In 2024, Jimmie Johnson’s team shifted gears, transitioning their allegiance from Chevrolet to Toyota. While Johnson himself may not have harbored sky-high expectations for the change, likely, he didn’t likely anticipate the team requiring an entire season to find their footing with the new manufacturer. As a collective effort, the trio of drivers managed to scrape together just one top-5 finish — Erik Jones’ commendable run at Talladega — and a modest total of six top-10 finishes.
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In the final standings, the team found themselves well off the pace, with Jones achieving the best result at P28, a slight dip from his P27-place finish the last year. John Hunter Nemechek ended up in P34, while the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion, Johnson, concluded his campaign in P37, having participated in nine races.
Despite these underwhelming results, Johnson remains bullish about Legacy’s future. With a reshuffled enrollment of personnel and a renewed sense of purpose, he is confident that the groundwork has been laid for stronger performances in the seasons ahead.
Making an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR, Johnson offered an optimistic perspective on his team’s journey, stating, “It took us a while to get up to speed with the manufacturer change there, maybe longer than we wanted it to, but I think…”
Adding, “We got a lot of the pieces in place now where we can start the year all strong. Brought on a lot of new people with a technical director and added Chad Johnson, Travis Mack from Kaulig.”
Besides that, on July 26, Legacy Motor Club announced one more shake-up, releasing crew chief Jason Burdett along with several members of the #84 team. Performance director Gene Wachtel stepped in as the team’s crew chief for Kansas.
Johnson elaborated further, saying, “So, getting some different viewpoints from different teams and hopefully, try to mesh this together and put together a good package for Eric to compete with.”
🗣️ "It's just about the fine details now and that takes good quality people to refine that."
🔧 @LEGACYMotorClub Crew Chief Ben Beshore weighs in on the organizational changes ahead of 2025 and how they will help improve performance at the team.
More ➡️ https://t.co/WGRTG5gVtL pic.twitter.com/qV2uqj7A2p
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) December 11, 2024
He exclaimed that in the past, the Cup Series was more of an engineering arms race, where success hinged on having engineering powerhouses within the team — developing cutting-edge parts, refining suspensions, and shaving off every ounce of weight to gain an edge.
However, the playing field has largely been leveled across the board with similar parts in all the cars. In today’s competitive landscape, it’s less about groundbreaking innovations and more about meticulous quality control.
The margins for improvement are razor-thin, and even a slight edge — where one individual executes something just 1% or 2% better than the competition—can make all the difference.
Success now hinges on consistently stacking up these incremental gains, finding those small advantages wherever they can be achieved, and leveraging them to stay ahead of the curve.
Johnson is positive about his alliance with Toyota
Although the team’s debut season with Toyota fell short of expectations, Johnson recognizes the growing pains that come with such a significant transition.
While he had hoped for a smoother adjustment, he acknowledges the hurdles and emphasizes the importance of rolling up their sleeves and continuing to refine their efforts.
Reflecting on the season, Johnson remarked, “We couldn’t have tried any harder this year. It’s just part of the journey, is probably the best way to put it. I think this year has been a very transformational year for us. We won’t have a great sense of the change until we get into probably March of next year.”
With a series of personnel changes and a renewed focus on progress, Johnson is hopeful that the coming season will steer the team onto a stronger trajectory and deliver the results they’re aiming for.
