"I didn't clean Maury out": Jimmie Johnson brushes claims of sacking LMC's co-owner

In an interview with NASCAR analyst Bob Pockrass, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson dismissed the claims of forcing out Legacy Motor Club owner Maury Gallagher. Johnson explained that Gallagher was in a different place in life and had other priorities.

In January, Johnson became the majority stakeholder of the Legacy Motor Club. The decision was made after introducing a new minor investor, Kingthead Capital Management, LLC. This resulted in the company's founder and former owner Maury Gallagher stepping down from his post.

During the interview, Jimmie Johnson denied all the allegations about "clearing the house" and said [00:07]:

"It might look that way, but, well, I guess maybe I'm reacting to cleaning house because it wasn't. I didn't clean Maury out."

Reflecting upon Maury Gallagher's departure from the team, the two-time Daytona 500 winner highlighted that it has been tough on him. Johnson was also surprised by Gallagher's mindset and added [00:33]:

"That's been been tough, and went through a lot of that during the course of the season. I was really surprised when I spoke to Maury towards the end of last year that he was just in a different place in life and didn't want so much the day-to-day and wanted to give me that opportunity. And he just wants to come and eat a hot dog and hang out and have his headphones."

Johnson's team will feature two full-time cars in the upcoming Cup Series season. John Hunter Nemechek will pilot the #42 Toyota Camry XSE while his teammate Erik Jones will drive the #43 LMC Toyota in the 2025 season.

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“An honor well earned”: Jimmie Johnson pays tribute to 2025 NASCAR Hall of Famers

On February 11, NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson took to his X account and shared a celebratory post for the newly inducted NASCAR Hall of Fame members of 2025. He uploaded a clip of the induction ceremony held on February 7, 2025, and expected that it was the same for everyone.

The class of 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame included three of the most prominent drivers, including Carl Edwards, Ricky Rudd, and the late Ralph Moody. These drivers are well-known for their on-track brilliance and stellar career history. The Hall of Fame pool has grown to 67 members after the 2025 ceremony.

Jimmie Johnson captioned the post:

"Congrats to the @NASCARHall of Fame Class of 2025. An honor well earned."

"As a proud member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, I want to congratulate the family of Ralph Moody. I also want to congratulate Ricky Rudd and Carl Edwards on their induction into the Hall of Fame. I know how special the weekend was for me, and I hope everyone had just the most special time as well. Congratulations," Jimmie Johnson shared in the video.

Johnson qualified 29th in his #84 Toyota Camry XSE for the Daytona 500 scheduled on Sunday, February 16.