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For Legacy MC, Last season began with Jimmie Johnson announcing that he bought into the rebranded team and would be running a part-time schedule alongside full-time drivers Noah Gragson and Erik Jones.
Shortly after, the team announced a shock switch to Toyota for the 2025 season. Johnson had long been a driver for Chevrolet. However, this move looked like a move for the future growth of the team.
After Noah Gragson’s abrupt exit from Legacy, Toyota gifted John Hunter Nemechek to Legacy for its 2024 lineup, reassuring fans that the switch to Toyota was beneficial for the team. Johnson’s part-time schedule and name recognition also earned the team a full 36 race sponsor in Dollar Tree, Inc.
This sponsorship resulted in at least one Dollar Tree and Family Dollar Legacy MC Camry in each race in the 2024 season and beyond, a rare site in modern NASCAR.
All these changes, along with the addition of advisors Matt Kenseth and Trevor Byane, made for a prosperous outlook for 2024. While the season looked to be a welcomed turnaround for Legacy, a handful of quality races early on would be the highlight of the team’s season.
2024 has not been kind to the now Tier One Toyota team.
Currently, the team’s two drivers, Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek, sit 28th and 33rd in points. Jones, who had seven top-tens last season, only has one, compared to Nemechek’s three, though these were early on in the season.
Nemechek, now 27 years old, has only eight lead laps finished in 27 starts, the least of all full-time Cup Series drivers. Furthermore, neither driver has qualified well this season, with both drivers’ average starting spot towards the back half of all full-time drivers.
While the Legacy’s two drivers have similar points standings, Jones missed two races in a horrific accident at Talladega. Young TRD driver Corey Heim filled in for Jones but couldn’t muster much more than the team’s full-time lineup.
Co-owner Jimmie Johnson’s few starts have resulted in minimal results as well, however, Johnson made news off the track this season as well.
Following his most recent outing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, word spread that Legacy MC had fired a large portion of Johnson’s team, including his Crew Chief.
These firings prompted backlash from fans online, who wondered if the aging veteran was using team resources to field a car for himself. Fans have also found issues with Johnson’s work away from Legacy, like his work at NBC or appearances at Goodwood, as a distraction from the team’s on-track problems.
While some fans worry about Johnson’s work with Legacy MC, others worry about the tarnishing of Johnson’s own Legacy. Since his grand send-off at the end of 2020, Johnson’s part-time starts at Legacy MC, making the seven-time champion look like a shadow of himself.
On paper, 2024 has been a failure for Legacy MC. Historically, good drivers have bad outings, but the team can’t compete at the same level as other new teams like Trackhouse and 23XI.
Off the track, fans’ displeasure with how things are going on track is just as bad a look for the team as its performances. Furthermore, major sponsor Dollar Tree Inc., much like former HMS sponsor Hooter’s, is seeing closures nationwide.
However, not everything is bad. The team knew it was going to experience growing pains. With advisors like Bayne and Kenseth, they look prepared for disappointment. The Dollar Tree deal has also proven that they are worth major nationwide brand sponsorship.
Furthermore, the team locked down Erik Jones as a cornerstone for future growth. Growth could include a standout Truck Series driver and Legacy MC reserve driver, Corey Heim.
Given its on-track problems, Legacy’s off-track preparation could help the team bounce back. They may have a bright future, but they need to get a head start on 2025 now to prove it.
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