Last month’s announcement of Legacy Motor Club, co-owned by Jimmie Johnson, discontinuing their use of Chevrolet cars must’ve been music to the ears of those in the Toyota camp. The decision is set to bolster the presence of Camrys in the Cup Series field. This was much needed given the dwindling numbers of Toyota Racing Development (TRD) cars compared to Chevrolet, which had a fleet of 16 cars until recently.
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Recently, in an interview with SiriusXM Radio, the head of Toyota Racing Development shared his sentiments on the subject. The addition of Johnson’s team to his roster, he described, is not merely strategic, but also an emotionally significant moment for him.
Toyota Racing Development’s boss calls Jimmie Johnson’s Chevy exit “emotional”
TRD’s boss displayed his emotions after he confirmed that Johnson’s team would be moving away from Chevrolet and using Toyota cars from the 2024 season. This would be a rather big move for the team which runs Eric Jones and Noah Gragson as their full-time Cup Series drivers.
“Yes, you will see him in a Toyota (in 2024). And that is something that will be very moving and emotional for me personally, professionally, for Toyota,” Wilson said. “I’ll let Jimmie fill in the blank. But I will just say that Jimmie Johnson will be racing a Toyota Camry before he is done as a racecar driver.”
“Legacy Motor Club is really in its infancy,” Wilson mentioned on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “They’re struggling big time right now. But I’ll be very candid at saying the singular element that convinced me that this was a no-brainer was seven-time champion, Jimmie Johnson. I’ve gotten to know Jimmie over the past year and realized just what a quality human being he is and what a great fit he will be to Toyota’s culture.”
TRD move will be a homecoming for both of Jimmie Johnson’s Cup team’s drivers
The move augments Toyota’s representation in the 2024 Cup to eight cars. Toyota’s fleet consists of four cars from Joe Gibbs Racing, two from 23XI Racing, and two from Legacy MC. This marks Toyota’s most significant presence in the Cup since 2011.
Legacy MC’s Cup drivers, Erik Jones and rookie Noah Gragson, both have a history with Toyota. Jones achieved Rookie of the Year honors in Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks under Toyota’s banner. His first Toyota race was in the 2013 Truck Series, where he clinched the series title two years later. Jones also celebrated two Cup victories with Toyota as part of Joe Gibbs Racing.
Gragson’s professional journey also began with Toyota. He drove for Toyota in 47 Truck races with Kyle Busch Motorsports, securing two victories. His Xfinity debut occurred in 2018 at Richmond with Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing. Meanwhile, for both Jones and Gragson, returning to Toyota via Jimmie Johnson’s full-time Cup Series team is a nostalgic homecoming, reigniting a familiar alliance.
All of this could very well turn out to be a game-changing moment not just for Legacy, but for Toyota as well.
