Legacy Motor Club will field Toyotas in the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2024, it announced May 2.
The team, which runs two full-time Cup teams and one part-time outfit, currently operates with Chevrolets.
“Maury Gallagher [co-owner] and I are very excited about the partnership with Toyota and TRD beginning in 2024,” Legacy co-owner Jimmie Johnson said in a team release. “We admire and respect the level at which Toyota conducts their business in this sport and look forward to forging a new legacy for the future.
“I will always be appreciative to Chevrolet and everything we have accomplished together. I’m so thankful they took a chance on a kid from California so long ago and proud that the history books will forever memorialize our record-breaking success we shared.”
“We are humbled and delighted to welcome Legacy Motor Club into the Toyota and TRD NASCAR family,” David Wilson, Toyota Racing Development president, added. “Jimmie Johnson and Maury Gallagher have impressed us with their long-term vision and commitment to building a championship caliber organization. More importantly, their character and values are aligned with ours and our current Cup Series partners, Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing. Of course, we also look forward to being reunited with our old friends, Erik Jones and Noah Gragson.”
Legacy, in its first year under its new name after previously operating as Petty GMS, fields the Nos. 42 and 43 full time for Noah Gragson and Erik Jones.
A part-time ride for co-owner Johnson, the No. 84, has also competed in 2023.
Through 11 races in 2023, Jones is 24th in points with two top 10s, while Gragson is 32nd.
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Probably a very smart move by Jimmie. From what Richard said, it’s Jimmie who is calling all the shots for the team, from the little things to the big things. If Jimmie gets all the shared Toyota information, which I’m sure he will, he’s got two drivers better than bubba imo. It might take a couple of years, but it might not.
LOL… Petty has changed manufacturers more than most change (use your imagination).
Any bets they will be with Ford in four years.
What if Dodge comes back?
Jimmie relies on mulligans. His entire career was defined by “do overs”.
He didn’t get that in IndyCar. That’s why he’s back in NASCAR.
I’m sure this was “The Club’s” intentions from the beginning.
I’m not surprised to see Jones back with Toyota, I just never would have expected it to happen in this manor.
His late father was a friend of mine and I know Erik had a lot of supporters at Toyota Racing, in particular Lee White the past president of TRD. I think he was only replaced at Gibbs because Bell brought sponsorship with him. The real surprising thing about this is with Johnson’s connections to Hendrick and Gordon, I expected Legendary to switch alliances from Childress to Hendrick at some point, not from Chevrolet to Toyota.
Jimmie will drop Erik and Noah like a bad habit. Jimmie intends on being the new King. How does Club Master sound?
Johnson is selling out like Stewart did.