At this stage, Legacy Motor Club finds itself far from where it hoped to be. Since debuting in 2022, the organization has struggled to gain a solid footing, first with Chevrolet, then switching to Toyota last season. The performance dip only deepened, as both full-time drivers slipped further in the standings while adjusting to the new machinery. But according to No. 43 driver Erik Jones, the team has recalibrated its focus toward more attainable goals for the current season.
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In 2024, Legacy Motor Club mustered just six top-10 finishes and a single top-five across the board. Through the first 14 races this season, John Hunter Nemechek, the driver of the No. 42 Toyota for the Jimmie Johnson-owned outfit, has posted one top-five and three other top-10s. Jones has logged one of each as well. Meanwhile, co-owner and part-time driver Jimmie Johnson started the year on a high note, scoring a top-five in the Daytona 500.
Looking ahead to Michigan, Jones made it clear the team isn’t chasing a championship in 2024. Instead, they’ve set practical benchmarks for progress. “This year, we’re more on track to be where we want to be. Obviously, the end goal for Legacy Motor Club is to be a championship team, right? There’s no other goal than that, and obviously, there’s a lot of teams with that goal,” Jones said.
He added, “But becoming independent and not having the alliance, that was kind of a step number one… We probably should win a race first, but the goals are there, and that’s a few years down the road. But I feel like where our performance is at this moment, winning a race in the next 365 days is probably goal number one.”
Nemechek and Jones currently sit 22nd and 24th in the standings, trailing points leader William Byron by 280 and 288 points, respectively.
Erik Jones feels the team needs success before expansion
Back in January, Jimmie Johnson revealed Legacy Motor Club’s planned expansion into the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion aims to broaden his team’s footprint across multiple racing disciplines, taking a page from Justin Marks, who successfully steered Trackhouse Racing into global ventures.
Trackhouse Racing’s partnership with TF Sport to tackle the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans featured an impressive driver lineup, including Shane van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin, Ben Keating, Connor Zilisch, and others. But before turning that page, Erik Jones believes the focus must remain squarely on results in NASCAR.
“I would love to see the Cup program be successful and up and going first, 100%,” Jones said. “I’m the driver of the Cup car and want to see that do well, and I want to run well, so I don’t want to speak to his [Johnson’s] plans and honestly, I don’t know what Jimmie (Johnson)’s plans are on some of that stuff either.”
All eyes now turn to how Jones and Legacy Motor Club navigate the upcoming stretch, and whether they can mount a late-season charge to lock in one — or maybe even both — drivers into the playoffs.
