While Joe Gibbs Racing and Legacy Motor Club both operate under the Toyota banner, the assumption that they follow the same technical playbook has led many fans down the wrong path. Despite sharing manufacturer allegiance, Legacy operates entirely on its own, building its own tools, charting its own course, and not leaning on JGR for engineering handouts.
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The recent upswing in performance for Jimmie Johnson’s team has been the result of internal growth, not external support. During a recent discussion with Steve Letarte, Todd Gilliland, and Kyle Petty, former Jimmie Johnson crew chief Todd Gordon laid bare the reality behind LMC’s rise.
“Everybody had the perception that Legacy Motor Club was getting everything that JGR got. And that’s not how that whole piece works,” Gordon explained.
He elucidated the hierarchy, pointing out, “JGR got support from Toyota, but JGR created their own internal tools, and Denny and 23XI was on a JGR support group. So, they all worked with the JGR tools and Legacy had 70 some people when we were trying to run three cars at that time. They didn’t have the personnel to support the influx of information they were going to get, and it took them time.”
That time, however, has not gone to waste. Over the offseason, Legacy brought in key personnel capable of translating raw data into on-track results. Rather than borrowing from JGR’s toolbox, the team has invested in mastering its own set of Toyota Racing Development (TRD) tools. This internal evolution has laid the groundwork for the performance jump fans are now seeing.
According to Gordon, they’re getting a handle on how to manage that data and have put good people in place. “This is a trajectory that Jimmie had a vision of. It’s just a much longer process than I think people want to give it credit,” he said.
Speaking with SiriusXM NASCAR, Gordon emphasized the patience required during TRD’s development cycle. For a team like Legacy, adapting to such an infrastructure demands time, discipline, and the right minds in the right places.
Legacy Motor Club made the switch from Chevrolet to Toyota last year, a move many believed would be an instant shot in the arm. But the results on the track didn’t match expectations. Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek wrapped the 2024 season in P28 and P34, respectively, with flashes of promise overshadowed by inconsistency.
This year, however, the tide has turned. By this point last season, Jones had just one top-10 to his name. In 2025, he’s already posted two top-fives and another top-10. Meanwhile, Nemechek, who had only three top-10s after 18 starts last year, now boasts one top-five and five additional top-10 finishes.
Hence, slowly and steadily itself, but Johnson‘s Legacy Motor Club is no longer falling behind. The rebuild is beginning to take shape, one lap, one line of data, and one hire at a time.
