There’s the legacy that Mr. Gallagher wants to create in motor sports himself. It’s a fitting name for us.”

If all goes according to plan, Johnson’s race team will be one where winning and enjoying life is of the essence.