
Jimmie Johnson, the American racing car driver, is set to drive for Toyota in NASCAR Cup Series 2024 after leaving Chevrolet. This all-important development has come in the aftermath of last month’s announcement from Legacy Motor Club, in which they had discontinued the use of Chevrolet for the next season.
According to the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) President, David Wilson, the Legacy Motor Club, co-owned by Jimmie Johnson and Maury Gallagher, will be switching to their team from Chevrolet, from 2024 onwards. It is a massive coup for Toyota, who have Eric Jones and Noah Gragson as their full-time drivers in the cup series.
David Wilson gave an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio recently, where he was quoted as saying, “Yes, you will see him (Jimmie Johnson) in a Toyota (in 2024). And that is something that will be very moving and emotional for me personally, professionally, for Toyota.” He remarked that the American will be driving the Toyota Camry before he is done as a racecar driver.
For the unversed, Jimmie Johnson has been a part of Chevrolet in his entire career, driving in 689 races, in which he won seven NASCAR Cup Series. But in the current season, he has been a part of only four races, with a best finish in 31st place at Daytona 500. Meanwhile, in the same interview, David Wilson talked about how the Legacy Motor Club is struggling yet Jimmie Johnson and the team will be a great fit for Toyota in 2024.
He said, “Legacy Motor Club is really in its infancy. They’re struggling big-time right now. But I’ll be very candid at saying the singular element that convinced me that this was a no-brainer was seven-time champion, Jimmie Johnson. I’ve gotten to know Jimmie over the past year and realised just what a quality human being he is and what a great fit he will be to Toyota’s culture.”