“Michael Jordan Is in This Sport for a Reason” – Jimmie Johnson Reveals That He Turned Down an Ownership Offer From Hendrick Motorsports, As He Talks About Everything That Changed in the Sport to Convince Him to Give Legacy Motor Club a Shot

As Jimmie Johnson gears up to make his return to the NASCAR Cup Series with Legacy Motor Club, he admits to having been offered to take an ownership role at Hendrick Motorsports. However, he turned the opportunity down purely because the business side of NASCAR made no sense to him.

But a lot of things have changed since then.

Jimmie Johnson is a name that needs no introduction. But what might shock the community is the fact that he was once offered to take over the #48 team by Rick Hendrick. However, the seven-time champ turned it down because the ownership side of NASCAR made no sense to him at all. 

Johnson revealed, “Back in the peak of my career driving for Mr. Hendrick, he offered me an opportunity to be involved on an ownership side with the #48 Car and Hendrick Motorsports. But the model was different than, you know, and that’s the way most forms of auto racing exist and take place.” 

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To be fair, it’s no surprise that he didn’t want to take a risk back then. But since then, NASCAR has introduced the charter system as well as the many changes in the business structure and sponsorships that really had a big role in Legacy Motor Club.

A lot of things have changed on the ownership side, convincing Jimmie Johnson to give it a shot

There have been a lot of new things in NASCAR since Johnson’s peak in the sport. Which seems a little unbelievable because it really wasn’t too long ago. But the seven-time champ explained what exactly went down in the sport since then as he said, “But with the race teams form in the Race Team Alliance, the charter system that’s come into play, the rev share that’s been helpful and hopefully more helpful in yours to come. Based on media rights the business model is starting to make sense.” 

Of course, a big proof of concept is that Michael Jordan is in the sport, adding to Johnson’s argument, “And you know, Michael Jordan is in the sport for a reason. You know, it’s starting to make sense. And these are the early days. I think of NASCAR really becoming a sports franchise. These opportunities within the sport. Owning cars on car numbers. Owning the charter. We at that moment where it’s really starting to make sense.”

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Considering the new teams that have entered the sport and continue to enter, it sure seems like NASCAR has formed a solid business structure. Yet the owners argue about the profits they receive from TV. So is the top class of stock car racing really as sound as Jimmie makes it seem?