Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief breaks down Legacy’s lack of progress under Toyota

Jimmie Johnson's crew chief, Todd Gordon, recently addressed the struggles faced by the Legacy Motor Club team since their switch from Chevy to Toyota. He stated that, unlike major teams like Joe Gibbs Racing, the Legacy Motor Club does not have its own tools and simulations. According to Gordon, while having factory support is useful, the challenge is having the right personnel to leverage that support.

In May 2023, Jimmie Johnson's team announced its shift from Chevrolet to Toyota for the 2024 season. Since the change, the team has yet to secure a top-5 finish. John Hunter Nemechek, driving the #42 Toyota Camry, has finished three top-10s this season, but Eric Jones, behind the wheel of the #43 Toyota, has managed just one top-10 finish.

Also, Jimmie Johnson, who is racing part-time in the #84 car, has merely reached as high as P28 place at both Dover and Daytona.

Speaking on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, Jimmie Johnson's crew chief, Todd Gordon, commented on the challenges faced by Legacy Motor Club compared to other Toyota teams like Joe Gibbs Racing. He noted:

"You gotta keep in mind that they are, they are supportive, Toyota factory team. And my understanding is that Joe Gibbs, much like so, other big teams, but Joe Gibbs, I think their own tools. Their simulation is written in-house. I feel like all of their kind of engineering tools are their own. Legacy is not on their program. Legacy is on the Toyota program."

Todd Gordon also expressed optimism about Toyota's development cycle providing the Legacy Motor Club team with the necessary tools but emphasized the importance of having the right staff to utilize what the factory offers. He said:

"Getting to the point where have factory support is one thing, but having the personnel to utilize all of the factory support is another thing. You need departments that you didn't used to have. And you need to build cohesion in those departments. [...]"

He added:

"That's just your crew chiefs and your race engineers put it's having all the departments that can kind of help feed you the bets because... Now that you're on the common car, you have to get everything right, and you have to go win in the little, little details."

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Jimmie Johnson's team may have a different driver lineup for 2025

As per the recent updates by Bob Pockrass, Erik Jones does not have a contract with Jimmie Johnson's Legacy Motor Club for the 2025 season. While the team would likely prefer to have Jones back in the #43 car, his return is not yet guaranteed. And should Jones decide to leave, a promising Toyota prospect has been mentioned as a potential replacement.

Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports suggested that Corey Heim could be a candidate for Jimmie Johnson if Jones opts for a different team next year. Currently, Heim serves as the reserve driver for 23XI Racing and Legacy Motor Club in the NASCAR Cup Series.

He has had the chance to drive the #43 car at events such as the Wurth 400 at Dover and the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas, where he finished 25th and 22nd, respectively. Additionally, Heim competes full-time for TRICON Garage in the Truck Series and part-time for Sam Hunt Racing in the Xfinity Series.