Legacy Motor Club has set clear and practical ambitions for this NASCAR season, with driver Erik Jones confirming that the team‘s main focus is on incremental improvement rather than chasing an immediate championship. The organization’s 2024 Cup Series performance goals now emphasize securing a race victory as their top priority, reflecting a measured approach after recent challenges adapting to both Chevrolet and <a href="https://slicksandsticks.com/tag/toyota/”>Toyota.
Legacy Motor Club Adjusts Approach to 2024 After Tough Start
Since its formation in 2022, Legacy Motor Club has struggled to find stability, initially running Chevrolets before switching to Toyota last year. The transition brought more difficulties as neither John Hunter Nemechek nor Erik Jones was able to climb in the driver standings. Their current performance in 2024—just six top-10 finishes and a single top-five result overall—is a clear indicator that progress is steady but slow.
As of the first 14 races this season, John Hunter Nemechek has earned one top-five and three other top-10 finishes in the No. 42 machine for the Jimmie Johnson-owned club. Erik Jones, piloting the No. 43 Toyota, has also managed one top-five and one top-10. Jimmie Johnson himself, who co-owns the team and occasionally drives, brought early attention by placing in the top five at the Daytona 500. Currently, Nemechek and Jones sit 22nd and 24th in the overall points, significantly trailing the leader William Byron by more than 280 points each.
Setting Realistic Targets: Winning Comes Before Bigger Goals
Looking ahead to the upcoming stretch, including the event in Michigan, Erik Jones explained that Legacy Motor Club’s aspirations for this year are grounded in realism. Instead of focusing on a championship run, the team has shifted its targets.
“This year, we’re more on track to be where we want to be. Obviously, the end goal for Legacy Motor Club is to be a championship team, right? There’s no other goal than that, and obviously, there’s a lot of teams with that goal,”
—Erik Jones, Driver
Jones further clarified the strategy by stating,
“But becoming independent and not having the alliance, that was kind of a step number one… We probably should win a race first, but the goals are there, and that’s a few years down the road. But I feel like where our performance is at this moment, winning a race in the next 365 days is probably goal number one.”
—Erik Jones, Driver
These comments reveal that Legacy Motor Club’s 2024 Cup Series performance goals revolve around achievable milestones, such as nabbing a victory this year, while building toward becoming a top-tier championship team in the future. This recalibrated mindset resonates through the entire organization as it looks to rebuild momentum.
Expansion Plans on Hold as Team Seeks Success in Cup Series
In early 2024, co-owner Jimmie Johnson shared ambitions for Legacy Motor Club to stretch into the International Motor Sports Association, following examples set by teams such as Trackhouse Racing, which recently entered the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans through a partnership with TF Sport. Notable drivers like Shane van Gisbergen, Ben Keating, Scott McLaughlin, and Connor Zilisch were part of that high-profile effort.
However, Jones stressed the necessity of first finding success in NASCAR before expanding the team’s horizons:
“I would love to see the Cup program be successful and up and going first, 100%,”
—Erik Jones, Driver
He also stated,
“I’m the driver of the Cup car and want to see that do well, and I want to run well, so I don’t want to speak to his [Johnson’s] plans and honestly, I don’t know what Jimmie (Johnson)’s plans are on some of that stuff either.”
—Erik Jones, Driver
This focus on steady performance echoes throughout the garage, as team leaders and drivers recognize that lasting progress in stock car racing is best achieved through consistency and improvement in core operations.
What Lies Ahead for Legacy Motor Club?
With both Nemechek and Jones far behind the championship contenders, Legacy Motor Club’s journey through the rest of the season will be closely watched. The team’s ability to achieve its targeted race win could prove pivotal for its reputation and future plans, including potential expansion into international series. For now, the main storyline centers on whether the collective efforts of names like Erik Jones, John Hunter Nemechek, and Jimmie Johnson can turn incremental improvement into tangible results in the highly competitive NASCAR Cup Series.
