Jimmie Johnson Warns Cup Series Rivals of a ‘Real Evolution’ at LMC

Legacy Motor Club could very well be eyeing a turnaround at Kansas, and surprisingly, Jimmie Johnson’s #84 Toyota was the fastest in qualifying between all three cars for the Advent Health 400. Mr. 7x will start his advance from the 19th spot, aiming to equal Denny Hamlin’s record for the most race wins at the 1.5-mile oval.

Toyota Racing Development’s newest allies have faced many difficulties till now in the 2024 season. With three top-10s and an average finish of 22.8, LMC leaves a lot to the collective imagination of fans waiting for an upturn in fortunes for Jimmie Johnson’s race team. But Kansas could indeed be a real turning point, and the Hall of Famer turned Camry XSE rookie certainly believes they’re getting closer to the ultimate objective—race wins.

Legacy Motor Club & Jimmie Johnson eye a Kansas turnaround with qualifying speed

Jimmie Johnson’s most recent outings in the Sunflower State, in his final full-time year of 2020 yielded finishes below P30. Nevertheless, the new #84 running his fourth ‘part-time’ race this season at Kansas with a NextGen instrument warrants more than just a competitive edge. After all, one should never doubt a seven-time NASCAR champion’s ability to pull rabbits out of his hat in his racecar. But a stint that serves the sole primary purpose of a third data point for Legacy has many questioning if Jimmie is finally getting accustomed to an unfamiliar platform with more seat time.

Heading into consecutive weekends where he will switch his owner’s perspective for a driver’s point of view, pre-race conversations with the media revealed JJ’s evolutionary lens amidst a difficult stretch for Legacy Motor Club. Zach Sturniolo of NASCAR.com asked JJ, “How much does that [back-to-back race weekends] help you adjust to finding the right feel that you need behind the wheel?” 

Jimmie Johnson churned out an encouraging answer to this question, as he replied, “It’s really helped me inside the car and I look forward to expanding on that this weekend and then coming back for the 600 and a lot more mile and a half in general that I’ll run this year.” 

“I know it doesn’t show it now but being around and being in the car I think is going to really help our competition department as well,” explained Jimmie Johnson, the co-owner.

Embracing the hurdles and expressing positive emotions for LMC’s future advances, he then concluded, “This year has been more challenging for us in a lot of ways than we anticipated but I do think we’re getting closer to the consistent pace that we hope to have, and should have, week in and week out. So there’s there’s a real evolution taking place right now and I’m hopeful that we can really show that on track this weekend as a group.”

With the Toyotas sweeping all four races in the NextGen era at Kansas, Legacy’s alliances certainly place all three cars in prime position for a better result at the Advent Health 400. But with permanent full-time driver Erik Jones sidelined due to a back injury and replaced by rookie Corey Heim and John Hunter Nemechek’s recent string of finishes at P20 and below, will a better result even be that easy in the vibrant background of early-season JGR-HMS dominance at Kansas?

A potential thorn in Legacy’s Kansas plans?

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Nemechek qualified in P29, while Corey Heim will start behind Johnson in P20 in only the second Cup Series start of his career. However, J.H. Nemechek is no stranger to victory lane in Kansas, winning two Xfinity Series races and a Truck Series race at the mile-and-a-half racetrack. Moreover, as it is common knowledge that Jimmie Johnson is still acclimating himself to his NextGen #84 Toyota, Nemechek could very well emerge as the surprise contender for a largely unpredictable showcase.

Even Corey Heim boasts two ARCA victories at Kansas, falling just short of a Truck Series victory early last year. Hence, Legacy’s fortunes on Sunday can surprise the viewers greatly, with a little help from the dominant Toyotas. On the other hand, another underdog team, also representing the Japanese manufacturers, can throw a wrench in LMC’s Kansas plans based on their absolute alignment with the tri-oval in recent times: 23XI Racing.

Kansas Speedway might as well be 23XI’s lucky charm. They’ve crushed the competition there three times in a row since the debut of the NextGen car, with a different driver stepping up to the plate each time. But with Christopher Bell picking up the pole award for the Advent Health 400, Joe Gibbs Racing will enter Kansas with the best shot for a Toyota victory with the #20 team. Although the speculations are rife, Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club will certainly hope for a better outing in Kansas on Sunday.