How Legacy Motor Club Has Had the Strongest Off Season for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series

Heading into the 2024 season, many teams are eyeing to size up their operations, with 23XI purchasing a bigger home for future Cup Series teams and Kaulig Racing dismissing any potential charter sales. But perhaps no entrant from that part of the field is as prepared as Legacy Motor Club.

The Jimmie Johnson co-owned outfit has essentially built the perfect squad for success in 2024. From bringing in two additional talents in the form of Trevor Bayne as Competition Advisor and Corey Heim to teaming up with Matt Kenseth, let’s take a look at all the changes and plans that the side has implemented over the winter break.

Legacy Motor Club wasted no time during the winter break as they prepared for the 2024 season

Perhaps the biggest news coming from Legacy Motor Club as of late is the entrance of the 2023 Truck Series champion Corey Heim as a simulator and reserve driver paired with 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne taking on the role of Driver Optimization Leader. Not only has Heim shown his ability in the Craftsman Truck Series with five wins for Toyota but the fact is that 23XI has also chosen him as their reserve driver. This means Legacy Motor Club will certainly be in the right hands if things go south.

Speaking of Toyota, the team’s switch from Chevrolet to the frontrunners that power Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI will lead to increased expectations in 2024. And while Jimmie Johnson had to unfortunately bid farewell to the Chevy family after three decades together, the future is brighter than ever.

Johnson was quoted by Blackbook Motorsport as he shared, “It’s something we need to do, and to have this deep alignment and partnership with Toyota, it’s been a fun period of time to get to know them and really understand their passion and how much our core values truly align.” And that isn’t all the good news that the crew has been able to put together.

Only recently, the Fortune 500 company, Dollar Tree, signed a major team sponsorship deal with Legacy Motor Club for the entire 38-race season. While 2024 will be just the beginning of this newfound relationship, the three-year agreement is extremely rare in modern times and could be worth anywhere around $10 million annually, according to a report by Sport’s Business Journal.

Last but certainly not least among the changes for 2024, the NASCAR community was greeted by a pleasant surprise back in October when Legacy Motor Club announced that Matt Kenseth would come onboard as a competition advisor. During a career that spanned across two decades, Kenseth bagged 39 wins at 19 venues on the Cup Series calendar. Not only has he won two Daytona 500s, a Southern 500, and a Coca-Cola 600, but he also has the honor of being the rightful owner of the 2004 International Race of Champions (IROC) title.

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So not only has Legacy Motor Club secured a stellar sponsorship deal with a company worth over $30 billion in market capital but it has also hired some of the best drivers and advisors it possibly could for the 2024 season. With that said, the only variable that remains is the two full-time drivers that will carry this whole project forward.

Can John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones capitalize on Johnson’s efforts?

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While Jimmie Johnson is certainly making waves with the team’s business deals, the case could certainly be the same for both John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones. Starting with the driver of the #42 Toyota, Nemechek already showcased his fierce determination by finishing fourth in the Xfinity Series last year, even bringing home seven wins and seventeen top-fives. While this will be his second full-time shot in the Cup Series, the young driver has certainly honed his craft and will be a beneficial asset.

Assisting John Hunter Nemechek will be the experienced Erik Jones, who is looking to finally find his momentum in the Cup Series after seven full-time seasons. While 2023 was a lackluster result for Jones owing to just a single top-five, the switch from Chevy to Toyota could help. Why, you may ask? Jones won his Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series title in a Toyota, of course. And frankly, the 27-year-old has a much better shot this year with all the changes brought in by Jimmie Johnson.

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So now that we’ve summed up Legacy Motor Club’s major moves to secure a better season, do you think Nemechek and Jones can make the most of the new opportunity? Or will reserve driver Corey Heim have to step in?