Legacy Motor Club, formerly known as Petty GMS Motorsports, is an American professional stock car racing team owned by Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson.[2] The team competes in the NASCAR Cup Series where they currently field three Toyota Camry teams: the No. 42 full-time for John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 full-time for Erik Jones, and the No. 84 part-time for team co-owner Johnson. The team has a technical alliance with Toyota Racing Development.[3] In 2024, Legacy Motor Club expanded into the electric off-road racing series Extreme E with Johnson as the primary driver.[4]
On December 1, 2021, Maury Gallagher purchased a majority interest in the former Richard Petty Motorsports for US$19 million. The deal included both of RPM's charters; the No. 43 continued to operate with its charter while the second charter - which was leased to Rick Ware Racing for the No. 51 from 2019 to 2021 - was transferred to a second car for the team, the No. 42.[5] Following the purchase, the team was renamed to Petty GMS Motorsports.
On September 16, 2022, it was reported that Petty GMS Motorsports would use Joe Gibbs Racing pit crews in 2023.[6] On November 4, seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson purchased an ownership stake in Petty GMS.[7][8] Following the 2022 season, Richard Petty sold all shares of Petty GMS Motorsports to majority owner Gallagher.[9]
On January 11, 2023, the team announced the rebranding of the organization to Legacy Motor Club, marking the first time since the founding of NASCAR in 1949 that the Petty family has not had their name on a team in NASCAR's top series.[10] On February 18, Petty announced that Johnson had taken control of the team's day-to-day operations, leaving him without decision-making power.[11] On May 3, the team announced it will switch manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota in 2024.[3] On July 26, Cal Wells was appointed as the team's CEO.[12] On August 25, Bill Scott was promoted from Executive Vice President & General Counsel to COO.[13] On October 10, Matt Kenseth was named the team’s Competition Advisor.[14]
On January 25, 2024, Trevor Bayne was named the team's Competition Advisor.[15] On July 14, Bobby Kennedy was named General Manager, while Competition Director Joey Cohen left the team.[16]
On June 17, 2021, Gallagher announced that GMS Racing would move up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022.[17] On October 10, GMS announced that Ty Dillon would drive the then-No. 94 in their inaugural Cup season.[18] On December 1, Gallagher purchased a majority interest in Richard Petty Motorsports for US$19 million. The deal included both of RPM's charters; the No. 43 would continue to operate with its charter while the second charter - which was leased to Rick Ware Racing for the No. 51 from 2019 to 2021 - would be transferred to GMS' entry which was re-numbered from 94 to No. 42.[19]
Dillon began the 2022 season with an 11th place finish at the 2022 Daytona 500. Throughout the season, he only scored a top-10 finish at the Bristol dirt race. On July 15, Dillon announced that he would part ways with Petty GMS at the end of the 2022 season.[20] Prior to the Pocono race, the No. 42 was docked 35 driver and owner points for an L1 penalty when the pre-race inspection revealed issues on the car's rocker box vent hole.[21] At Kansas, the No. 42 began to use pit crew members from Joe Gibbs Racing; both the No. 42 and No. 43 will use JGR pit crew members starting in 2023.[22] Dillon ended the season 29th in the points standings.[23]
On August 10, Petty GMS announced that Noah Gragson would replace Dillon for the 2023 season, having signed a two-year contract with the team.[24][25] Gragson started the season with a 24th-place finish at the 2023 Daytona 500. Shortly after finishing 29th at Kansas, he confronted Ross Chastain over a racing incident between them that resulted in Gragson hitting the outside wall. Gragson shoved Chastain, who retaliated with a punch to the face.[26] At Gateway, Gragson was involved in a hard crash due to a brake rotor failure. His car spun down toward the apron and then back up the track, hitting the wall first with the rear of his car and then the front. Gragson suffered concussion-like symptoms from the crash and was replaced by Grant Enfinger at Sonoma.[27] Enfinger finished 26th.[28] On August 5, NASCAR and LMC suspended Gragson indefinitely for violation of Section 4.4.D. of the NASCAR Rule Book, which concerns member conduct, after Gragson liked an offensive meme related to the murder of George Floyd on social media.[29] Josh Berry replaced Gragson at Michigan, where he finished 34th after a hard crash in Turn 4 on Lap 51.[30] Mike Rockenfeller drove the No. 42 to a 24th place finish at Indianapolis, a 19th at Watkins Glen,[31] and a 29th at the Charlotte Roval.[32] On August 10, Gragson requested to be released from his contract with LMC so he can focus on the reinstatement process.[33] Carson Hocevar drove the No. 42 to a 17th place finish at Darlington.[34] Hocevar finished 20th at Kansas, earning the No. 42’s first back-to-back top 20 finishes since Atlanta and COTA. A week later, he scored a career-best 11th place finish at the Bristol night race.[35] On October 4, Hocevar was signed for the final four races.[36] On October 16, LMC announced that John Hunter Nemechek would drive the No. 42 at Homestead instead of Hocevar, with Hocevar still running the final two races.[37] Nemechek finished 32nd after being involved in a crash on Lap 222.[38] The No. 42 team ended the season 32nd in the owners’ standings.[39]
On September 6, 2023, Legacy Motor Club announced that John Hunter Nemechek will drive the No. 42 in 2024.[40] On October 8, 2024, technical director Brian Campe replaced Ben Beshore as crew chief of the No. 42.[41]
On October 21, 2020, it was announced that Richard Petty Motorsports had signed Erik Jones to a multi-year contract to drive the 43 car.[42] When GMS bought Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021, Jones was retained to drive the 43 car.
Jones began the 2022 season with a 29th place finish at the 2022 Daytona 500. He scored thirteen top-10 finishes during the season, including a third-place finish at Fontana and a fourth-place finish at Atlanta. Prior to the Pocono race, the No. 43 was docked 35 driver and owner points for an L1 penalty when the pre-race inspection revealed issues on the car's rocker box vent hole.[21] Jones was signed to a multi-year agreement on July 30.[43] Despite not making the playoffs, he won at Darlington, giving Petty GMS its first win. In addition, he gave the No. 43 its first win since the 2014 Coke Zero 400 and its overall 200th win.[44] Jones ended the season 18th in the points standings.[23]
Jones started the 2023 season with hard rock band Guns N' Roses sponsoring the No. 43 for the 2023 Daytona 500, where he finished 37th after wrecking out early.[45][46] At Talladega, Jones earned his third consecutive sixth place finish at the track (he finished sixth in both races in 2022), and claim his second top-10 of the season.[47] On June 7, following an 18th place finish at the Gateway race, NASCAR gave the No. 43 an L1 penalty after a post-race inspection revealed illegal modifications to the car's greenhouse. As a result, the team was docked 60 driver and owner points and five playoff points. In addition, crew chief Dave Elenz was fined US$75,000 and suspended for two races.[48] After a 32nd place finish at Sonoma, Jones finished 16th or better in the next 5 consecutive races, including an 8th place finish at Nashville and a 9th place finish at Pocono. Jones earned his fifth top-10 of the season at Michigan, finishing 10th. Jones failed to qualify for the playoffs after finishing 18th in the regular season finale at Daytona. At Darlington, Jones finished 10th, his sixth top-10 of the season. At Kansas, Jones started on the front row for an overtime restart after a two-tire gamble. After battling Joey Logano for the lead, Tyler Reddick passed them both coming to the white flag. Jones ultimately finished 3rd, his first top-5 since his victory at the 2022 Cook Out Southern 500 and his seventh top-10 of the season. Additionally, this was LMC’s only top-5 finish of the season as well as their first as an organization. Jones ended the season 27th in the points standings.[49]
Prior to the 2024 season, Jones gathered major sponsorships from companies AdventHealth and Dollar Tree, including subsidiary Family Dollar.[50][51] Jones began the season with an 8th place finish in the 2024 Daytona 500, his first top-10 at the track since his 3rd place finish in the 2019 Daytona 500. At Talladega, Jones was involved in a hard crash on Lap 156 that resulted in him hitting the outside wall head-on after getting hooked from behind. After the race, he was transported to a local hospital due to repeated claims of back soreness. He was released later that night. Two days later, LMC announced that Jones would miss the Dover race after specialists discovered a compression fracture in a lower vertebra. Corey Heim, LMC’s reserve driver, will replace Jones at Dover and Kansas.[52]Jones was cleared to race before the race at Kansas but opted to return to racing at Darlington instead. [53] On October 8, Elenz parted ways with LMC. Ben Beshore transferred from the No. 42 to become the No. 43's crew chief.[41]
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On January 11, 2023, Legacy Motor Club announced seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will run with a part time schedule in 2023, starting with the 2023 Daytona 500 driving the No. 84 entry. The number is an inverse of Johnson's famous 48 car (still run by Johnson's long-time team Hendrick Motorsports). Johnson also chose the number due to him having 83 wins, and his goal to get one more, which would tie him with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for fourth all time. On February 14, Johnson made the entry field by scoring the fastest lap among the non-chartered teams.[54] He would finish 31st after wrecking out in the first overtime attempt on Lap 203.[46] Johnson made a start at the COTA race in March, where he finished 38th after wrecking out on Lap 1.[55] Johnson's next start would come at the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 in May. He finished 37th after spinning out twice and only completing 115 laps.[56] On June 26, Johnson’s in-laws were involved in a possible murder-suicide at their house in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Johnson was on the original entry list for the Chicago street race, but on June 27, Legacy Motor Club announced it would withdraw his entry from the race due to the tragedy.[57][58] On September 6, Johnson announced on NASCAR Race Hub that he would not compete in any more races in 2023.[59]
On June 13, 2023, Toyota Racing Development President David Wilson said that Johnson would run another part-time schedule in 2024 when Legacy Motor Club switches from Chevrolet to Toyota at the end of the season.[60] On September 6, Johnson also announced on NASCAR Race Hub that he would drive select races again in the No. 84 in 2024 and that a schedule should be released soon.[59]
Johnson started his 2024 part-time season with a 28th place finish at the 2024 Daytona 500. He also raced at Texas (29th), Dover (28th), Kansas (38th), Charlotte (29th), and Indianapolis (33rd). On July 26, Legacy Motor Club released crew chief Jason Burdett and several members of the No. 84 team.[61] Performance director Gene Wachtel became the team's crew chief for Kansas.[62]
In February 2024, Legacy Motor Club joined electric off-road racing series Extreme E for the 2024 season with Jimmie Johnson as the lead driver. Travis Pastrana substituted Johnson, who was tied up with 2024 Daytona 500 during the weekend, for the first two rounds of the season alongside Gray Leadbetter.[63] The team finished in sixth in Rounds 1 and 2 at the Desert X-Prix while scoring its first Super Sector in Round 2.[64][65] Extreme E male championship reserve driver Patrick O'Donovan was announced as Leadbetter's partner for Rounds 3 and 4.[66] On September 6, a week before the scheduled Island X-Prix, Extreme E announced that the rounds in Sardinia and Phoenix were cancelled.[67][68]
(Races in bold indicate best qualifiers; races in italics indicate fastest super sector)
