LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, which fields the No. 42 and No. 43 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series for Noah Gragson and Erik Jones, will switch manufacturers, from Chevrolet to Toyota, beginning in 2024.
The organization announced the change on Tuesday, in which the team’s two entries will become the seventh and eighth full-time teams for Toyota Racing Development, the most for the manufacturer at NASCAR’s top level since 2011.
“All of us at Toyota are thrilled to add LEGACY MOTOR CLUB to our NASCAR family,” said Jack Hollis, executive vice president of Toyota Motor North America and president of Toyota Motor Sales. “While Toyota’s tenure in NASCAR has yielded on-track success, our proudest accomplishments are those relationships that have been built off the racetrack. Jimmie Johnson and Maury Gallagher along with the great club that LEGACY M.C. is assembling will be a great addition to our existing Cup Series team partners with Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing who are truly part of our family.”
LEGACY M.C. is co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, and businessman Maury Gallagher. Richard Petty, currently serves as team ambassador for the two-car operation.
“Maury Gallagher and I are very excited about the partnership with Toyota and TRD beginning in 2024,” said Jimmie Johnson. “We admire and respect the level at which Toyota conducts their business in this sport and look forward to forging a new legacy for the future. I will always be appreciative to Chevrolet and everything we have accomplished together. I’m so thankful they took a chance on a kid from California so long ago and proud that the history books will forever memorialize the record-breaking success we shared.”
The organization was rebranded at the start of this season, to signal the addition of Johnson as co-owner. In 2022, the organization was known as Petty GMS, and prior to that, was solely known under the name of Richard Petty Motorsports.
“We are humbled and delighted to welcome LEGACY MOTOR CLUB into the Toyota and TRD NASCAR family,” said David Wilson, president of TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development). “Jimmie Johnson and Maury Gallagher have impressed us with their long-term vision and commitment to building a championship-caliber organization. More importantly, their character and values are aligned with ours and our current Cup Series partners, Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing. Of course, we also look forward to being reunited with our old friends, Erik Jones and Noah Gragson.”
Both of LEGACY MC’s current drivers, Noah Gragson and Erik Jones, have had history under the banner of Toyota, with Jones becoming the first driver to score Rookie of The Year honors in each of NASCAR’s National divisions.
Gragson, who is contesting his first full season in the NASCAR Cup Series, also started his NASCAR National Series career with Toyota, partnering with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for several years.
As of this moment, it is unclear whether or not LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s move to Toyota in 2024, will have any impact on the organization’s sister program, GMS Racing, which fields entries in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Additional details on the announcement, as they become available, will be added to this story in due course.
One Response
Bummer, my family and I will miss you both (Gragson, Jones), we only root for the bowtie folks!