Two legends of American sports—one a seven-time NASCAR champ, the other a seven-time Super Bowl winner—sitting down for breakfast at the Super Bowl, swapping stories and dreaming big! That’s the scene Jimmie Johnson painted recently, and it’s got fans buzzing about his newfound friendship with NFL icon Tom Brady.
The connection comes through Tom Wagner, the co-founder of Knighthead Capital Management, a $10 billion investment firm that’s making waves in sports. Wagner, who spearheaded a 2023 takeover of Birmingham City FC in the English Football League, brought Brady on as a minority owner and advisory board member for the club. With investments in pickleball, endurance racing, and now a shared Indy 500 venture, Wagner’s sports empire is the bridge that’s brought Johnson and Brady together. Uniting two titans in a $2.1 billion business partnership.
Their bond isn’t just about business, though—it’s personal, heartfelt, and rooted in mutual respect for each other’s legendary careers. Johnson’s not slowing down anytime soon, and with Brady by his side, he’s got big plans, both on and off the track. Jimmie Johnson couldn’t hide his excitement when asked about his new friendship with Tom Brady during a recent interview. “Tom Wagner at Knighthead Capital Management and various touch points that Tom has in sports—it’s allowed for TB and I to know each other,” Johnson shared, explaining how Wagner’s sprawling sports investments brought them together. The Knighthead Capital group is also heavily invested in Johnson’s Cup Series team, Legacy Motor Club.
“It’s been really neat for me because I have certainly respected his work and all the comparisons with my career to what he has done, so it’s finally great to connect and hang now. What a solid guy.” Johnson’s admiration is clear, while Brady’s seven Super Bowl rings and five MVP awards mirror Johnson’s own seven NASCAR Cup titles and 83 career wins, making them kindred spirits who’ve dominated their respective sports. Their latest collaboration? Kicking off the 109th Indianapolis 500.
.@JimmieJohnson talks about his friendship with “TB.” Two s pic.twitter.com/CMimzz8jV7
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 25, 2025
The two have been bonding over more than just racing, though. “Yeah, we have had a few opportunities,” Johnson said when asked about sharing breakfast at the Super Bowl. “We’re ultimately just trying to, one, build our relationship, and two, we have so much in common in what we’re trying to do in this next phase of life. It’s welcoming our synergies and the conversations back and forth. Now we try to take our athletic prowess and convert that into some kind of business sense.”
Their Indy 500 venture is a perfect example. Brady, who’s also a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and the UIM E1 electric raceboat team, joined Johnson in the “Fastest Seat in Sports” tradition, riding in the pace car ahead of the race. Johnson, a co-owner of Legacy Motor Club, has been dipping his toes into team ownership, and their shared business ambitions are fueling their partnership, with Knighthead’s $10 billion backing giving them the muscle to make big moves.
Their Indy 500 collaboration is more than just symbolic, but it’s a testament to their aligned goals. Brady, who presented the Borg-Warner Trophy to winner Alex Palou last year, and Johnson, who’s competed in the Indy 500 twice (best finish: 21st in 2022), share a passion for motorsport that’s now blossoming into a business empire. Together, they’re leveraging their “athletic prowess” to build something bigger, from Birmingham City FC to endurance racing, with Wagner’s Knighthead Capital as the glue. Johnson’s four-word praise—“What a solid guy”—captures the heart of a friendship that’s as much about respect as it is about their shared vision for the future.
Johnson shuts down NASCAR retirement rumors
While Jimmie Johnson is busy building a business empire with Tom Brady, he’s also making it clear that his racing days aren’t over yet. On May 24, ahead of his 700th NASCAR Cup Series start at the Coca-Cola 600, Johnson pushed back against retirement rumors with a grin. While it was a theory at first, when Legacy Motor Club posted a video ahead of the Coca-Cola 600 on Instagram. It became a big talking point, so much so that the veteran driver himself had to clear the air.
“No, that’s hilarious, it’s just great editing, proud of our digital department, doing a great job. Last year, I ran nine, it was a little too much for the organization. This year I’m at two. Maybe we do a few more, so as we plan for next year, as long as it doesn’t take away from our full-time cars, we hope to run an uncharted vehicle and have me in it and use, use that to develop talent… Rest assured, there’s more than 700 starts, I’m jumping up and down asking for more race than two,” Johnson explained.
If anything, this will be a special moment for the former HMS driver as he makes his 700th career start at a track where he made his Cup Series debut. Given how young the LMC driver lineup is in terms of adjusting to the new team and a new manufacturer, Johnson’s experience is something both Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek can lean on.
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