Jimmie Johnson’s ownership journey at Legacy Motor Club has been far from straightforward. The seven-time Cup Series winner has faced a steep learning curve, ever since he became co-owner of the team in 2023. Underwhelming results on the racetrack have prompted drastic changes, with the team on a seemingly endless rebuild loop as they look to become competitive at NASCAR’s highest level. While attempts have been made to stabilize the team, the absence of a technical alliance means their journey will be slow and full of challenges.

With the team having undergone major restructuring, could Jimmie Johnson’s team finally find its footing in 2025? While fans will be cautiously optimistic ahead of the upcoming campaign, Legacy Motor Club is focused on building a solid foundation, that will help the team achieve success on the racetrack for years to come.

One step forward, two steps back for LMC

It wasn’t the season Legacy Motor Club was hoping for. Having switched their manufacturer from Chevrolet to Toyota, the expectations were high for Jimmie Johnson’s team going into 2024. Despite making a positive start in the Cup Series, with top-ten finishes for Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek at the Daytona 500, neither driver managed to keep the consistency throughout 36 races. As a result, Jones finished the year 28th in the driver rankings while his Nemechek ended up 34th.

Reflecting on Legacy Motor Club’s 2024 campaign, NASCAR Youtuber Eric Estepp said, “Ya’ll know how I feel about Legacy Motor Club. I certainly set my expectations too high coming into 2024. I don’t know where to set my expectations for 25 because they should be high. Second year of Toyota, larger notebook. But at the same time, it kind of feels like Legacy has wasted two years.” The content creator went on to say, “2024 also turned into a rebuilding year because so many executives and crew chiefs came in and out of the team. Today looks so different than it did one year ago. It almost looks like 2025 now is in some ways the first year of the rebuild.”

It’s fair to say that Legacy Motor Club is in it for the long run. Unlike 23XI Racing, which has a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, Jimmie Johnson’s team has opted for its own data infrastructure, reducing the dependency on others. However, what that has done is slowed down their progress considerably, while the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan had a car make it to Championship 4 just four years after the team’s inception. While LMC’s decision might reduce their costs, it also means that overnight success is beyond the realm of possibility.

However, Jimmie Johnson is leaving no stone unturned to change Legacy Motor Club’s fortunes. In the last few months, the team has undergone significant changes, with Jacob Canter joining in as competition director and Chad Johnston being named Manager of Race Engineering. Travis Mack has also come in as crew chief for John Hunter Nemechek, with the hope that the No. 42 Toyota’s fortunes will change in 2025 after a disappointing season. While the changes are a step in the right direction, LMC will need time to become consistent playoff contenders in the Cup Series.

Jimmie Johnson shares his approach for 2025

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Jimmie Johnson is in unfamiliar territory. As one of the most successful drivers in Cup Series history, the 49-year-old isn’t used to struggling on the racetrack. However, not only is he dealing with unfamiliar challenges as team owner of Legacy Motor Club, but his performance as a part-time driver in the No. 84 Toyota is also leaving much to be desired. This year, the California native competed in nine races at NASCAR’s highest level but didn’t finish higher than 26th, which was in the season-ending fixture at Phoenix Raceway.

Taking an objective approach, Johnson is hoping to see improvements at Legacy Motor Club, even if it comes at his own expense. The veteran driver said, “I’m a result-oriented guy. It’s hard not to have that weigh on you at times. Picking a goal, having a reason and a purpose for why we’re running a third car is very helpful.” The former Hendrick Motorsports racer went on to say, “I can’t prep today like I used to prep when I was a full-time driver. Plus, not being a full-time driver, there are a lot of unknowns and details to get these cars around the track.”

With his eyes fixated on the bigger picture, Jimmie Johnson might limit his appearances in the No. 84 car in 2025, so that it doesn’t interfere with the John Hunter Nemechek or Erik Jones’ preparations in any way. While he isn’t closing the curtains on racing just yet, the 49-year-old said, “We will see how many times Jacob [Canter, director of competition at Legacy Motor Club] lets me go out and drive.” Expectations will be higher from Legacy Motor Club, especially after the number of changes that have been made to restructure the team. Will the years of rebuilding finally pay off and indicate that they have taken a big step in the right direction? Time will tell.