Jimmie Johnson leaving Chevrolet and switching to Ford was a move that not many could digest at first, but it was one that everyone began to understand soon after. For veteran spotter Brett Griffin, this switch was not something that he found normal, something he revealed in an episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast.
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“Jimmie Johnson is a 7-time champion with what manufacturer? Chevrolet,” Griffin said. “I am so spot off for Chevrolet allowing Jimmie Johnson to leave the conversation.”
Griffin felt like the former Hendrick driver didn’t want to leave Chevrolet. Although he hadn’t talked to Johnson about this, Griffin said, “I know good and well in Jimmie’s heart and I have not talked to Jimmie, that he didn’t want to leave Chevrolet. So for him to get up and leave as a manufacturer and switch from Chevrolet to Toyota, it tells us that Toyota is gonna make him a key partner.”
“Clearly Jimmie has a three to five-year plan here with this team and clearly he’s making a lot of the decisions. He’s bringing in a lot of his people to the table,” he added.
Jimmie Johnson’s switch serves the biggest purpose for Toyota
Jimmie Johnson is a 7-time Cup Series champion. Moreover, he has achieved this feat in different formats, in different cars, and during different time spans. It goes without saying that he is a worthy inclusion in Toyota’s roster. “They get a 7-time Cup series champion that came from another manufacturer, which makes it look like you’re very attractive for some reason,” said Griffin.
Toyota’s major reason for getting into the sport of NASCAR was to ‘Americanize’ the brand. Griffin explained, “They’ve done that over the years and you go get an America icon like Jimmie Johnson, you’re doing it even further.”
Jimmie Johnson is arguably the most competitive guy in the arena of NASCAR. After all, one can’t just win 7 championships at the Cup Series level without being truly competitive and amazing.
And now with the backing of Toyota in his organization, Legacy Motor Club could truly be ready to compete at the top in the Cup Series in 2024, just as their owner did for the majority of his career as a driver.
