LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is here to stay, and they aren’t letting a rocky start slow them down. This week they announced a switch to Toyota beginning next year. The move also means a shocking change for their co-owner, Jimmie Johnson. The man that was the face of Chevrolet in NASCAR for so long will now be in a rival camp.
I asked David Wilson, President of Toyota Racing Development, how he would market his new partner, and he replied, “…We’re partnered with Jimmie as an owner, first and foremost, and not in a superficial manner, but as a boots on the ground guy… It’s Jimmie’s day job to continue to put the pieces in place, to make that team, to build that foundation, to continue to add to that foundation. Everything on top of that is icing on the cake.”
Wilson then addressed with us how big of a change he knows this is, “One of the first things that we learned is a fan’s opinion is going to be most influenced, when it comes to the manufacturer, by the drivers and the owners that we’re partnered with. And I am not naive any longer. I know that this is a polarizing partnership for many of Jimmie’s fans, for many of the King’s fans. Right, and undoubtedly some will feel like it’s a bit sacrilegious, but I’m not worried about that because I trust that over time, our demonstrated respect for this partnership, for people, and the way we carry ourselves will soften that.”
Johnson isn’t sure about his future on the driver side and how that fits in, but David commented on the possibility, “If Jimmie decides that he’d like to run a race here and there in a Toyota Camry, I think we can make that happen. And we’d like nothing more. But first things first.”
Many have wondered how involved Jimmie Johnson actually is in his team. The earlier comments from David Wilson cleared that up, but I asked Johnson to elaborate even more on what his day-to-day looks like at LMC. He said, “It’s been heavily skewed towards the front office, marketing, branding, partner relations…that certainly has occupied a ton of time. Our competition department, I…have my check-in points, and I’m there in a phone call away. But our group is rock solid and really proud of the group we have and what they’ve been able to put together…but again, it’s been more front office than competition.”
Johnson then goes on to share about the overall transition to owner for him, “It’s funny because when I was the driver, I really didn’t pay much attention to the front office, what went on there. Over the last few years in my journey, leaving Hendrick Motorsports, going into IndyCar, there’s something there that I was able to see the other side, and how exhilarating it is, how rewarding it is. Learning along the way, Maury (Gallagher, fellow LMC co-owner), he won’t admit to it, but I love drafting him and learning from him through this process.”
Jimmie ended his answer by reinforcing his commitment saying, “It’s been a great journey, and I’ll continue to put in the time. I mean, I’m a competitor at heart, and I’m here to win, and I’ll do what it takes to win.”