As part of the Autosport Business Exchange in New York this week, NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson was a guest speaker where he discussed his career as a driver, and also his transition into the role of team owner.
Johnson competed full-time at the top level of the sport between 2002 and 2020, winning 83 races and a record-tying seven championships as a Hendrick Motorsports driver.
After competing in IMSA, IndyCar, and even the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Johnson has taken on a new role as a team owner at Legacy Motor Club.
Going into it, he joked that he just "didn't want to be the athlete that screws it up -- thinks he's a business guy and makes mistakes."
When Johnson joined the organization, they rebranded to Legacy and have since added an impressive list of investors. In 2027, they will expand with a third chartered Cup entry, and have hired both Josh Berry and Riley Herbst to race alongside Erik Jones.
They became a Toyota-backed team in 2024, and have made several notable hires on the competition side over the past year.
Lindsay Czarniak, and Jimmie Johnson
Photo by: Bryan Bedder / Getty Images
"There's still a long road ahead," continued Johnson. "We'll see what happens. But, you know, I've been mentored throughout my career and have really tried to set up a structure where people I really trust are helping me grow and evolve in this space. And, you know, thankful for the journey, learning so much every single day.
"I'm also a competitor at heart. And I have to say, I never appreciated the race within the race. I had the great fortune of holding the steering wheel and understanding that competitive lane. But, man, the commercial competitive space and fighting for sponsorship, fighting for personnel, it's a war. It's a whole different race.
Johnson noted how difficult it was to understand the business and competition aspect as a driver as "you live in this one-dimensional world."
However, he certainly gained a newfound appreciation for what it takes to run a successful team after stepping into the role of owner himself.
"When you look at your competition department, your business ops, and how all of that, you know, fits together and how harmonious it all needs to be for success," said Johnson. "You know, within success, I firmly believe in this -- it's people. We're now approaching 215 people within Legacy as we expand to our third program for next year. It's a lot of babysitting. It's a lot of layers. It's a lot of stuff. And it's all people. And trying to have people bond and find a common goal and work together is quite the challenge."
Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club
Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Read Also:
Autosport Business Exchange New York Examines the Forces Driving Racing’s Next Era of Growth in America
Red Bull called Christian Horner to thank him for F1 engine project after maiden win
Cadillac reveals date for F1 engine factory debut, thanks drivers for being “patient”