Rumor Mill: Is This Former Cup Series Driver a Top Candidate for Legacy Motor Club’s Third Car?
What’s Happening? With the NASCAR team Legacy Motor Club set to expand, there are many names in the rumor mill as…
A new social media post from Legacy Motor Club team owner Jimmie Johnson has NASCAR fans asking if the NASCAR Legend is dropping clues about the team’s new potential driver for the 2027 season.
One storyline to follow during the 2027 NASCAR Silly Season is the newest car joining the field next season, a now-unnumbered and driverless Toyota entry for Legacy Motor Club.
The team, which is majority-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, is finally taking the step to expand to a third team after years of running a part-time car for its owner.
LMC acquired its third charter via a lawsuit settlement with Rick Ware Racing last year, but will not be able to expand until 2027 due to RWR’s pre-existing agreement to lease that charter to RFK Racing for 2026.
While this was not what the team was pursuing, as their original goal was to expand for 2026, this does give the team time to build out their expansion and build hype around the new car.
Part of this building is, of course, finding a new driver, something there is no shortage of rumors about this year.
In fact, fans on the r/NASCAR subreddit are now asking if a social post from Jimmie Johnson after this past weekend could tease who this driver is.
JJ dropping hints about the 3rd Legacy car next year?
by u/suicidedonkey101 in NASCAR
The post is captioned, “Lots to learn from Bristol and a good start to the week catching up on those learnings with the team. We’ll keep building. Will be heading up Mission Control from home this weekend, let me know where you’ll be watching Kansas from!”
This is nothing out of the ordinary for Johnson or any NASCAR owner/driver to post after a race weekend, but the photo, which shows Johnson walking alongside second-generation racer Harrison Burton, is the real eye-catcher.
If Johnson had posted a photo with active LMC drivers like John Hunter Nemechek or Erik Jones, it probably wouldn’t raise any questions.
Still, Johnson’s posting a picture of Burton, a Toyota driver in a lower division, definitely set off a few alarm bells for the online community.
Harrison Burton’s climb through NASCAR’s ranks was odd, as he quickly jumped to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with Joe Gibbs Racing before taking on full-time Cup Series duties with Wood Brothers Racing in 2022.
But his time in the lower levels proved little help in the Cup Series, as the second-generation driver failed to live up to expectations or even the stats of former WBR driver Matt DiBenedetto.
In mid-2024, WBR announced it would part ways with Burton at year’s end, though they would find victory lane shortly after this announcement. Burton slipped back down to the OAP Series, making the playoffs with Ford’s AM Racing in 2025, before returning to Toyota with Sam Hunt Racing this season.
Though it may seem odd that Burton is being considered for this seat, he has been mentioned in the rumor mill for the team as recently as February.
What’s Happening? With the NASCAR team Legacy Motor Club set to expand, there are many names in the rumor mill as…
In fact, the same week those rumors made the rounds online, NASCAR’s Hauler Talk podcast revealed that Burton is the reserve driver for LMC, as during the Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas, he was prepping to take over the No. 43 for an ill Erik Jones (though that never happened).
Furthermore, Johnson is no stranger to teasing future plans on social media, as, prior to announcing his planned return to the Craftsman Truck Series later this season, he posted a cryptic photo to his social media of his only previous career start in the series.
Regardless, at least for now, neither LMC nor Burton has announced any plans to tackle the 2027 Cup Series season together.
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