Looks like Jimmie Johnson’s vision is finally coming together. After a disastrous 2024, few had any hopes for Legacy Motor Club going into the new Cup Series season. But the team underwent some major personnel changes behind the scenes, and after just 18 races in, John Hunter Nemechek is 23rd in the driver standings while Erik Jones is 16th. A significant improvement with nine top-10 finishes between them. But the seven-time champ isn’t kicking back and relaxing anytime soon.
While team ownership has come with significant ups and downs for the NASCAR Hall of Famer, Johnson is already setting his sights on a more ambitious plan. Having a third Cup Series car for 2026. And with some promising Xfinity Series drivers being touted to fill the role, it’s overshadowing the lawsuit situation with Rick Ware Racing.
Jimmie Johnson has ambitious plans for LMC
It’s been quite a journey for Legacy Motor Club. When Jimmie Johnson entered the fray at the end of 2022, the team was called Petty GMS Racing. But just a few months later, the Gallagher-owned racing operation was rebranded, and another Cup Series car was added in the mix. Unlike other teams, LMC didn’t have a technical alliance with one of the bigger sides, and their strategy was to play the long but sustainable game, even if it meant switching to Toyota. And if the 2025 season is anything to go by, it’s finally paying off.
But Jimmie Johnson isn’t satisfied just yet. Having taken majority ownership of Legacy Motor Club earlier this year, the legendary driver is keen to add another Cup Series car into the mix. He said on the Never Settle podcast, “We’re looking to expand to a third car, and hope to announce some stuff here in the near future around that.” The veteran also shared a timeline for the same, saying, “It’s our intention and ambitions to put a third car on the grid in 2026. Worst case scenario, ’27, but we’re working hard to make 26 happen.”
With the team making some major strides in the Cup Series lately, Johnson won’t be compromising on the driver who will eventually fill the third seat at Legacy Motor Club. While they aren’t looking for an established superstar, the 49-year-old said, “When you look through the Xfinity Series, Connor Zilisch, Jesse Love. I think you also look through the garage area in the Cup Series, and there’s some young talent that took early steps to get into vehicles.” Fair to say, there are plenty of promising drivers the team can consider.
Jimmie Johnson on a 3rd @LEGACYMotorClub car: “It’s our intentions and ambitions to put a third car on the grid in 2026. Worst case scenario, ’27, but we’re working hard to make 26 happen.”
Johnson said he is impressed with Connor Zilisch and Jesse Love specifically. #NASCAR https://t.co/sngg1WPhaK
— Jonathan Fjeld (@Jonathan_Fjeld) June 30, 2025
Jesse Love already has a connection to Toyota, which could make the move a lot easier. Even though he’s currently driving a Chevy for Richard Childress Racing in the Xfinity Series, he did race with the Japanese manufacturer before putting pen to paper. That could make all the difference. Meanwhile, Connor Zilisch will be a tougher prospect to get on board, simply because of his stature and his existing contract with Trackhouse Racing. But stranger things have happened in NASCAR.
Legacy Motor Club’s legal drama heats up
While Jimmie Johnson’s team is showing significant improvement on the track, there’s plenty of drama in the courtroom as well. Earlier this year, Legacy Motor Club sued Rick Ware Racing for trying to illegally back out of a charter sale despite signing the required documents. Both teams currently own two charters, but RWR has leased one of them to RFK Racing for the No. 60 entry. And now, things have taken a messy turn.
As things stand, Rick Ware Racing is countersuing Legacy Motor Club, and said that if they were forced to sell this charter to Johnson’s team, they “would have no charter under which to race and would go out of business. For this reason, RWR would never have agreed (and unequivocally did not agree) to sell Charter No. 27 in advance of the 2026 season.” According to the court documents, there was confusion about which charter was being sold.
Rick Ware Racing also has Charter No. 36, which is currently being used by Cody Ware for the No. 51 RWR entry. The team is claiming that Jimmie Johnson’s side named Charter No. 27 in the original suit, but the deal was allegedly for the other charter, which would invalidate the agreement. The team also claims they tried to return the $750,000 deposit, but Legacy Motor Club refused. Looks like the road to having a third car for LMC will be full of challenges. Perhaps that’s why JJ isn’t able to share a clear timeline for the same.
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