Jimmie Johnson's former HMS colleague joins as the new crew chief for his 84 team ahead of Kansas race

Jimmie Johnson is gearing up for his seventh Cup Series race at the Kansas Speedway. However, the seven-time Cup champion will have a new person calling the shots. This stems from the Legacy Motor Club releasing Johnson's crew chief, Jason Burdett, after the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.

After parting ways with full-time Cup racing post-2020 season, Johnson returned to NASCAR's Premier level in 2023, albeit on a part-time schedule. But instead of running for Hendrick Motorsports, the only team he ever competed for at the Cup level, the 49-year-old co-owned a stake with Maury Gallagher in the newly formed LMC and drove for his team.

The Statesville-based outfit fields a full-time Cup Series entry with John Hunter Nemechek behind the wheel of the #42 Toyota and part-time with Johnson in the #84. Corey Heim has competed in two races for LMC, driving the #43 Toyota.

During the three-week hiatus from July to August, Jimmie Jonshon's co-owned venture let go of multiple members of the #84 team, including crew chief Jason Burdett, who now works with Tricon Garage in the Truck Series.

However, the legendary driver had no change in his Kansas Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway schedule and thus needed a crew chief to call the shots from the pit box.

Enter Gene Wachtel, the Director of LMC's Vehicle Performance Group, who will now observe the crew chief's role for the 83-time Cup Series race winner. Wachtel has worked in simulation, data capture, and design jobs in NASCAR. He was Jimmie Johnson's colleague at HMS in 2006 when the latter clinched his first Cup title.

The new crew chief's resume also boasts working for Stewart-Haas Racing from 2007 to 2009 and for Joe Gibbs Racing from 2014 to 2017.

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Jimmie Johnson "thrilled" by Legacy Motor Club signing new VP of Business Operations

In November 2022, Jimmie Johnson purchased a stake in the then Petty GMS Motorsports. Before kicking off their 2023 season, the team was rebranded as Legacy Motor Club, running a full-time schedule with Erik Jones in the #43 Chevy and Noah Gragson in the #42 Chevy.

After Gragson's social media fiasco, the team suspended the driver and Grant Enfinger, Josh Berry, Mike Rockenfeller, Carson Hocevar, and John Hunter Nemechek ran a few races in the #42.

While the crew handled on-track activities, their business side needed to expand. Thus, Jimmie Johnson's co-owned team struck a deal with Reid Atherton, the former VP of Motorsports at the Circuit of The Americas.

The seven-time Cup Series champion expressed being "thrilled" by the new hiring and said (via LMC's official release).

“I'm thrilled to have Reid join the CLUB. As we continue to evolve, develop our brand and service partners. Reid's passion, dedication, and unique career experiences will immediately strengthen LEGACY M.C. We are glad to have him aboard.”

Atherton began his professional career with the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and has also worked with sanctioning bodies, teams, tracks, and manufacturers.