Through 21 years and 7 Cup Series championships, Chevrolet and NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson stuck together. But now, Toyota has come into the picture. 2023 was Johnson’s maiden year as a co-owner at the offices of Legacy Motor Club. Though the team had been running Johnson’s beloved Chevrolet cars even when it was known as Petty GMS Motorsports, less than one year into his commemoration he decided to do away with the manufacturer.
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Announced last May, the change from Chevrolet to Toyota was an engine waiting to kick off in the offseason. And now that the racing season is long over, Johnson finally bids adieu to his long-term car maker of choice.
Jimmie Johnson shares a heartfelt message with Chevrolet
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Legacy Motor Club’s preparation to set into the factories of Toyota Racing Development was to begin with a six-car test at the Phoenix Raceway this month. As the day fast approaches, Jimmie Johnson has sent Chevrolet an emotional farewell message. In a video on the team’s “X” handle, the champion’s voice could be heard in the background thanking the carmaker for their contributions to his success as a driver and team owner.
Behind his Chevrolet in the garages of Rick Hendrick, Johnson won 83 Cup races and raked in multiple Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600s. A true gist of his #48 car’s domination can be seen in the fact that it led him to 7 championships in just 11 seasons. With the sport’s most successful driver-manufacturer combination parting ways after two decades, an era of racing officially comes to an end. At the same time, a new one begins with Toyota.
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What does the transition to Toyota mean for Legacy Motor Club?
For Legacy Motor Club, 2023 was more sort of a test run to see what was wrong under the hood. And as it turns out, a lot is. Tugging to the finish line with the help of temporary drivers in the #42 car, Johnson signed Xfinity star John Hunter Nemechek as a full-time driver. His other driver Erik Jones also did not have a bright year with just one top-5 finish and no victory lane visits. However, the coming year could potentially be a complete change of scene for the team.
Erik Jones has a long-standing connection with Toyota. He won the 2015 Truck Series championship under the company’s driver development program. John Hunter Nemechek too has strong experience running Toyotas in the Xfinity Series. Their pasts can reflect well on the track come 2024. Jimmie Johnson said at the time of the announcement in May that moving to Toyota would allow the team to “control their own destiny”.
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Just a few days back Toyota came out with its new car for next year, the Camry XSE. With new design changes the car is expected to be a much better variant of its 2023 self and compete harder with its contenders, Ford’s Dark Horse and Chevrolet’s Zl1. Hopefully, having Legacy Motor Club as its 3rd team will prove to be a successful venture for the Japanese carmaker.
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