Petty GMS Renamed Legacy Motor Club, Jimmie Johnson Driving No. 84 Car

One of the smaller teams poised for a breakout season now has a new name. Petty GMS has been rebranded as Legacy Motor Club with Johnson driving the No. 84 Chevrolet in select races. The number is the reverse of his longtime 48 number, and represents the number of his next race win (83 in his Cup career). With a pair of seven-time Cup champions leading the way, the organization now has their sights set on the track.

Johnson returns to the garage after two years in IndyCar where he drove for Chip Ganassi's team. Now with an ownership stake in the team, Johnson will make his return in the Daytona 500 next month. After spending his entire career with Hendrick Motorsports, the 48-year old begins the next chapter of his legendary career.

"After brainstorming about the new name of our team, Maury Gallagher and I recognized the opportunity to do something special and different," Johnson said. "We felt it was important to have a name that honored the past and acknowledged the future. I am excited to be a part of a story so rich in heritage and look forward to creating a new legacy in this sport outside of the racecar."

Returning at Daytona is the perfect scenario for Johnson, who has won the iconic race twice. This will be Jimmie's first time in the NextGen car, and his first Cup race since the season finale in 2020. The plan is for him to test a car later this month at Phoenix.

With Speedweeks leading up to the race on February 19, Johnson will have plenty of time to get comfortable. Drivers will have single-car qualifying on Wednesday, the Duel races on Thursday, and practice on Friday and Saturday ahead of the race.

This bodes well for Johnson, who must forget everything he learned over the last two years in IndyCar. He will also need to get familiar with his teammates, one of whom will be a rookie. Although it is his first full-time Cup season, Noah Gragson did get some experience racing at this level last season. He takes over the No. 42 Chevrolet while Erik Jones remains the team leader in the famed No. 43 car.

Jones was brilliant last season, earning three top-five finishes, which included his second Southern 500 victory at Darlington. He should be a tremendous help to his teammates at Daytona too, as he won there back in 2018 while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones ran well all of last season and is ready to take the next step in leading this team to the playoffs.

In this new role, Johnson will get a different perspective to help guide this organization going forward. He joins Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin as drivers/owners although he is only scheduled to run a handful of races. A return to the Indianapolis 500 is also still on the table for the veteran racer.

Even though he is driving a Chevrolet in NASCAR, Johnson has stated that he is able to pilot a Honda-powered car at Indy if the opportunity is there. With engine allocation being a major topic of that race, Johnson continues to play the waiting game on that front.

Depending on the results with his Cup team, it could lead to more time behind the wheel but he understands that his role as an owner is more important.

Despite not having any experience with the NextGen car, there is still a lot of valuable lessons that Johnson can pass along to Jones and Gragson. He has a tremendous desire to teach, and played a major role in the success of Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Alex Bowman during his final years at Hendrick.

This is a unique blend of legendary drivers that are now owners, and two young and talented drivers that are hungry to win. The parts and pieces are in place, it is just a matter of putting them all together to complete the puzzle.