Jimmie Johnson coming back to NASCAR for a second stint as a part driver and a part-owner has to be one of the biggest storylines going forward into the season. But while his comeback is largely taken well by everyone, the rebrand of his new team isn’t something everyone is fond of, including Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Johnson’s arrival in the Richard Petty and Maurice Gallagher-owned Petty GMS Motorsports made sure the Petty name was effectively gone from the sport. The new team with the new partners came out to be Legacy Motor Club.

This rebranding was something a lot of NASCAR fans highly approved of when it was announced.

But Earnhardt Jr., as he recently expressed, felt the new name wasn’t all that good.

“What the hell?” – Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the Legacy Motor Club’s name

Speaking in a recent segment of Ask Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr. called out the name change of Petty GMS Motorsports to Legacy Motor Club after Jimmie Johnson’s arrival.

“I, on the other hand, didn’t love the rebrand,” he said. “What the hell? Legacy Motor Club? What is this?”

But when his co-host Mike Davis reiterated his point that Johnson might taint his legacy with his comeback, and the fact that Junior isn’t a fan of the new name, Junior replied, “That’s not Jimmie’s legacy.”

“It’s like anything else. A year from now, it will be fine. A year from now, like a name change for maybe an NFL team. Nobody loves it right out of the gate. Maybe a year later we don’t like it,” he continued.

“But at some point, you’re like, ‘It just kinda sticks.'”

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Nothing Jimmie Johnson can do in 2023 will taint his legacy, Earnhardt feels

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Addressing the notion of whether Johnson coming back to the sport and possibly having a bad season will have an effect on his legacy, Dale Jr. claimed that there’s nothing the seven-timer can do which would alter how everyone perceives him and his legacy.

“I don’t have an expectation of where he should or could finish. I don’t think it’s gonna change anything about the way I feel about his legacy if he goes out there and doesn’t have a good time or good runs,” Jr. said.

“No way in hell all those championships in a row, I mean, nobody’s gonna do that again”

Junior emphasized once again, this time from a personal standpoint, that there is nothing that can happen in the coming season in NASCAR, which would change how he looks at Jimmie Johnson’s legacy. And a big part of that was just how dominant he was during his five-in-a-row stretch.

With that said, do you agree with Earnhardt’s opinion?

Let us know in the comments below.

Also Read: Mr “Ready to Grind Out” Jeff Gordon Breaks Silence on Hendrick Motorsports Return Amid Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR Comeback