Johnson looking to expand Legacy Motor Club's footprint beyond NASCAR
01/28/2025 03:09 PM
Legacy Motor Club began its next chapter on Monday when Jimmie Johnson was introduced as its majority owner and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC a new investor and minority owner.
The partnership aims to expand the reach and brand of Legacy Motor Club beyond NASCAR; a message Johnson sent in the days before the announcement while appearing on the NBC Sports broadcast of the Rolex 24. The possibilities seem endless, even without a stated interest in a particular series or event just yet.
But Johnson feels the company has a better ability to plan for the future and be ready for the changing landscape even within NASCAR due to having Knighthead Capital in the fold.
"Our focus is NASCAR," Johnson said. "That is the crown jewel, our nucleus, of everything we want to be. But I do feel there are other opportunities for expansion within motorsports, throughout NASCAR, in other divisions."
Johnson won seven championships as a Cup Series driver with Hendrick Motorsports. In recent years he has also competed in the NTT IndyCar Series and sports cars.
Legacy Motor Club fields two full-time entries for Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek with Toyota support. The manufacturer competes in a variety of racing disciplines across the country and globe, which Johnson is well aware of.
"But something I'm really passionate about is trying to build a brand and building a brand based on winning races and championships and doing that in the Cup Series," Johnson continued. "That would then help put a team name out there and build a brand out of a team name and what's behind it, and obviously we've been very intentional with Legacy. And as we continue to move forward, that affords us a lot of really unique opportunities to grow a club and build real fandom around a race team in addition to what auto enthusiasts like to do."
Knighthead Capital executives, including Tom Wagner, the co-founder, were present for Monday’s season kickoff event where the team was informed of the internal changes. Included in Knighthead Capital's investment portfolio are HERTZ, JOTA Racing, Singer Vehicle Design, Revology Cars, and Birmingham Football Club.
Singer Vehicle Design and Revology Cars are not focused on racing, restoration and reproduction. That’s something worth noting as Legacy Motor Club plots its future with a partner that has experience in other areas. And Johnson is already looking for where Legacy Motor Club can have a presence that goes beyond racing competition.
"There are just so many opportunities out there in the auto space," Johnson said. "You have motorsports, but then you have all these experiential opportunities that are popping up and these tracks all around the country where enthusiasts are able to go out and run around in fun cars. Historic racing continues to just thrive. I've had a fair amount of experience doing that lately.
"So, there are many layers to the car space, and that's what I want Legacy Motor Club to evolve into over time."
