“Disappointed” Jimmie Johnson Responds as Richard Petty NASCAR Feud Threatens to Blow Up

It is an incredible achievement to win the NASCAR Cup Series seven times in one’s career. Both Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty have achieved this feat. Having said that, how does it work when such NASCAR legends come together to run a team? Not long ago, Jimmie Johnson confirmed his stake in Richard Petty’s team Petty GMS, now known as Legacy Motor Club.

It all started when Jimmie Johnson marked his return to NASCAR after announcing his retirement in 2020. The 47-year-old will not only be racing as a part-timer in the 2023 season but also actively running the show for Legacy Motor Club. All said and done, it is a massive change for Richard Petty. His recent statements surely indicate how the change isn’t going that well between the two co-owners.

Jimmie Johnson unhappy with Petty’s comments

Speaking in an interview recently, Richard Petty expressed how he has very little say in how things are run at LMC these days. He said, “It’s been strange to me. Most of the time, I ran the majority of the show. Jimmie brought all his people in.

“His way of running things and my way of running things are probably a little bit different. We probably agree on about 50% of what it really comes down to.”

READ MORE: Here’s Why Jimmie Johnson & Richard Petty Decided to Rename Petty GMS to Legacy Motor Club

Petty didn’t hesitate to accept that Jimmie’s sudden rise in power bothers him. “They don’t take over the racing part, they take over the front office,” The 85-year-old said. “With sponsorships, appearances, and all that stuff, Jimmie’s crowd is kind of controlling that.

“That’s something I never had to put up with, I guess. He’s basically going to wind up running the show in four or five years completely,” he said.

To this Jimmie expressed his disappointment given how public Petty went with his comments. He replied, “Of course, we’ll have conversations. He’s not expressed them to me, for starters. Honestly, there are a lot of moving pieces to this. There are business decisions that are taking place between Mr. Gallagher and the Petty family before I ever arrived.

“Those are details that are just not my place to say. But a lot of what Richard is speaking to is based on business decisions that he and his family have made and they aren’t relative to my involvement.”

He also went on to add, “He’s always been so kind and wonderful to me,” adding, “He’s the last person I fist-pumped before I rolled off pit lane and won my seventh championship.”

What does this mean for Legacy Motor Club?

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While Richard Petty did accept that the team needed a change given the progress in recent years, the timing of his statements is questionable. Jimmie Johnson is looking good with his comeback and currently needs Petty’s backing.

He qualified for the Daytona 500 by being the quickest among the open cars. For now, his target must be to have a respectable finish at The Great American Race. Moreover, we will know how his influence helps his new teammates Erik Jones and Noah Gragson at Daytona.

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It will be interesting to see if Jimmie manages to win the Daytona for the third time in his career. Post the race, maybe he can sit down with Richard Petty and think about a solution going forward before things get out of hand.